Latest news with #Bridgestone
Mid East Info
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Mid East Info
Bridgestone Develops Bespoke Potenza Race Tyres for Volkswagen Golf GTI's Record-Breaking 50th Anniversary Model
Bridgestone, a global leader in premium tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, has developed custom Potenza Race semi-slicks for Volkswagen's new Golf GTI EDITION 50, the Golf GTI's exclusive 50th anniversary model. Engineered to perfectly match and enhance the high performance capabilities of the fastest and most powerful production GTI to date, Bridgestone's custom racing fitment leverages the motorsports heritage of its iconic Potenza family. Developed and produced in Europe, the premium Bridgestone Potenza Race fitment features a high-grip compound with an optimised cavity profile for maximum dry performance, a tread pattern designed to perform even in the wet, and a high-strength, lightweight carcass to reduce rolling resistance. Providing the precision and control to make history: Volkswagen unveiled the Golf GTI EDITION 50 at the world-famous 24-hour race held at Germany's iconic Nürburgring – where the exclusive model already set the fastest-ever Nürburgring lap time for a Volkswagen production model. 1 Earlier in 2025, the Golf GTI EDITION 50I completed a lap of the 20.82-kilometre Nordschleife in just 07:46:13. 1 The record-breaking car was exclusively equipped with custom Bridgestone Potenza Race fitment, delivering consistent ultra-high grip across the full lap, and the precision and control needed to make history on the demanding Nürburgring circuit. 'Our bespoke Potenza Race tyres were engineered to extract every ounce of performance from the Golf GTI EDITION 50,' said Radoslaw Bolkowski, Vice President OE Sales at Bridgestone EMEA. 'Seeing them help deliver a record-breaking Nürburgring lap is a brilliant moment for our team and a testament to what's possible when two performance-driven brands collaborate closely. We're very proud to help Volkswagen make history once again.' Bridgestone is the exclusive tyre supplier for the optional GTI-performance package for the Golf GTI EDITION 50. The vehicle's bespoke 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza Race (235/35 R19 91Y) feature a special Volkswagen sidewall marking – highlighting the tyre's exclusive development for this model. About Bridgestone in Europe, the Middle East and Africa: Bridgestone in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Bridgestone EMEA) is the regional Strategic Business Unit of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tyres and sustainable mobility solutions. Headquartered in Zaventem (Belgium), Bridgestone EMEA employs more than 14,000 people and conducts business in 35 countries across the region. Bridgestone offers a diverse portfolio of premium tyres, tyre technologies and advanced mobility solutions. The company's vision is to provide social and customer value as a sustainable solutions company. The Bridgestone E8 Commitment is a broad, global corporate commitment that clearly defines the value the company is promising to deliver to society, our customers and future generations in eight focus areas; Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment. These provide a compass to guide strategic priorities, decision making and actions throughout every area of the business.
The Drive
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
VW Made a GTI That's Better Than the Golf R
The latest car news, reviews, and features. There are certain automotive truths you just don't question. Porsche will never make the Cayman faster than the 911, for example. Another is that the Golf R is the top dog of Volkswagen hot hatches, and the GTI is the entry-level flavor. But perhaps VW felt that the GTI's 50th anniversary was cause to break from tradition, as a special version the company just revealed, the GTI Edition 50, can not only keep up with the all-wheel-drive Golf R—it's actually the faster hatchback around the Nürburgring. The GTI Edition 50 is an improvement on the GTI Clubsport, a model we don't get here in the States. Our stock GTI produces 241 horsepower, but the Clubsport actually makes 295 hp. VW has cranked that up by another 30 ponies for the Edition 50, for a Golf R-rivaling sum of 320 hp. That's just 8 hp shy of the R, but remember: since the GTI is front-wheel drive and not all -wheel drive, the Edition 50 is sure to be much lighter. The automaker didn't provide hard numbers, but your standard GTI weighs almost 300 pounds less than the R, and that means a lot around the Green Hell. So, that's a very good start. But naturally, VW hasn't stopped there for this milestone-commemorating GTI. An optional performance package adds a tuned suspension with adaptive mounts, higher spring rates, and a ride height 5 mm lower than a typical GTI's. It also contributes—and let's be honest, this is what really makes the difference—semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza Race tires. The rubber itself is both much grippier and even a little lighter than standard equipment, and the forged wheels they're wrapped around tip the scales about 6.6 pounds fewer, per corner. Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50. Gruppe C Photography/Volkswagen The upshot of this isn't merely a quick GTI, but Volkswagen says it's the fastest production car it's ever taken around the Nordschleife. Earlier this month, we learned that racer and VW development driver Benjamin Leuchter recorded a 7:46:13 lap in the GTI Edition 50. Back in 2022, Leuchter drove a Golf R 'round the Ring in 7:47.31; however, that run used a different, shorter criterion for what constituted a full lap of the circuit. If you factor that in, this new GTI didn't just improve on the Golf R's time by a second—it beat it by six seconds. Taking all of that into account, if we're basing things purely on speed, the GTI Edition 50 (with the proper equipment) is better than the Golf R. And while I don't often put much stock into paid testimonials, I think the fact Leuchter himself called it 'the most precise and sporty Volkswagen [he's] ever driven' means a lot. VW is still trying to move Golf Rs, after all. Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50. Gruppe C Photography/Volkswagen Performance aside, there are other goodies here. Many people love the classic plaid of GTI thrones, but the Edition 50 offers a new design with plaid bolsters and a zoomed-in pattern on the primary fabric insert, with 'GTI' punched out in a bunch of tiny pin-pricks in the upper seatback. Oh, and the seatbelts are red. I love all of it. You may notice a hint of green in that upholstery, and that's because one of the colors VW is offering on this special edition is Dark Moss green metallic. We don't have pics of it yet, but green on any fast car is worth celebrating. Here's Leuchter driving a prototype GTI Edition 50 around the Nürburgring to set its record lap. Gruppe C Photography/Volkswagen Volkswagen hasn't said how many examples of this super GTI it plans to build, let alone what they'll cost. Even worse, Volkswagen of America told us that 'as it stands,' the Edition 50 won't come out here. That's not terribly surprising, considering we're already missing out on the Clubsport—but it is still disappointing. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
Tokyo Reported
15-06-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Yuko Kitayama: Search continues nearly three decades after disappearance
Yuko Kitayama: Search continues nearly three decades after disappearance MIE (TR) – On the evening of June 13, 1997, Yuko Kitayama, then 17, finished her part-time job and headed to a friend's house to study. She was never heard from again. The case remains unsolved, with police continuing to seek the help of the public. On the morning of June 13 this year — the 28th anniversary of Kitayama's disappearance — police officers handed out leaflets in front of Matsusaka Station and once again called for information in the case. 'We are continuing our investigation with the firm belief that she will be returned to his parents,' said Kazuto Saijo, the chief of the Matsusaka Police Station. 'Please contact Matsusaka Police Station with any information you may have.' But there was a time when they did have such information. What happened next was a chronicle of missed opportunities that no mainstream news outlets mentioned this past week. Hello Kitty pager Yuko, a third-year student at Matsusaka Technical High School, worked at a local juku cram school in Meiwacho. On the day of her disappearance, she was planning to study with the aforementioned friend after finishing work. Her younger brother, three years younger than her, attended the same cram school, located near Saiku Station. Her mother would usually take her brother to the cram school in a light truck. She would then take Yuko's bicycle back to the house. Later, she would pick up both of them in a passenger car at around 8 p.m., and the three of them would return home together. However, on the day of her disappearance, there was not enough gas in the light truck. As a result, Yuko was to return home alone by bicycle that day. As well, her family was aware of her plans to study for a test with the friend rather than returning home immediately. After finishing her part-time job, she called the friend from a public phone near the town hall, about 200 meters from the cram school. She told her she would be there in about 10 minutes. However, when Yuko had not shown up by 11:00 p.m., her friend called her home. Her family was surprised, as they had assumed she would be at the friend's house. A search commenced. After they could not find her, they reported her missing with the Mie Prefectural Police at around 2:00 a.m. on June 14. Yuko usually kept a Hello Kitty-themed pager in the inside pocket of her vest. Her family and friends, who had been informed of her disappearance, sent a message to her pager and waited for a response, but there was no reply. Clothes, bicycle and bag never found At the time of her disappearance, Yuko had short hair, a medium build and stood about 150 centimeters tall. She was wearing a white short-sleeved blouse, a black uniform vest, a black pleated skirt, loose white socks and black cloth shoes, size 23.5. The navy blue bicycle she was riding had a Bridgestone T-shaped handlebar and was registered for theft prevention. Her contact information and name were written under the saddle. Her black shoulder bag for commuting to school contained a light blue wallet, a commuter pass case, a yellow lunch box, a comb, scissors and a mirror. The search for the surrounding area continued, but her clothes, bicycle and bag were never found. 'Why do you have Yuko's pager?' On the night of June 14, the day after her disappearance, Yuko's home received two suspicious phone calls at around 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. In both cases, the caller hung up as soon as the calls were answered. Her family later consulted with police. Shortly after Yuko's disappearance, her friends sent messages to her pager with their home phone numbers so that she could contact them. However, there were no signs of an accident in the area. Therefore, it was decided not to give out contact information as there was a possibility that Yuko had been involved in an incident. Sometime after June 16, a friend's house also received a series of mysterious silent calls. The friend thought that the caller had seen the messages addressed to Yuko and was making silent calls. She tried to talk to him, but at first there was no response. But one day, she asked, 'Where is Yuko?' A man's voice replied, 'I don't know her.' She then asked, 'Why do you have Yuko's pager?' He said, 'I picked it up.' 'Why do you have Yuko's pager?' However, in subsequent phone calls, the man's attitude changed, and he began to make different claims. 'I took her to the station,' he said. He added, 'She said she didn't have any money, so I lent her 50,000 yen. I took her pager as collateral.' The man then called her to Matsusaka Shopping Center MARM in Matsuzaka City. The friend accepted the invitation and told the police the situation. On June 20, while police were secretly deployed, the friend and Yuko's mother headed to the designated location. However, the man did not show up. Five days later, he called the house of her friend again. He said, 'I'll give you Yuko's pager back so come and get it.' She immediately rushed to the bus station to meet him, but only Yuko's grey pager was there. Notably, the gold bell and Hello Kitty keychain were not attached. Former offender On June 27, the man called the friend's house again. 'Did you receive the pager?' he asked. He then hung up quickly. Police traced the call to a public telephone in Ureshinocho, Mie Prefecture. They then took a man, age 46 at the time, in for voluntary questioning. He worked as a street vendor and lived nearby in Chayocho, Matsusaka City. An analysis of the man's voice and the calls made over the phone proved to be a match. As well, a white handkerchief with a blue pattern found in the man's pocket was confirmed by Yuko's family to be similar to one belonging to her. He was arrested the next day. During the course of the investigation, it became clear that the man did not have a clear alibi for the time when the incident took place. As well, he also a former offender, who served 12 years in prison for sexual assault and robbery. His modus operandi was to hit women on bicycles with his car, committing indecent acts and stealing their belongings. When the man's station wagon was examined, part of the left turn signal was broken. Further, there was a dent in the bumper that appeared to have been caused by a collision. A Japanese-Chinese dictionary believed to be Yuko's was found in the car. The dictionary had her friend's pager number written inside. Police increasingly suspected his vehicle used in a crime. They found more than 100 hairs and pieces of fiber inside. Police also found receipts for using the Ise Futami Toba Line toll road in the car, which raised suspicions that he had been traveling long distances to destroy evidence. The man regularly used a gas station in Matsusaka City once a week. Around the time of Yuko's disappearance, he filled up there on June 12, 15 and 17. Insufficient evidence Yuko had previously told a friend that she was scared because a suspicious man was following her. There was also a report of a white station wagon parked next to the public phone that she had used before her disappearance, which led police to increasingly believe likely that the man was involved. However, the man said during questioning that the pager was lost property. He also said that he had called the pager several times after learning that the owner was a high school girl. He continued to deny and remained silent about the charges regarding Yuko, including kidnapping. The man's detention expired on July 18. He was released due to insufficient evidence.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Golf GTI Edition 50 Becomes VW's Fastest Car At Nurburgring
Volkswagen has proved yet again that it's one of the hot hatch authorities, with its new Golf GTI Edition 50 setting a new record for production VWs around the Nurburgring. Referred to as a "near-production test vehicle" by VW, this special GTI set a time of seven minutes and 46.13 seconds. That surpasses the time of seven minutes and 47.31 seconds set by the Golf R 20th Anniversary edition, a time achieved in 2022. Unlike the all-wheel-drive Golf R, the GTI sends power to the front wheels only, yet it's always remained fun to drive despite its FWD setup. The record-breaking time was set across the 12.9-mile route of the course, and an even quicker time of seven minutes and 41.27 seconds was achieved over the slightly shorter 12.8-mile stretch. The GTI 50 was not quite able to dethrone the Honda Civic Type R, which remains the FWD hot hatch king. The hottest Civic completed the 12.9-mile lap in a time of seven minutes and 44.88 seconds. Although we don't know if this GTI improves upon the normal GTi's 241 horsepower, it's highly unlikely to match the Type R's 315 hp, which is more Golf R territory. Still, the GTI 50 gets close, thanks to an optional Performance package with lightweight 19-inch semi-slick Potenza Race tires from Bridgestone. These are wrapped around lightweight forged wheels, which lower unsprung and rotating masses. A performance-tuned chassis is also part of this package, which was equipped to the GTI that completed this latest effort at the Green Hell. Benny Leuchter was behind the wheel of the GTI Edition 50 for this run, and was left blown away by the car. He was a good choice for the job, having driven the Golf GTI Clubsport S for the brand's first lap record nearly a decade ago. He did the same in the Golf R 20 Years in 2022. "The entire setup of the Golf GTI Edition 50 means you can drive the ideal line of the Nordschleife with high precision," said Leuchter. "If you really want to be fast on the track known as the 'Green Hell', the car also has to compensate for the typical bumps in the ground and reach very high cornering speeds. This is exactly what the Golf GTI Edition 50 achieves in perfection. The aplomb with which it masters the peculiarities of the legendary Nordschleife is cool: the GTI is instantly stable over the entire 20.8 kilometers." Leuchter said he would never have believed he could beat the Golf R's lap time in a FWD GTI. A full reveal of the record-breaking GTI Edition 50 is set for June 20. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dynamon and Webfleet partner to deliver low-cost insights for fleets
Fleet optimisation software specialist Dynamon has teamed up with Webfleet, Bridgestone's global fleet management platform, to offer decarbonisation reporting aimed at accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission commercial fleets. According to a press release, the new integration combines Webfleet's real-time telematics data with Dynamon's advanced simulation platform, ZERO, to provide fleet operators with comprehensive, data-driven decarbonisation reports. The offering enables businesses to make informed decisions on vehicle replacement, EV rollout strategies, charging infrastructure, and low-carbon fuel alternatives, without the expense of external consultancy. According to the companies, the solution can cut the cost of traditional decarbonisation assessments by up to 80%, making it significantly more accessible for operators under pressure to meet environmental and regulatory targets. The collaboration is enabled through which facilitates seamless data exchange between platforms. This integration allows users to assess vehicle suitability, plan infrastructure, and conduct detailed total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses—critical components of any fleet decarbonisation strategy. 'Decarbonising a fleet can feel like stepping into the unknown and can be complex, costly and full of uncertainty,' said Dean Mahoney, Business Development Director at Dynamon. 'By combining Webfleet's telematics data with Dynamon's advanced simulation and insight tools, we take the guesswork out of the journey and give fleet operators the confidence to move forward.' Beverley Wise, Regional Director for the UK and Ireland at Webfleet, added: 'Our collaboration with Dynamon empowers fleets to transform their operational data into practical steps toward decarbonisation. Together, we're removing barriers to electrification by making data-driven decision-making more accessible and affordable.' "Dynamon and Webfleet partner to deliver low-cost insights for fleets" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
