In the most recent example, Goodyear’s ultra-high performance product was awarded First Place in a test of 11 top competitors conducted by the editors of Car & Driver, one of the top automotive enthusiast magazines. Presented in the December 2005 issue, a 10-page article entitled "Tire Test: The Quick and the Tread," describes the results. The tire test also has been featured on Car & Driver Television, which appears on the Spike TV cable network.

The Car & Driver staff noted, "Testing tires is a difficult job (and probably the reason we haven’t conducted such a test since 1989). But tires are a most critical part of your car, your only connection to the road."

The Tire Rack, a tire and automotive accessory business headquartered in South Bend, Ind., partnered with Car & Driver on the test, providing use of its test track and fleet of BMW 325i cars. Both wet and dry performance tests were conducted, with the magazine editors joined by Spencer Geswein and Brian Smith of Full-Lock Industries, which offers driving-related services such as instruction, testing and racing.

Among the magazine’s comments about the Eagle F1 GS-D3:

"As an all-around high-performance tire, you can’t beat this Goodyear. It was the best performer in all three wet-track tests and was very competent in the dry. The Goodyear gripped so well that you might not have been certain the road was wet."

In the wet, Geswein called it "direct – a way of saying the tire provided clear signals about its contact with the pavement."

For Bob Toth, Goodyear’s marketing manager, auto tires, the Car & Driver test results are further validation of the leading technology implemented by Goodyear in its tires. "We are very pleased that the Eagle F1 was rated number one in this test, and in the many other tire tests in which it has appeared. We’re working hard in an effort for our total Eagle performance line-up to continue to deliver results like this."

The Car & Driver tire test win is yet another in a large collection of honors for the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. A recent tire test, Eurotuner Magazine’s "Tire Test 2005," named the Eagle F1 as "best of the bunch" in the magazine’s November issue.

Other past honors for the Eagle F1 GS-D3 include being named "number one" in a leading U.S. consumer products magazine’s test of 13 ultra-high performance tires; the October 2003 edition of Auto Express magazine; German magazines Auto Zeitung; Sport Auto Magazine; Auto Bild; and British magazine EVO.

In addition to the tire test results, Car & Driver’s Larry Webster shared with the magazine’s claimed monthly audience of 9.7 million, some details of the complex world of tire design.

"Tires are much more sophisticated than they look. Although the basic construction of every tire is the same – there’s a carcass of polyester or rayon fabric with steel cords baked inside the rubber – there are countless detail differences that affect how a tire performs. Tires with large grooves generally expel water from roadways more effectively.

"But those grooves don’t help on dry surfaces, where the more rubber a tire puts on the road, the better it grips. Think of a slick racing tire with no grooves.

"We’re oversimplifying here, because the chemical makeup of the rubber – known as the compound – also has a profound effect on grip in both wet and dry conditions. Still, there are countless other variables for tire engineers to consider. For example, the construction of the inner carcass can be made stiff for precise feel or compliant for a good, comfy ride. And the construction can have a marked effect on performance.

"Don’t forget noise, durability and appearance considerations, too. It’s enough to make us glad we’re not tire engineers."

Goodyear is the world’s largest tire company. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs more than 75,000 people worldwide. Find information about Goodyear at www.goodyear.com.

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