The Quatrac Pro UHP all-season tire evolved to meet the challenges of changing climate patterns. Rather than tweaking an existing model, Apollo Tyres’ engineers started with a blank slate and took a fresh approach tread design, materials and structure to eliminate the compromises often seen in ultra-high-performance all-season tires. The result is the Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2, which is set to launch this summer.
Following a three- to four-year development project, the company created a completely redesigned tread compound and structure, producing a tire that delivers reliable performance and safety across dry, wet and winter conditions.
TTI was invited to test Apollo Tyres’ latest UHP all-season Quatrac Pro 2, and spoke with Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer at Apollo Vredestein.
The Quatrac Pro 2 was developed from the ground up. Were any previous tires, models, or compounds used as inspiration during its development?
When we talk about tires, especially winter tires and all-season tires, the rubber compound plays a crucial role. In general, we don’t design a completely new compound from scratch for each individual tire. Instead, we follow a broader technology roadmap where we continuously develop and refine different compound concepts and technologies. Then, when a specific new product is being developed, we tune and adapt these existing technologies to achieve the desired performance characteristics for that tire.
The development of the Quatrac Pro 2 has been a long-term journey based on experience from previous products – what worked well in the beginning, and what may no longer be at the top level today. In a more competitive market, especially where everyone is trying to deliver strong products every season, innovation is constantly being introduced by all players.
What were the main challenges in developing the all-season compound?
Another key aspect is the use of a blend of resins, which is extremely important, especially for an all-season tire. An all-season compound must be able to perform both in cold conditions and in warm conditions. The main challenge is how to tune these resins so that the compound becomes softer at low temperatures while still maintaining sufficient stiffness at higher temperatures. Achieving this balance is always a complex task.
In this compound, we are leveraging what we call a multifiller technology. This means we also use a carefully designed blend of fillers, which works together with the resin system. This combination allows the tire to perform well both in colder conditions and in warmer summer conditions.
We decided to tune this compound toward wet performance in cold conditions. As winters are changing, there is less snow, and conditions are increasingly cold and wet rather than snowy. Therefore, our goal was to develop an all-season tire with a clear focus on wet performance in cold conditions.
To what extent do sustainability targets and regulatory requirements guide material development and selection?
When we develop a new compound for tires, we now have to take into account the content of recycled and renewable materials much more explicitly than before. For example, we have a target for 2030 to reach a total of 40% recycled and renewable materials in our products.
As a result, every time we develop a new tire, we increasingly work on integrating materials that help us achieve this target, while ensuring they do not create any performance drawbacks.
This is a key challenge: the materials must support sustainability goals, but at the same time maintain the same level of safety, grip, durability and overall tire performance. The tires should be sustainable, without compromise on performance.
What role do simulation and real-world testing play in the development and validation of the tire?
It’s a combination of both simulation and physical testing. Over the years, we have developed very advanced simulation tools that help us better understand tire mechanics and dynamics. These tools allow us to simulate performance more accurately, and we use them more and more in every new development.
Each time we develop a new tire, we can rely on tools and applications that are continuously evolving. With every project, we learn something new, which allows us to refine the models, add new features and improve the reliability of our predictions. However, physical testing is still essential. For example, when it comes to snow testing or other critical conditions, it is extremely important to validate the tire performance in real-world environments.
Typically, simulation is used first to define the development direction. Then we go through iterative loops between virtual simulations and physical testing. We learn from each step, and depending on the specific areas we want to improve, we rely more on either simulation or testing.
From a strategic point of view, it is essential to have strong tools and to continuously improve them. How we use these tools in each case is more tactical. The more we use simulation effectively, the faster we become, the more data we generate and the more we can reduce costs. That is why we strongly push the development and use of these tools.
What role has AI played in the development of simulation testing?
We are now introducing AI-based tools, and we already have some in use, while also developing additional ones. For example, one of the tools we use to help design compounds is already based on artificial intelligence. However, AI is continuously evolving, so we are constantly looking for solutions that are easier to use, more intelligent, and more reliable in terms of their outputs.
What role did AI play in assisting the development of the Appolo Tyres’ new compound?
We are currently in a hybrid situation, where part of the process is supported by AI, while other parts still rely on traditional testing and validation methods. The AI applications we are using are already helping significantly. They allow us to speed up the development process and make it more efficient and effective. Overall, they help us work faster, reduce iteration time and improve the quality of decision-making during development.
How was the tread pattern chosen to complement the compound?
The tread pattern moves away from the traditional directional design typically used for winter and all-season tires, which are usually more purely directional in their layout.
In this case, you can see the presence of longitudinal grooves. These longitudinal grooves introduce a more hybrid concept, bringing certain characteristics that are closer to a summer tire. In particular, the combination of longitudinal grooves and a strong central rib is more typical of summer-oriented performance, as it enhances stability and high-speed behavior.
At the same time, the rest of the tread is designed with a high number of sipes and winter-oriented features to ensure grip in cold and low-traction conditions. This is our way of interpreting all-season performance: combining elements from both summer and winter philosophies.
This approach is not always present in tires tuned primarily for winter or all-season use, and it reflects a specific design direction we wanted to achieve. It also connects with the compound strategy, which is designed to remain sufficiently stiff in normal, non-cold conditions, while still performing well at lower temperatures. This helps maintain stability and responsiveness.
In addition, the central rib in the tread pattern contributes to sharper steering response and more immediate reaction to driver inputs, improving overall handling precision.
Were there any common industry challenges that other manufacturers also face, which you encountered during development and would like to highlight to a wider audience?
In general, when developing a tire, the main challenge is finding the right balance between conflicting performance requirements.
All-season tires are a good example of this. The key question is what character or focus you want to give to the tire. Some products are clearly oriented toward wet performance, others toward dry handling or hot conditions. With all-season tires, there is still room to define a kind of signature or positioning for the product, mainly since it has to suit all environments.
Historically, the all-season segment started as a niche solution mainly for small cars many years ago. Today, however, it has evolved significantly. The all-season segment is currently the only tire segment in Europe that is still growing. This makes the development challenge even more relevant, because customer expectations are increasing at the same time.
The main technical trade-off in this segment is typically between snow performance and wet performance. That is why, when presenting the tire, we emphasised that although snow performance is aligned with that of competitors, the tire is particularly strong in wet conditions.
In any product development, there are several key constraints. The first is performance. The second, as discussed earlier, is sustainability. And the third, also very important, especially in today’s market, is cost.
If there were a single tire that people could use all year, it would make much more sense… but only as long as it is also affordable.
