Goodyear Dunlop Tyres hosted a brand experience day for their dealer network.
The day event was held at Mondello Park race circuit and demonstrated the latest range of Goodyear and Dunlop high performance tyres.
Tyre dealers from across the country experienced high speed hot laps on Dunlop tyres and precision handling in the wet with Goodyear as well as an off road experience with the Goodyear Wrangler 4×4 tyres.
The high speed hot laps introduced the race to road technology of the Dunlop brand. The Sport Maxx TT tyre, which uses DuPont Kevlar Technology in its sidewall to deliver outstanding road feedback and grip, was highlighted during the day. The Mondello Park race school drivers took the Goodyear Dunlop dealer network round the Mondello track at over 150kmph to show the outstanding performance of the leading sports tyre.
The Goodyear brand demonstrated two products out on track, the Goodyear OptiGrip and the Goodyear Wrangler MTR. The OptiGrip tyre uses some of the most advanced tyre technology on the market delivering the same performance at 18,000km as at new. Smartwear technology in the tyre reveals new grooves and compound over time, ensuring high levels of performance throughout its lifecycle. The dealer network tested the tyres in the wet against a competitor brand by driving round the wet circle at Mondello. The test was to keep the car on the track without spinning or skidding. The OptiGrip tyre tread is specifically designed to evacuate water as fast as possible enabling precision handling and grip to be delivered regardless of the weather conditions, and this was demonstrated clearly at Mondello as dealers spun off the wet circle on competitor product and stayed in line when driving on the Goodyear.
The off road experience was the final journey for the 50 strong group of dealers. Two Land Rover G4 Discovery 3 vehicles took the dealer network around the 5km off road track tackling rough surfaces, muddy troughs, 45 degree inclines and much more. The tyres that took them through the rough terrain were the Goodyear Wrangler MTR tyres designed to give top performance in any condition.
“It has been an eye opening day for the dealers. Many of the group were amazed by the difference in grip between the Goodyear OptiGrip and the competitor product. This was an important message to deliver for us as many people do not realise the impact tyres have on driving ability particularly in the wet” said Richard Warbrick, Managing Director Goodyear Dunlop Ireland.
“We wanted them to have some fun also and the ‘hotlaps’ around the fantastic Mondello track and the off road experience in the Land Rover vehicles did this as well as delivering our product messages. We hope that by having this insight into our product range the dealer network will be able to use their first hand knowledge to educate consumers into the importance of choosing the right tyre” concluded Richard.