Pirelli: Beauty and Intelligence

Tyres by this Italian manufacturer have long been an epitome of cutting-edge technology and daring design. In 2017, the visitors at the Geneva motor show could appreciate 2 novelties at once.

Innovation tyres with coloured sidewalls

Pirelli has been colour-coding their tyres since 2011: orange, blue, red, yellow, silver, and white lettering and stripes were used to signify the tyre type and the rubber mix compound. However, originally, these tyres were fitted on Formula-1 cars only. And now, the idea that gained traction on racing circuits, is being implemented on regular roads. The new tyres have a special protective layer helping them retain the bright hue throughout their service life.

By releasing colourful tyres, Pirelli gives luxury car owners a chance to further personalise their vehicle. In Geneva, the new tyres were unveiled in four colours - red, white, yellow and silver; these will be the basic colours for the new P Zero and Winter Sottozero lines. However, for an additiononal fee, customers will be able to choose among 3,000 shades. The first colourful tyres are expected to be available at dealerships by June, but they can be pre-orderered already today.

Pirelli Connesso: more technology for more information

For Pirelli, it’s not just the driver’s individuality that’s a priority; it’s all about client comfort and safety. The Pirelli Connesso technology unveiled in Geneva allows the driver to track essential parameters like pressure, temperature, tread wear, static vertical load and mileage. All this data gets collected by the sensor built into the sidewall of the tyre and transmitted to the Pirelli cloud service. The app will then inform the driver if they need to have a tyre inflated or changed, help find the nearest service station, and even offer ordering a new tyre.

The new technology, just like the colourful sidewalls, will only be available for two tyre models for now: P Zero and Winter Sottozero. They are estimated to be available in the U.S.A. this summer and in Europe and Far East later this year.