Goodyear Eagle F1 Performance Tires Soar in European Mags

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 16, 2003 -- Goodyear's Eagle F1 ultra- performance tire is earning high praise in the toughest proving ground in the automotive industry -- the European auto enthusiast magazine tire test.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3 tire recently won a consumer magazine test in America, and its showing in Europe has been even more phenomenal, according to Bob Toth, marketing manager for auto tires in North America.

The latest kudos came from Auto Express, one of Britian's top enthusiast magazines, which named Eagle F1 the winner of its 2003 tire test. Pitting Goodyear's ultra-performance tire against eight others, Auto Express said Eagle F1 dominated the competition with wins in wet handling, wet cornering, dry braking, straight aquaplaning and curved aquaplaning.

The magazine tested 16-inch performance tires on a BMW 5 Series and Mercedes C Class in its Oct. 1 issue. Consumer Editor Kim Adams, said: "Eagle F1 was way ahead in the wet and on the pace in the dry. When the heavens open, the tire to be on is definitely Goodyear. Its curved aquaplaning performance was amazing, with grip maintained long after rivals had given up."

Shortly after the tire's introduction last year, three German magazines and British EVO magazine gave Eagle F1 highest marks in performance versus competitive tires. Germany's Sport Auto magazine reported that the Goodyear tire "came to a stop more than four meters ahead of its rivals."

Toth said Eagle F1's showing in Europe is no accident; it's all by design. "If you look at conventional tires, the horizontal grooves in the tread are usually interrupted by cross groove patterns. This means tire-road contact is broken at regular intervals.

"But with Eagle F1, the tread runs uninterrupted from shoulder to shoulder -- much like a racing tire -- targeting that in both straight driving and cornering, there is always a very large contact area on the road," Toth said.

In addition, the centerline, which also runs continuous, delivers a direct, "sporty" steering feel, he added.

"These European wins are fantastic," he said. "They resonate well with automotive enthusiasts around the world. Eagle F1 truly is Goodyear's first 'world' tire, and it's being embraced by auto enthusiasts everywhere."

Mail order and on-line tire sales specialist Tire Rack also lists the tire atop its Max Performance tire survey, with customers rating the tire on its traction, cornering stability, steering response, ride comfort and - most importantly -- their willingness to buy again.

Goodyear Eagle F1 scores a 9 out of 10 points in Tire Rack's repurchase category. No other tire in the survey scored more than 8.6.