Low profile tyres: how low can you go?

This delicate equation has numerous factors to consider, as Bridgestone’s Claudio Sodano explains.

“Manufacturers look at many things, not just vehicle handling, dry braking, noise and rolling resistance. There are many attributes they look at to find what they believe to be a good tyre for overall performance. But sometimes the driver may be happy to compromise in a certain area, they may want ultimate performance in terms of dry grip and steering response and move to a low profile tyre,” he said.

Kia consultant Graeme Gambold also knows just how important it is to get that balance right.

“There’s a huge amount of engineering involved. Tuning the car for the particular tyre that’s fitted to it, tuning the particular type of tyre, or the particular size and brand. There’s a plethora of things we change; the chemistry of the rubber, the belt height, the tread depths, the apex height of the bead where it maps to the rim. There’s a million things that get tuned and you could take two tyres from a tyre store both marked exactly the same, Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli doesn’t matter, the same tyre, the same size, but if one’s an OEM tyre and one’s an aftermarket tyre they’ll be of a different construction almost certainly.”

These days, many vehicles come with two or three tyre sizes available across different trim grades and models within the range. Gambold explained how that affects the process.