Lamborghini has selected Bridgestone to be the exclusive tire supplier for its new sports car, the Huracán STO. Alongside the custom-developed Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires, Bridgestone will also provide the vehicle with its Potenza Race semi-slick tires.
Engineered for use on both road and track, the Race tires were developed using Bridgestone’s experience in motorsport and high-performance vehicles, with the goal being to enhance the capabilities of the Huracán STO. An optimized tread compound teamed with the Potenza’s pattern and profile is claimed to provide an abundance of dry grip. Furthermore, a maximized contact patch and even pressure distribution enable the tire to benefit from long-lasting performance, braking and cornering characteristics on track. The Italian Tricolore also features on the tire as a nod to the vehicle’s Italian design.
Bridgestone says it utilized a range of virtual tire modeling and simulation technologies during the development process, to enable the development and testing of a digital version of the tire. This resulted in Bridgestone and Lamborghini working in tandem to find the tire’s optimum compound, pressure and contact patch form to ensure the end product delivered the desired operating characteristics.
By utilizing virtual tire modeling in the R&D process, Bridgestone says the tire’s development period was reduced. The modeling enabled multiple modifications and versions of the race tire to be tested, with subjective testing then conducted on a driving simulator. As well as helping to figure out an ideal tire fitment for the car, the process reduced the vehicle’s time-to-market.
“We are pleased to have selected Bridgestone again to develop two tires specifically for the Huracán STO: first Potenza Sport and now Potenza Race,” explained Maurizio Reggiani, chief technical officer at Lamborghini. “These two bespoke Bridgestone options synchronize perfectly with the Huracán STO’s innate dynamic capabilities, providing drivers with a tire that responds perfectly in a variety of performance settings, and maximizing our super sports car’s capabilities on both road and track.”
