Apr 2012:Hankook Bags OE Deal for BMW 3 Series

Korean tyre major Hankook announced that they have bagged the contact for supply of tyres as original equipment (OE) for the BMW 3 series. The BMW 3 series vehicles will come from the factory equipped with the Ventus S1 evo2tyres produced by Hankook.

The Details

Hankook sources confirmed that the BMW 316d to 320d models as well as the 316i to 320i models will be offered with the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres. The size of the tyre that Hankook will be supplying is 205/60 R16W.

BMW and Hankook – The Partnership

This is the third collaboration between Hankook and BMW. The BMW mini and 1 series also sport Hankook tyres as original equipment.

Hankook is extremely pleased about the development. Mr.Jin–Wook Choi, Hankook Tyres President and CEO, Europe region commented that “supplying original equipment to the 3 series, which is a top selling and clearly an important range for BMW reiterates the level of trust BMW has in Hankook products. Mr. Choi added that the technical superiority of the Ventus S1 evo2 tyre with regard to rolling resistance, wet grip, comfort and driving dynamics led to the its selection by BMW from amongst other competitors.

Mr. Choi proudly stated that the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres would have surely impressed BMW engineers on various parameters that were under consideration during the intensive selection process.

About the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres

This tyre was introduced by Hankook last September at the 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show.

According to Hankook, the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres exhibit low rolling resistance and high level of driving comfort, which results in ‘distinctly dynamic’ driving characteristics.

This is possible due to the tyre’s unique technology that uses a light weight yet durable material in the tyre belt package. As a result, the overall tyre weight is significantly reduced, leading to better driving characteristics.

Furthermore the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres exhibit exceptional grip characteristics because the tread compound contains a newly developed and extremely strong styrene-butadiene polymer that is cross linked with the conventional rubber material. This cross linking is achieved carrying out the vulcanization processes at reduced temperatures to produce an optimal effect. Because of these features, the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres display optimal braking and traction even under wet surface conditions.

“Ventus S1 evo2 tyres Perfect for BMW”, says Hankook

Mr, Stefan Fischer, head Hankook European Technology Centre commented that Ventus S1 evo2 tyres are the perfect match for BMW 3 series vehicles.

He elaborated the BMW 3 series presents a perfect balance between sporty driving, that is dynamic and long distance driving that demands a more relaxed driving. In addition, BMW is always mindful of environmental considerations (energy efficiency) in all their models.

According to Mr. Fischer, the Ventus S1 evo2 tyres perfectly complement the BMW 3 because they incorporate the Kontrol technology that delivers high performance in terms of driving dynamics without compromising on safety and environmental considerations.

Mr. Fischer headed the group responsible for working on BMW technology development.

All Hankook tyres for BMW are manufactured in the company’s main plant in Geumsan, South Korea.