Pirelli Tire North America today introduced an addition to its highly respected Scorpion light truck/SUV tire range, the Scorpion ATR. Completely changed from the previously marketed Scorpion A/T, the tire is intended to create a new product segment all of its own, Another Tire Revolution by Pirelli – an off-road tire that is equally at home in on-road situations.
Most 4x4 vehicles now have the ability to switch at will between “on” and “off” activities, almost without limit, thanks to powerful engines, adjustable suspensions, advanced electronics and ever higher degrees of comfort. The flexibility of the modern SUV or pick-up truck requires no compromises; it can combine tenacious grip and maneuverability on rough terrain, while offering comfortable, quiet running and steering precision on asphalt roads. The demand placed on the tire is to deliver maximum performance on every type of surface together with safety, comfort and durability of the highest order.
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With a view to maximizing the versatility of the Scorpion ATR’s performance, Pirelli engineers focused their attention on the tread design and its associated tread compound. The biggest challenge is to maintain the all-terrain qualities while at the same time achieving low rolling noise levels, even when the tire is partly worn. This has been successfully accomplished by integrating a new concept of “sweeping” curved grooves into the basic design and then siping the remaining tread blocks in a specific harmonic pattern. These “sipes” are very fine cuts in the tread blocks which absorb the noise created by contact with the asphalt as the vehicle travels at speed.
Notwithstanding the impressive performance characteristics of the Scorpion ATR, the new tire is also a looker. With a strong character derived from its aggressive tread pattern, together with various options for sidewall lettering – many sizes have the option of raised black or raised white lettering – the Scorpion ATR, in true Pirelli style, adds much to the personality of the vehicle on which it is fitted.
For many consumers, increasing the diameter of the vehicle’s wheels is the key to aesthetics and, for this segment of the business, the Scorpion ATR does not disappoint. The range includes “tuning” sizes in 20, 22 and 24-inch diameters and, of course, in these “plus” sizes, the ATR looks even more aggressive.
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Such is the flexibility of the Scorpion ATR performance that it has also attracted the attention of OE manufacturers. Ford now offers a 20-inch wheel option on their award-winning F-150 . What better testimonial could a product have – being original equipment on America’s most popular truck!
The Scorpion ATR is available in thirty-one sizes ranging from 15-inch to 24-inch diameter and in both LT-Metric and P-Metric versions.
Pirelli Tire North America specializes in the manufacture and marketing of highperformance car, light truck and motorcycle tires and currently has four of its highly advanced MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) modules in operation in its newest automated production facility in Rome, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets.