Michelin joins GT Asia Series as official tire supplier in 2015

MICHELIN Philippines Chief Representative Michael official and exclusive tire supplier of the GT Asia Series the for the Asian Region’s leading GT category from 2015. The full 11-race programme will begin in South Korea on May 15. The GT Asia Series is sanctioned by the FIA as an International Series and is clearly recognised as the Region’s leading GT Championship. It is jointly managed and promoted by Motorsport Asia Ltd and the Supercar Club Hong Kong. David Sonenscher, Joint Series Director of the GT Asia Series said, welcoming the return of Michelin as the official tire supplier. “I’m happy to announce that we will be in partnership with Michelin in 2015, re-establishing a link that Motorsport Asia Limited has had with the French manufacturer that first began back in 2006. Since that time we worked directly with Michelin up until 2011 and then indirectly though the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series, so we have had an unbroken link with spanning 19 years." “We’re looking forward to a strong program in 2015, with some outstanding events, including our first three-hour race at Sepang, following on from what was a big season in 2014." Sonenscher added.

Patrick Dias, Michelin Motorsport Asia Pacific Director, declares: “Michelin is proud to have been chosen as the exclusive tire supplier for the GT Asia Series. The importance of the series in Asia, and the quality of the organization was what attracted us to the championship.

Michelin has been a strong player in the major Asian motorsport disciplines for decades, and the GT Asia Series has always been at the heart of our growing strategy in the area since its foundation.

For Michelin, motorsport is the ultimate test of performance. What we learn on track we use to build our road tires including the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 - the tire chosen as original equipment for many of the manufacturers present in the GT Asia Series.

Michelin tires deliver exactly what the competitors demand; speed, reliability, and above all, safety. We will make every effort to provide every driver with the right tire, at the right moment, and also to offer a great show to the public!”

“Michelin are no strangers to GT competition in the Asian region, as regular front runners in the Malaysia Merdeka [Sepang] 12-Hour, the Macau GT Cup, and just recently they helped some of the leading GT3 teams from Europe and Asia to make a clean sweep of the Bathurst 12-Hour endurance event.”

Michelin, the leading tire company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing and marketing tires for every type of vehicle, including aeroplanes, automobiles, bicycles/motorcycles, earthmoving equipment, farm equipment and trucks. It also offers electronic mobility support services on ViaMichelin.com and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in more than 170 countries, has 113,400 employees and operates 69 production plants in 18 different countries.

The Group has a Technology Centre in charge of research and development with operations in Europe, North America and Asia. (www.michelin.com)

2015 GT Asia Series – CALENDAR:

Rnd#1/#2, 15-17 May - Korea International Circuit (South Korea)
Rnd#3/#4, 26-28 June - Okayama International Circuit (Japan)
Rnd#5/#6, 17-19 July - Fuji International Speedway (Japan)
Rnd#7, 4-6 September - Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia) - 3-Hour
Rnd#8/#9, 25-27 September - Shanghai International Circuit (China)
Rnd#10/#11, 23-25 October - Buriram International Circuit (Thailand)
NON-CHAMP, 20-22 November - Guia Circuit, Macau (MGP)
For more information on the 2015 GT Asia Series, please visit www.afos.com

Facebook.com/GTAsiaSeries
Twitter.com/GTAsiaSeries

Michelin Tires Chosen For Porsche Cayman GT4 Launch

For the dynamic launch of its new Cayman GT4, Porsche AG has chosen to equip all of the cars with MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2 ultra-high-performance tires: 245/35 ZR20 (91Y) TL N0 front and 295/30 ZR20 (101Y) XL TL N0 rear.

The MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre is the latest generation of road-legal track tires designed for ultra-high performance cars. The performance levels that this tyre offers are clearly demonstrated by the fact that it is the OE fitment on recent Porsche models including the 918 Spyder and GT3.

Further evidence of the performance of this tyre is highlighted by the Nurburgring lap record set last year by the 918 Spyder which was fitted with exactly the same model of tires, albeit in a different size, that can be bought from any Official Porsche Centre.

Compared to its predecessor, the Pilot Sport Cup+, the Pilot Sport Cup 2 lasts up to 50 per cent longer on track and also offers faster lap times* due to technology developed in motorsport, at races such as the Le Mans 24 hours. Plus, these improvements in performance are achieved with no compromises in other areas, and are an example of Michelin’s Total Performance strategy.

The MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2 combines Bi-Compound technology, which involves the use of different rubber compounds on the inner and outer sections of the tread with Track Variable Contact Patch 3.0, which is an innovation that optimizes pressure in the tyre's contact patch so the same amount of rubber is always in contact with the road or track, whether driving in a straight line or cornering. To ensure the Cayman GT4 is prepared for difficult winter driving conditions, Michelin is the sole supplier of the winter tyre option for the car:

235/35R20 92V XLTL Pilot Alpin 4 N0
275/30R20 97V XLTL Pilot Alpin 4 N0