Bridgestone rolls out new Potenza S007a

When Bridgestone developed the bespoke original equipment (oe) tire for the Aston Martin dB11 V12, it had to match or better yet exceed the lofty parameters set by the engineers in gaydon, england. that tire was appropriately named the Potenza s007 in homage to James Bond, and we, along with the C!

Magazine team first tested the tire over a year ago in Japan.

After a few days of testing the fabulous tire, I certainly concurred that Bridgestone had indeed manufactured yet another outstanding product that completely complimented the deep performance abilities of the Aston Martin DB11 V12, which melds both supreme refinement and compliance with ultra-high dynamic performance in balanced measures.

Several months later we racked up more mileage on the same great S007 tires on the V8 model Aston Martin DB11, this time in Europe and reached the same conclusions. With the sensational results received from the OE tire, it only made sense to develop a broader commercial-spec tire for discerning customers who drive other premium high-performance luxury cars, so behold the allnew Potenza S007A tire that was launched in the 4.2-kilometer Aprilia, Italy circuit that sits on a 144-hectare proving ground on the first week of July.

We sent C! Senior Editor and veteran race car driver/instructor Georges Ramirez to conduct more aggressive evaluations of the tire through wet testing and use of a larger multiple exercise area for dynamic handling and high speed tests.

The old and dependable Potenza S001 (predecessor) tire was also tested to tangibly determine the performance gains of the new S007A. In all test evaluations, the S007A outperformed the old tire measurably and with controlled flair. Georges sites the new Kevlar reinforced sidewall construction as an additional pivotal factor that also improves communication with the driver. He further notes the clever ability to be precise, thanks to the tire’s enhanced rigidity without sacrificing compliance and road comfort.

In excess of 275 km/h on a BMW M3, the high-speed stability was very confidenceinspiring. For wet driving, Bridgestone used a Volkswagen Golf R; and for the dry handling course, an Audi TT was used. The high-speed demonstrations were done by Georges’ friend and ex-Formula 1 driver Stefano Modena on the high-speed oval track. Bridgestone took over three years to develop the new tire. The S007A replaces the S001 and the RE050A models. The all-new Bridgestone Potenza S007A delivers increased measures of response, grip, braking, and handling and will be offered in the Philippines within the next few months.