Michelin at the 2001 IAA / Innovation and high- performance

Frankfurt, Germany (PROTEXT/ots) - The Michelin-Stand D02 inhall 8, with its modern wood, metal and glass architecture, is asymbol of innovation and high-performance, the French group'sexhibition motto for this year. The PAX tyre wheel system, whichis already in use in production vehicles, is a particular exampleof this revolutionary technology. Michelin is represented in thehigh-performance segment with the sporty Pilot family among allreputable manufacturers. A particularly obvious synthesis ofinnovation and high-performance can be found in Michelin'ssuccessful return to Formula 1, an effort which has already beenrewarded with many victories and position rankings in its firstyear. At the 59th IAA, in its 449 metres squared, Michelin showcasesnot only its extensive product range, but also a wealth ofinnovative solutions to do with the topic of mobility. Theadvantages of these technologies of the future that have beendeveloped by Michelin are explained and their functionsdemonstrated through the various models and experimentalstructures, and a simulation 10 seater cinema. In the areaoutside hall 9, visitors have the opportunity to test out the newPAX tyre wheel system for themselves, in 2 production RenaultScenic cars. Renault was the first car manufacturer to recently decide tooffer the Michelin PAX system as on option on the compact Scenic,thereby giving its customers access to the enormous safetyfeatures of this innovative solution. PAX offers the advantage ofa new, purely mechanical fixing of the tyre to the rim, therebyensuring safety even when pressure is completely lost. Inaddition, the tyre has excellent emergency characteristics thanksto an integrated supporting ring, taking the horror away from anyburst tyres. Michelin formed co-operations with Pirelli (1999),Goodyear (2000) and Sumitomo (2001) in order to establish the PAXsystem as a global standard and especially to establish afoothold on the triade markets with strong partners. The highlevel of acceptance of PAX by car manufacturers, which hasalready been witnessed, reflects the large number of studies andprototypes submitted to the IAA that use the new wheel tyresystem. A further innovation is the Optimised Contact Patch system, achassis development from Michelin, which ensures optimum tyrecohesion to the road during all manoeuvres. A support frameworkcontained in the chassis of the car balances out the lateralforce on the wheel when driving around bends and eliminates thisforce completely, so that the tyres can ensure a balancedtransference of force to the surface of the road in all drivingconditions. The sporty Pilot tyre family leads the wide Michelin productrange in the high-performance sector, followed by the energytyres, which are exemplary in terms of economicalness and savingresources. Light commercial vehicles are best served by theAgilis product range, and for off-roaders and sport utilityvehicles there is a choice between 4x4 Diamaris and the 4x4Synchrone, which are customised for comfortable road driving orfor hard off-road driving. Of course, the French manufactureralso offers a complete range of traction winter tyres, the Alpineseries, across the board, including in the high-performancesector and all-wheel areas. At the start of the season, Michelin returned to Formula 1,supplying tyres for 5 teams. This followed a 16 year period whenthe company concentrated its racing efforts on rallying andsaloon cars. The French tyre specialist's efficiency andinnovative force proved impressive in the first year, with manyvictories and positions in the top rankings. Michelin views itsFormula 1 involvement as a spearhead of tyre development andtherefore as a very necessary investment in the future. At thesame time, Formula 1 is an ideal platform to develop awareness ofthe brand and to showcase its high-performance image.

otsOriginal Text Service: Michelin Internet:http://www.presseportal.de Contact: Thomas Becki Phone: +49-721-5301383

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