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Of course, for testing, we try to collect all the news of the season - who needs last year's snow! And of course, tests from the first industrial lots and even pilot production items often get tested. So we decided to check whether all tires of the same model, made at different times and, possibly, in different places, are equally good.
Of course, there are no two absolutely similar products - tire workers have their own tolerance fields. The ideal range of indicators is up to 2%, acceptable - up to 5%. For studded tires, a relief was made: the similarity ends at the turn of 6%. Liberalism is explained by technological features: the difference in the protrusion of the spikes of only one tenth of a millimeter changes the longitudinal coupling properties on ice by as much as 3%!
Armed with knowledge, we went shopping. Winners of the winter tests of 2011 (SP, 2011, No. 9, SP, 2011, No. 10) Nokian HKPL R 175 / 65R14, Michelin X-Ice North 2 175 / 65R14 and Pirelli Winter Carving Edge 205 / 55R16 were waiting in the dark - so we ruled out the possibility of changing the properties of rubber under the influence of sunlight. In addition, we purchased exactly the same ones in a set, paying attention to the release date - we were interested in fresh copies. The results of shopping are shown in the table.
MEASUREMENT RESULTS
Tables open in full size on a mouse click.
Since the “oldies” had not only test kilometers, but also the running-in that preceded them, we traveled the double mileage shopping, thus equalizing the chances. Given the recommendations of the tire workers, in this comparison we limited ourselves to measurements, excluding a subjective assessment.
The results were pleased: taking into account the permissible deviations, the "partners" showed similar results. And this means that our estimates remain objective both in space and in time.
TIRES COMPARATIVE DATA
Roman FAYZULIN, Michelin Technical Marketing Manager in Russia and the CIS:
The identity of the tire characteristics in the “doping” test and in the previously published seasonal test indicates that the editors tested serial tires, and not specially prepared samples with improved characteristics.
Being an open and longtime opponent of the supply of test tires for tire manufacturers, the company has always advocated the purchase of tires in retail chains.
The Doping Control test is a good compromise in this matter.
Jarno ACHENLAMMI, development manager of Nokian Tires PLC:
The results of the test conducted by the magazine “Driving” clearly show that the performance of Hakkapeliitta tires is stable regardless of the country of manufacture.
The differences are very slight and fall within the standard deviations for studless tires.
In our opinion, the test group “Behind the Wheel” has the right to be considered a squad of professional experts in testing winter tires.
Carlo COSTA, CEO of Pirelli Tire Russia:
Pirelli is very pleased with the results of the Doping Control test, which were obtained by the experts of the magazine “Behind the Wheel”.
They show that tires produced at different times are very similar in their characteristics. And they prove that the quality of Pirelli products is characterized by a high level of stability and deviations are within acceptable limits.
One of the key components of the Pirelli strategy is to produce tires with the same properties, no matter when and at what plant in the world they are produced.
