Bridgestone has set higher standards in winter safety with the launch of its second tyre launch in the category in the last two years. Its Blizzack LM001 has arrived to prove its enhanced performance and longer life span.
The Launch of a Revolutionary Winter Tyre
Blizzack LM001 is what Bridgestone Tyres calls its newest cold weather product to be launched later this year. The revolutionary tyre for small to medium-sized four-wheelers was introduced at an event held at Bridgestone’s Proving Ground, situated at Vidsel. The distance between this locality of Sweden and the Arctic Circle is barely 100km.
The tyre manufacturer had introduced its Blizzack LM-32 cold weather tyre, for performance-oriented cars last year in August. Following on from the same, the LM001 variant has been designed for better performance in snow and on wet surfaces, and with high longevity.
Bridgestone had invited tyre dealers to try driving a test VW Golf VII 1.4 TSI, fitted with a set of Blizzack LM-32, on snow as well as on ice. The company had also organised safety education sessions and workshops showing the tyre’s control on ice for the invitees. Stefano Modena, formerly an F1 driver and currently a tyre development team member at Bridgestone, helped organising these workshops and hosting the event.
Blizzack LM001 – Tyre Design and Construction
The new Blizzack LM001’s directional pattern features full lug construction, and the latest sipe design ensures an abundance of “edge effect” – as Bridgestone calls it – on slippery surfaces. Moreover, these sipes facilitate even tyre wear and longer tyre life compared to before.
The tyre also features innovative horn-shaped grooves that help driving water and slush away, at a faster pace, from the tyre’s contact patch. Also, the tread blocks’ rounded corners improve water flow, ensuring greater grip and better road contact.
Bridgestone’s Blizzack LM001 has also undergone a weight reduction programme that has made it lighter than its predecessor. The new construction material not only curbs weight, but also enhances fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.
Bridgestone has employed a new technology in tyre construction that helps reducing tyre noise emissions. The noise produced is now passed through a larger number of pitches and hence spread more than before to alleviate it.
José-Enrique Gonzalez, the director of marketing at Bridgestone Europe expressed his views on the new tyre. He said that they now have an entire series of lamellen tyres that offers motorists high tyre safety levels, irrespective of their car type or weather conditions.
The new Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 will be sold in Nordic and central European Nordic markets, beginning September 2014. It will be initially offered in seven sizes, and, in order to complete the range, additional sizes will be progressively added.
Bridgestone is committed to ensure drivers’ safety under all wintry conditions – be it wet, dry, snowy or icy – with its latest Blizzack range. The company continually strives to improve its products for better tyre safety; and with Blizzack LM001, it has successfully raised the bar for winter tyre performance.
Source: Tyre Blog
Published: 03 Mar 2014