Pirelli Scorpion XTM Tire Review: Passing the Desert Torture Test?
The Pirelli Scorpion XTM AT tire excels in rugged conditions, proving durable and effective on off-road SUVs like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco in the Mojave Desert. It offers strong grip and minimal wear, and is available in multiple sizes, including options for electric vehicles.
This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next
Pirelli positions the Scorpion XTM as the next step in its Scorpion lineup, just ahead of the Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tire. Where the previous Scorpion might have looked tame, the Scorpion XTM AT glares at you with a chunky sidewall design that hints at the tire's rugged construction.
Looking closer at the sidewall reveals another key feature of the Pirelli Scorpion XTM AT—the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.
This means the tire is certified for severe snow service and should perform better than an average tire (accelerating in a straight line) on a packed-snow surface.
Tread blocks are spaced to create larger voids than the average all-terrain tire, reinforcing the Scorpion XTM AT's ability to clear itself of mud when it spins.
When driving on gravel, a common failure point for tires is when small stones become lodged in the tread and drill into the carcass, a process known as stone drilling. The Scorpion XTM AT has elements built between the treads to eject those stones before they can damage the tire.
We put the Scorpion XTM AT to work beneath two popular off-road SUVs: the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the Ford Bronco Badlands. Owners of these vehicles often choose tires based on their off-road capability, reliability, and appearance; we sought to evaluate the tire in each of those aspects.
When fit inside the wheelwells of the Wrangler and Bronco, the Scorpion XTM AT looked right at home. Where some tires just appear round and black, the Scorpion XTM AT asserts itself as aggressive the moment you lock eyes with its sidewall.
We hit the desert—hard. Fifty miles of high-speed dirt track lay ahead of us, and the trail was littered with fist-sized rocks ready to tear into any unlucky sidewalls or tread patches. We dipped into the throttle and sent the SUVs ripping across the desert, free to steer with the rear end on the loose turns. When the rpms settled, we inspected the tires for any signs of chunking, dangling tread elements, or slashes to the sidewalls. This type of terrain has spelled disaster for many tires before, but we were impressed by how the Scorpion XTM AT fared. The tires barely looked used.
Pointing the SUVs at a series of rocky hill climbs demonstrated more of the tire's off-road grip. Where some all-terrain tires spin and slip climbing up rocks, the Scorpion XTM AT used its large tread blocks and voids and clawed up every incline.
Although it is in no way a sand paddle, we slashed across the dunes with ease.
After the tires had seen a full day of relentless off-road punishment, we lapped the Broncos around a cone course in the dirt. No driver was shy about throttle application through the series of tight turns, and every part of the tire took a severe beating.
Even after hours of lapping the brutal course, our only quasi-complaint was a few pebbles sneaking between the wheel and the bead—driver error, no fault of the Scorpion XTM AT. Damage report from the treadwear department: The entire fleet of tires looked next to brand-new. No flats, punctures, or sidewall traumas.
Even tires on dedicated off-road rigs must behave on pavement, so we listened closely as we stepped up the speeds on the highway for signs of droning or the telltale 'whum, whum, whum' of a mudder passing by. You will hear more noise than your stock equipment if the Scorpion XTM AT replaces a garden-variety all-season tire. However, in the world of aggressive all-terrain tires, nothing is out of the ordinary. What Did We Learn?
Our time with the Pirelli Scorpion XTM AT wasn't an instrumented test, we didn't compare the tire to any competing products, and our experience was on new tires for a few hundred miles. This was a chance to experience the tire's strengths and really find out if it would fail. We weren't gentle in any way, and since this gaggle of aggressive drivers didn't encounter so much as a sidewall blemish, it means we now vouch for the Scorpion XTM AT's durability.
The Scorpion XTM AT is not just for Jeeps and Broncos. Pirelli offers select sizes of the tire with its Elect technology. This compound promotes low rolling resistance and targets electric vehicle (EV) drivers. We spent time with the Scorpion XTM AT under the Rivian R1S, an electric SUV with upwards of 600 horsepower that weighs more than three tons. Not only did the tire handle the electric SUV's incredible torque on the rocky trails, but it also looked stunning in the wheelwells. It's certainly more aesthetically pleasing than the All-Terrain Plus that was standard on some Rivian vehicles. We hope this new Pirelli will become standard on future Rivians. Pirelli Scorpion XTM AT Sizes
The Pirelli Scorpion XTM AT is available now in select sizes and will ultimately be offered in 37 sizes for 17- to 24-inch wheels. Depending on size, you can have the Scorpion with a speed rating of R (106 mph), S (112 mph), or T (118 mph). Off-roaders will find common flotation sizes, as well.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Motor Trend
6 hours ago
- Motor Trend
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N Prototype Drive: More N-Credible EV Performance
'Now we will turn it to N mode, and you can use the paddles.' The instruction comes from the development driver who's coached us patiently around a section of the 'little Ring' in a camoed-up prototype of the new 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N super sport sedan. Roger. Can do. The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is an all-electric sports sedan featuring a 601 hp powertrain, new software upgrades, and enhanced handling. It offers improved performance and agility, with a focus on electrification and software integration, priced around $75,000, available early 2026. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next 'Downshifting' into an interminably wide hairpin, the tach swings upward and the 'engine' wails as we brake hard, turn in, and wait—and wait (did we mention wait?)—for the final apex before getting back on the 'gas' and upshifting. Whoops—we jump on it too hard coming out of the corner, and the tail wags a little wide. No worries. Just lift a bit, regain grip, and we're back on it, working the paddles through an uphill sweeper as a sonic symphony of software-generated noise fills the cabin with every simulated upshift. We've been gleefully ripping around in the new Ioniq 6 N at Area C, part of Hyundai's sprawling Namyang, South Korea, R&D facility. No, it's not some super hush hush Area 51–style bunker, but rather it's the circuit (modeled in spots after Germany's famed Nürburgring) and development, uh, area, where Hyundai went about birthing its N performance vehicle arm roughly a decade ago. It's also where we're getting our first official taste test of the 2026 Ioniq 6 N, its latest madcap creation. Using What Made the Ioniq 5 N Great The Ioniq 6 N is the all-electric-powered second act to one of the most impressive performance vehicles we've experienced in several years, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Yes, it cribs many of the elements that made the 5 N such grin-shift-inducing fun and a MotorTrend Best Tech award winner. But it's also poised to make its own mark thanks to several primarily software-based upgrades that build on those of its SUV progenitor. As for the new 6 N's powertrain, Hyundai has yet to provide us with its exact specs (those should be in the offing shortly along with more in-depth details as part of the car's full unveiling), but we expect it to be roughly the same setup as in the 5 N, employing permanent-magnet motors at both axles and e-juice delivered to them via an 84-kWh battery pack. In the Ioniq 5 N, the front motor produces 273 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, while the rear makes 406 hp and 295 lb-ft, good for totals of 601 hp (or 641 with 10 seconds of N Grin Boost engaged) and 568 lb-ft. As with all of Hyundai's EVs, the car also uses a version of the company's high-performance 800-volt system and E-GMP platform underpinnings. One piece of new hardware, however, that's easy to spot despite the prototype camo is the 6 N's fixed, swan-neck-style wing fitted to the rear deck, a piece Hyundai says provides roughly 220 pounds of total combined downforce at 155 mph. Body-wise, there are a few other small callouts specific to the model, notably wider fenders (1.2 inches) than the base Ioniq 6 and a wheelbase lengthened by 0.6 inch, all primarily to better fit the 20-inch wheels and the wide 275/35R20 Pirelli P Zero Elect tires tuned for the car. Messing With Success in a Good Way Outside of the hot laps, we also spent some time in the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N prototype blasting back and forth and back again on a coned-off course. The goal was to showcase its newly updated capabilities, like engaging its stupid-easy launch control to get a sense of the changes to Hyundai's wildly impressive performance N-hancements, namely to its N e-Shift and N Active Sound+ modes. When we first experienced these software hijinks in the 5 N, we had to collectively glue our blown minds back together. (There were some crusty skeptics on staff, to be fair: Hi, Aaron Gold!). While not as novel as it once was, it was no less intoxicating when we launched the Ioniq 6 N with all the N modes engaged. The Hyundai team also added an upgraded external speaker to bring more drama to these proceedings under hard acceleration, and it continues to further synchronize and enhance the overall experience. We chatted with the team directly involved in modding the N software, and these folks are determined to make the 6 N feel like its own thing, making adjustments such as shortening the N e-Shift system's 'gear ratios' to bring more explosiveness. After our blasts down the straight, with the new N ambient shift lights in the instrument panel and head-up display flashing furiously, chassis bucking on upshifts, and high-pitched, motorsports-inspired 'engine' wailing inside and the car out, we say mission largely accomplished. Speaking of explosiveness, during MotorTrend testing of the Ioniq 5 N, we clocked it at 2.8 seconds to 60 mph (an SUV record at the time), and from our seat-of-the-pants-on-fire perspective, the 6 N should be at least that quick, probably quicker. It should also stop shorter than the 5 N's 102 foot 60–0-mph number, given it uses the same brakes and should be lighter than its stablemate. It should be more agile than the 5 N, too. The 6 N already has inherent advantages given its lower center of gravity and far more aerodynamic profile, and that's before you add updates such as a new set of semi-adaptive dampers to its electronically controlled suspension and a massaging of its torque-vectoring system. These items are among several adjustments the N engineering team made, chief among them lowering the car's roll center to aid with overall maneuverability. 'It's the predictability,' Manfred Harrer, Hyundai's executive vice president of R&D, says about what the team aimed for with the 6 N. 'You can immediately go fast; there's a level of confidence to immediately go on the limit,' While we won't be able to know for sure how much the changes benefit the 6 N until we actually test it, after our track time, the straight-line blasts, and some slalom work at Namyang, we'll be stunned if it doesn't perform better dynamically than the 5 N, as well. We'll be equally stunned if it doesn't perform at least marginally better from a battery life and motor perspective. Hyundai's goal with its N EVs is to deliver 20:20:20, as in 20 minutes of hard track work, 20 minutes charging, and then another 20 back on the track at full tilt. To that end, more adjustments are made to the battery's cooling system to better keep it in the ideal temperature zone, along with adjustments to the motor's stator, rotor, and housing. How Well Does It Do ' Deuripeu-Teu '? The last stop of the day was out at Area C's skidpad to do some deuripeu-teu —drifting in Korean (at least that's what Google says it translates to). Our test driver (Hyundai wouldn't let us try it because of some crashing prior to our go behind the wheel, or something) preferred to set the also-improved N Drift Optimizer to the highest level of the three levels of initiation and the nine (out of 10) settings for slip angle and wheelspin. And spin we did around the wet skidpad circle. We swung onto some other paved bends into and out of the main circle, drifting along almost nonchalantly (dude, I won't tell everyone you spun once, too, oh wait). He also used the paddles to shift while doing so, something the Hyundai team has worked to integrate into various settings as of late. (You can now also use the paddles in Eco mode, for instance.) It was a fitting capstone to a day that further illuminated not only how much passion and commitment Hyundai invests in its N program but also how the power of electrification and software can combine to deliver a new performance era. Because after our first taste of the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, it's more of the same N magic, only better—an experience even the most jaded of car enthusiasts will have a difficult time not getting behind.
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Newsweek
Russell Reportedly Walks Away from Mercedes F1 Offer Due to Verstappen
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. George Russell's Mercedes contract expires at the end of 2025, and a contract extension has yet to be signed. However, according to a report by FUno analisi tecnica, Russell was offered a 1+1 year contract extension until the end of 2026, which he turned down. The report also confirmed that talks between Max Verstappen and Mercedes have reached an advanced stage. Just ahead of last week's Austrian Grand Prix, Russell opened up on the status of his contract, highlighting that detailed discussions have not taken place with team principal Toto Wolff, who has been talking to Verstappen. Russell admitted that he was unbothered by the outcome, given that he had proven his racing prowess and saw no reason why he would not be present on the F1 grid next year. While Wolff acknowledged Russell's contributions, he made it clear that attempts were being made to bring in four-time world champion Verstappen, but it was unlikely that it would happen next year. George Russell of United Kingdom and Mercedes during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. George Russell of United Kingdom and Mercedes during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. Guenther Iby/ Images Despite Verstappen's Red Bull contract expiring at the end of 2028, Wolff has been trying hard to bring the Dutchman to the Mercedes camp, especially since 2026 marks the dawn of a new era of regulations with new cars. The Mercedes boss probably intends to capitalize on the big reset next year to replicate the success his team witnessed with Lewis Hamilton in the hybrid era that began in 2014. Verstappen's close Red Bull aide and the team's senior advisor, Helmut Marko, admitted that Verstappen will remain with the team as long as he is handed a car that can win races. However, Red Bull will field its own power units in 2026 in collaboration with Ford under the Red Bull Powertrains banner, a first for the energy drink brand. Mercedes, on the other hand, has a record of developing some of the most powerful F1 engines in the past. Wolff confirmed after the race in Spielberg that there is very little chance of Verstappen being in a Mercedes F1 car next year, thus confirming that Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will form the 2026 driver lineup. However, the report by the Italian news agency has shed light on Russell's rejection of Mercedes' contract, which was to last until the end of 2026. The report stated: "Russell had been offered a two-year contract (1+1) to ensure that the seat would be available for Verstappen from 2027. This is also why the renewal has stalled. "George wanted more security that apparently can't be there. Furthermore, in the past few weeks, part of the Dutchman's entourage has made several contacts with the German team. It seems that the negotiation is serious and advanced." Related: Toto Wolff Gives Date for George Russell, Max Verstappen Contract Decision
Motor 1
12 hours ago
- Motor 1
Driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RS At Monza Was a Religious Experience
They don't call Monza the "Temple of Speed" for nothing. Except for three chicanes added over the decades, this is as classic a racing circuit as they used to be—a couple of straights connected by fast right-hand corners. Lewis Hamilton's 2020 pole lap here was at an average of 164.267 miles per hour. If you want to go faster on a closed circuit, you'll need an actual oval. Monza is maybe one of the few race tracks where you can really experience what the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is capable of. Pirelli laid a GT3 RS on its OEM-fit Trofeo RS tires for us to drive at its media event for the new P Zero family. You can read about the rest of the tires here , but this experience required its own story. The 992-generation GT3 RS has been out for a few years now, and I'd driven it on track previously, but that didn't prepare me for what it was like at Monza. This car's radical aero package generates 900 pounds of downforce at 124 mph and 1,895 pounds at 177 mph. Few road cars can match that downforce figure, and you'll need a hypercar to beat it. The figures are broadly comparable to what a 911 GT3 R race car would run around a high-speed track like Le Mans… or, for that matter, Monza. Photo by: Porsche Photo by: Wikimedia Commons / Will Pittenger Obviously, downforce creates drag, which reduces top speed. That might sound like a bad thing at a place like Monza, and yes, in a racing environment, you wouldn't want to run too much wing here. But Monza's two ultra-fast right-handers, Curva Grande at the top, and the Parabolica at the bottom, let you experience the full effects of the GT3 RS's downforce. It feels otherworldly. To better describe this, it's worth briefly explaining how tire and aero grip work. A tire has a maximum grip level in both lateral and longitudinal acceleration, measured in G-force or simply "G," which is the force on our body exerted by acceleration in any direction. You can plot out that force in a 2-D circle on a graph, which is helpful for looking at how combined lateral (turning) and longitudinal (accelerating and braking) forces a tire can take before losing grip. You might be able to corner, accelerate, and brake separately at a maximum of 1 G each, but if you're accelerating and turning at the same time, you can only have a portion of each direction's maximum achievable grip. This friction circle is ever-changing, impacted by the wear level and temperature of the tire, slip angle, the friction coefficient of the road surface, and the vehicle's weight transfer under acceleration, braking, and turning. If you go to racing school, you dive deep into all of this, but what you need to know here is that on its own, a tire is only capable of taking so much lateral and longitudinal acceleration before losing grip. Photo by: Pirelli It is a vast oversimplification to say that, in cornering, pure mechanical grip from the tire alone decreases with speed past a certain point… but that's basically the case. Aerodynamic grip, created from downforce-generating wings, splitters, diffusers, etc., essentially makes the 2-D traction circle bigger. But what's especially interesting is that downforce rises with the square of speed: In other words, aero grip increases with speed. Not infinitely, of course, because the tires can only handle so much, but enough that it fundamentally changes your approach to driving. In practice, it goes like this. Curva Grande is really just a flat-out run from the slow first chicane to the less slow second chicane. Mentally, I couldn't get myself to keep my foot to the floor. My experience isn't uncommon. If you've spent your track time in low-grip road cars, or even race cars with high mechanical grip but little to no aero, getting your head around downforce is tricky. Intellectually, you know what the car can do—or at least you have some concept of it—but getting yourself to go against your instincts honed through years of prior driving experience is hard. Especially when you don't want to ball up someone else's Porsche GT3 RS. With another session, ideally after a look at a data comparison between me and someone quicker, I could've maybe gotten there. But I had a hell of a time regardless. The feeling of G-force on your body as you accelerate through the corner and downforce rises is like nothing else. I'm thankful this car has bucket seats and six-point harnesses, because if it didn't, I don't think I could hold myself up. Photo by: Pirelli The feeling of G-force on your body as you accelerate through the corner and downforce rises is like nothing else. Then there's the braking. I decided to be a bit conservative, but still brake a little later than I did in the Carrera GTS. Even I knew I could go deeper in this car because of the downforce, but I'm still too early. There's something a bit demoralizing about arriving at corner entry far slower than you need to be, but for me, that gives way to astonishment at what the car is capable of. It forces you to rethink what's possible, and the added context of a "normal" sports car like a Carrera GTS just makes what the GT3 RS does that much more astonishing. The Parabolica might be the best corner on the track, though the surprisingly quick Lesmos runs it close. Despite looking fairly tight on the track map, it's fast, and you get back to power so early, the car seemingly straining against its limits, until it (and you) can take a breath on the main straight. I don't want to say the GT3 RS is a race car for the street, because in some ways, it's more advanced than a 911 GT3 race car, with its adjustable differential, active aero, and, well, the fact that it's got a nice leather interior. But not much else with a license plate quite delivers the same race-car experience, and at a place like Monza, that's especially obvious. Photo by: Pirelli For as alien as the car feels to someone of my experience, it's also very approachable. The car isn't nervous, it just dares you to up your game to match its capabilities. And a huge credit to Pirelli for making such a friendly tire in the Trofeo RS. The company's engineers all talk about maintaining a nice plateau of grip once you're past the tire's peak, rather than a sudden drop-off. Maybe the peak isn't quite as high for one fast lap, but realistically, the tire offers more speed for longer. There are other tracks where you can take full advantage of the GT3 RS's downforce, but not many are quite so evocative. Even beyond its 'Temple of Speed' nickname, there's something vaguely religious about the place. Maybe it's Italy, where everything inspires that sort of reverence. Or maybe it's the way that the RS's 9,000-rpm flat-six noise echoes between the grandstands, the trees, the bridge on the way to the variante Ascari, and everywhere else. Maybe it's knowing you're at the one of the oldest purpose-built tracks still in operation in the world, second only to Indy. It's a place for the indoctrinated to worship, and no points for guessing my beliefs. More Deep Dives Pirelli's New P Zero Family Is a Huge Step Forward: Review The Brilliance of Electric Turbochargers Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Gallery: Porsche 911 GT3 RS at Monza 7 Source: Pirelli Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
