Yokohama tyres just brought a truck load of joy to a lot of vintage car enthusiasts. The company has announced that it will be relaunching some of its hobby tyres for enthusiasts with the same retro look but modern day tyre technology. Basically making drives on vintage cars less of a hassle and a whole lot safer.
The 10 to 16-inch tyre range features materials and construction developed for today’s tyres, but an external rubber finish that resembles the tyres sold between the 1960s and 1990s. A modern construction means the tyres are bound to help improve wet weather handling, road noise, and ride quality in the classics.
The first tyre to receive a modern makeover is the G.T Special Y350. The tyre was first seen in 1967, sporting a retro zig-zag pattern. It's best suited to European and Japanese vintage cars cars with 14- and 15-inch wheels.
Next is the A539, an all-round tyre made for 12- to 15-inch wheels, designed specifically for a quiet ride with driver comfort in mind.
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The approach taken by Yokohama seems to be quite specific with targeted rebuilds of tyres that are suitable for only a few vintage cars. Another car which has been blessed is the Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo 930. Yokohama will be relaunching the Advan A008P for that car lending a hand to the owners of the beauty to keep it up and running.
Filling out those wide arches the rear tyres are sized at 245/45R16, and the front ones measure 205/55R16 respectively.
A road legal slick tyre is also being remade with the HF Type-D 008 coming back to bring vintage race cars back to life. Designed for 1980s and 1990s cars with wheel diameters between 10 and 15 inches, it’s been tailor made for precise handling and dry traction.
The move by Yokohama does not mark the first time a tyre company has rebuilt tyres for older cars. Two years ago, Pirelli released 40 sets of tyres for the Ferrari 250 GTO, which provided better levels of grip and wear resistance than its original tyres from the 1960s.
