Pirelli tires: shoes for aristocrats

Pirelli Ice Zero 2

Pirelli Ice Scorpio Zero

Slippery steep slope stormed the bus without yaw and slip

The successful marketing of the Pirelli Group is based on the concept that tires are not just a utilitarian car component, but an element of lifestyle, style and even philosophy. This applies not only to charming sports models, but also to pragmatic winter tires for harsh conditions.

The word “prestige” was heard by our editorial delegation (awarded with a personal presentation) during the presentation of the new winter studded Pirelli Ice Zero 2 times. It is understandable, here you have the pride of concern about winning a good half of the primary packaging supply market in the premium and luxury segment, and a reminder of the successful cooperation with the leading sports championships, including Formula 1 and the Ice Hockey and Alpine Skiing World Championships. And since buyers of prestigious cars are not indifferent to various hints of exclusivity, the tire labeling is different in the status bar. For example, on Ice Zero 2 was first marked with studded tires for the original equipment of the “supergroover” Lamborghini Urus and received a chic letter I brand on the sidewall.

The tread pattern of the flagship winter tires has changed significantly compared to the first generation. Instead of variations on the theme of the director “Christmas trees” – it is now a collective image of modern trends: narrow shoulders and central blocks arranged in curved, converging towards the center, in a pair of central usametformin blocks, which together with the ridges increase the density of the tread. Slanted V-shaped channels extend into the shoulder area and narrow as you move, like throwing water and dirt out of a douche. But the brand thing: small longitudinal channels, in fact, form … a second opposite direction. Its adhesive properties are mainly designed for an additional inverse vector – braking, not traction.

Unity and struggle of opposites

Spike at first glance is no different from the previous generation – all the same, the upper and lower flanges are in the form of trapezoids and a mixed Taurus core, although they consist of polygons, where one part of the tip should be wide and straight, and the second resembles two triangular teeth. But the current creation of the Finnish company Turvanasta, specially made by Pirelli, is slightly smaller (10 instead of 11 mm high), lighter (0.9 g instead of 1.1) and stronger. And a radical decision – director Spike turned around 180 degrees: if the first generation zero ice “teeth” of the main ones in the contact patch looked back to provide good traction, but they are directed forward, shifting the focus to safe braking. However, performance hasn't hurt, and even increased slightly due to a whole host of new technologies.

To improve the grip properties of Kolos, a solution that allows him to oscillate excessively under load helped, and now the vector of penetration into the ice is getting closer to the perpendicular. To do this, the seat, which, for greater stability, slightly pushed back the grooves and lamellas, repeats the shape of the spike as much as possible and hugs it tightly. Swing Spike and gives a tough cushioning layer.

The studding scheme made it possible to build 190 studs (starting from the minimum size 205/55 R16, then their number increases) on 24 longitudinal lines, and the contact patch at the same time, there are 20 studs, they do not fall twice into one ice groove in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The tongue does not interfere with the work of the child's ice, enveloping it in motion, special grooves are located around it, which help to clean the work surface. It is studded by robots at a factory in Voronezh to buy Pirelli (we told this company a year ago).

And silence…

Premium car owners are demanding, they are not looking for great handling and impressive dynamics. Therefore, for the test, we focused our attention not even on performance (for example, who will be surprised now?), And driving and acoustic comfort. In fact, respected riders shouldn't be distracted by mundane clattering studs and breaking blocks on the road.

BMW Driving Experience Center driving experience that day was quite covered with snow, and therefore it was especially interesting for us to test the off-road modifications of the new tires Pirelli Scorpion Ice Zero 2, which, with the same basic technical solutions and the passenger version, differs in the bearing base of the switch design and optimized for weight and dimensions off-road trail.

The mighty crossover BMW X5 M50d even turned off the electronics willingly dives into the turns, placed between the cones, cut circles in side sliding, accelerates briskly and brakes quickly. But forgive the fans of the active driving mode partially included “assistants” I liked it even more. The fact that Pirelli pays serious attention to the coordination of tire parameters and car safety systems, and in tandem, together with your own skills, makes it possible to misbehave in a fenced area without consequences.

And now – on a special track in deep snow. Under the wheels, although there are sawdust, it is still a dirt road, and here our capabilities are limited only by clearance and geometric cross-country ability. However, the off-road range was organized with a good balance between extreme and common sense, so everything intimidates the appearance of the front and side tilts, turns of our SUV, “shod” in Scorpion ice zero 2, passes without visible difficulties. And believe me, this road is many times more difficult than the textbook “road to the country”.

Free from the country of snow roads, with separate frozen portions I listened to the “voices” of the tires, which feels distant and unobtrusive, as if they are not from this car. And this not only allowed to reduce the number of decibels, but also in the frequency component of the sound, which managed to remove the bad tone thanks to the special distribution of pitch blocks.

In short, the new ice zero 2 bus can be compared with the quality of comfortable shoes, in which you will forget after a few steps, because you simply don't feel it and comfortable movement is taken for granted. And rubber, the less it resembles, the higher the class. This is the Pirelli philosophy.