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Uniroyal RainSport 1
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Uniroyal
RainSport 1
From the Uniroyal flacks:
Hanover/Misano, March 2001. Uniroyal has two new summer
tyres for the spring and with both of them, the focus is on
excellent performance in the wet and attractive design. With
its high speed RainSport 1, the brand is targeting drivers
of sports and luxury vehicles, who are looking for sporty
performance combined with very good characteristics in the
wet and striking design.
It rains in Europe on one day out of three. Last summer in
Germany alone it rained on 95 days. The risk for motorists
increases by one hundred per cent on wet roads - in addition
to reduced visibility, the main dangers are aquaplaning and
longer braking distances, hence the demand for tyres which
are specifically wet weather optimised. Uniroyal focused on
this consumer request and in 1969 the company began developing
rain tyres with a special tread pattern which displaces water
more quickly and ensures short braking distances, even on
wet asphalt.
"Our new rain tyres provide the safety needed when things
start getting critical for the motorist" explains David Lichtenauer,
Product Manager. "When the weather is fine, you can generally
drive safely if you have enough tread on your tyres. But when
the roads are wet, safety-conscious motorists need a tyre
that reduces the risk of aquaplaning and provides the shortest
braking distances, even when driving in the rain."
The registration figures for high-powered cars have risen
significantly in recent years. The market for performance
vehicles is also experiencing a boom. As a result, there is
increased demand for tyres, particularly ones, which combine
performance and safety. In this context, the majority of motorists
place great value on optimum characteristics on wet roads
reducing the risk of aquaplaning and ensure short braking
distances.
"The relevance of the high speed sector is reflected in the
marked rise in sales figures for V/W/ZR-rated tyres" comments
David Lichtenauer. "Five years ago in Western Europe demand
for these tyres in the replacement market was around 14 million,
whereas last year the figure had already reached 22,5 million
- and we anticipate sales of over 42 million high speed tyres
in the year 2005. That is almost double - and Uniroyal is
looking to increase its market share even further over the
next few years, through the new, attractive, high performance
RainSport 1."
Uniroyal is following two strategies to achieve this ambitious
goal. Based on surveys, the marketing experts in Hanover know
that consumers value not only the safety in the rain provided
by the tyres, but also their sporty looks. "The old rule "Form
follows function" applies particularly well here" stresses
David Lichtenauer. "Unmistakable design, which emphasises
the wet weather characteristics of the RainSport 1, is increasingly
sought after as consumer strive for individuality. This demand
should be met not only by the car, of course, but also by
the tyre. In addition to outstanding braking characteristics
on wet roads and the fastest possible water displacement,
we also included a striking tyre design in the list of development
requirements for the RainSport 1 to unmistakably underline these
features. And the results are stunning - surveys carried out
among end users to assess the tyre's looks reveal that the
design of the new RainSport 1 clearly emphasises the benefits
of our new performance tyre for the consumer too."
