Giti Tire USA’s Director of Product Marketing David Shelton recently opened up regarding the evolution of UHP tires. “UHP tires used to be strictly considered as Z-rated,” because they “were positioned as the top cornering and grip performers, especially for the summer variant.”

Things, however, have evolved, according to Shelton. He states that, “today, the UHP category can easily be divided into two camps, with smaller slivers (or niches) in the UHP Summer group.” He goes on to say that, “the UHP All-Season has become the greater volume of the two,” mainly because “consumer expectations are converging on wanting the control and confidence, while demanding ride comfort, low noise, and getting the value out of the tires by expecting three years average life (45,000 miles or more).”

On another note, and in response to a question regarding the evolution of tire sizes, Shelton talks about the fact that UHP tire sizes—in terms of diameter and OD—are increasing every year. It’s a trend that’s sure to continue since, “design and appearance are the first principles driving the sizing, with a follow-up of gearing, revs-per-mile, aspect ratio, and air cavity.” Shelton further points out that the “average size has been ‘growing’ for the past decade” and that, while “there should be a maximum ‘envelope’, every year there is something new.”

There certainly are plenty of new things ahead from GT Radial, so stay tuned for more key insights from our in-house professionals in the coming newsletters!