Michelin Launches Toughest 4 x 4 BF Goodrich Tire in Middle East

BFGoodrich is known as the company that made the first all-terrain tire in 1976. Now, off-road enthusiasts in Africa and the Middle East will be able to get the most advanced BFGoodrich all-terrain tire, the new All-Terrain T/A KO2 tire.

When compared even to the renowned KO Tyres, the new All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tire is 20 percent stronger when it comes to critical off-road performance. It is highly durable, lasting twice as long on gravel roads and 15 percent longer on asphalt surfaces. There are less chances of getting bogged down in muddy areas as the All-Terrain T/A KO2 has 10 percent greater traction in mud. BFGoodrich has used a number of innovations developed as an outcome of its motorsports expertise in the development of this tire to provide customers with a tire that is just perfect for tackling even the toughest roads, both for business and leisure.

Commenting on the new tire Pierre Granzotto, General Manager for Passenger Cars and Vice President for Michelin AIM (Africa, India & Middle East) said that the new tire is set to be a game-changer that can handle anything that ‘Playground Earth’ has to offer. He added that in 1976, BFGoodrich began by launching a tire which practically created the all-terrain category and earned 80 off-road wins at races in the Baja peninsula, more than any other tire brand. The original KO tire defined the all-terrain tire category for decades. The new All-Terrain KO2 is a worthy successor and is designed as a tire that will help motorists to tackle a new world of adventures with confidence.

In the development process of the All-Terrain T/A® KO2, BFGoodrich engineers used the latest off-road racing technology to come up with an advanced tire that can handle a wide range of conditions. It is closely similar to the BFGoodrich® Baja T/A® KR2 tire, which was used by nine of the top 10 finishers in the 2014 Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

The most notable features the All-Terrain T/A® KO2 are tougher sidewalls, longer tread life aand aggressive traction. The new tire minimizes the chances for sidewall failure by using CoreGard technology, bruise-resistant sidewall rubber and a thicker, extended shoulder. Computer modelling was used to predict object paths and thus develop a sidewall design which is likely to deflect protruding objects, reducing the scope for splits and snags. This makes the All-Terrain T/A® KO2 a really tough tire that can be used on practically all surfaces.

The new tread design and rubber formulation of the All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tire translates into longer tread life. On gravels surfaces it lasts twice as long as conventional tires. The optimal blending of the tread rubber reduces chips and tears on gravel. The wear is more uniform with a new footprint shape and interlocking tread design. Special stone ejectors push objects out of the tread to reduce the risk of objects drilling into the tire.

When it comes to muddy surfaces, the All-Terrain T/A® KO2 also has a number of tread features like f Side-Biter lugs in the sidewall and mud buster bars in the shoulder for better mud traction and for release of compacted mud.

In the MEA region, the All-Terrain T/A® KO2 will be launched in 42 dimension, out of which 30 dimensions have become available as of November 2015. These sizes can be used for a large range of 4X4 vehicle models from renowned manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, General Motors and Jeep.