VIDEO: Falken Drift Show @ VLN Nürburgring

Really nice film from Falken (who have done some amazing viral videos this year), from a place they know very well – the Nürburgring. But this video is not about their amazing Porsche GT3 R race car doing the business in the VLN, but the Falken Drift Show instead. Great PR. Great video. Great guys! Oh, and great tyres too...  find out more at www.falkentyres-uk.com.

VIDEO: Falken Motorsports Porsche GT3 R Onboard NBR24 @ Dusk

Our pals at Falken know how to race the Green Hell, as this dusk footage from this year's 24-Hour clearly shows... in their Falken Motorsports Porsche GT3 R. Blindingly quick... and making it all look smooth and easy. Sweet!

NEWS: New Falken Tyre Offers Wet Grip & Fuel Efficiency

Falken Tyres have released a new compound of rubber with novel tread designs – offering both wet grip performance and higher fuel efficiency, thanks to reduced rolling resistance, the new ZIEX ZE914 premium tyre. Falken say: "Until now, tyre engineers have struggled to offer lower rolling resistance and the highest levels of wet weather grip, finding attributes to be usually mutually exclusive. To be able to achieve this challenging balance, Falken had to look at alternative ways to reduce the heat and therefore the energy required to deliver the desired grip performance required for a European premium tyre. By using silica in combination with long, modified polymer chains, the new rubber compound reduces excess heat generation and therefore, rolling resistance. The result is a 3.8 percent fuel saving compared with a non-optimised tyre. The strain characteristics of silica have the additional effect of increasing the contact area and grip for the same tyre diameter. Enlarging the contact area also provides car drivers with an additional benefit. By reducing the contact pressure, the tyre’s operating life is also extended, a handy advantage for the vehicle’s running costs.
"Falken’s engineers also looked closely at using the tread pattern to get better wet weather performance. The answer was a total of four wide tread grooves in the tyre cap design to allow for efficient water deflection and achieve superb hydroplaning resistance. Additionally, the staggered sipes integrated into the first tread block at the shoulder break up the water film more effectively than conventional tread patterns."
Like its predecessor ZIEX ZE912, the new ZIEX ZE914 comes with “Special Eyes” tread wear indicators to monitor tyre wear accurately. These indicators change shape – from round, to square, then smooth – with increasing wear letting drivers know when it is time to rotate the tyres to maximise tyre life further. The ZIEX ZE914 will be available in 10 sizes with speed ratings of V, W and H at launch, offering the ideal replacement for cars such as the VW Golf or Ford Mondeo. By 2013, Falken will expand the range to include 70 versions. This is the third tyre launched in Europe by Falken in as many months, who are aiming to compliment the significant growth the firm achieved in Europe in 2011.
Find our more and all the sizes available at: www.falken-europe.de

VIDEO NEWS: Falken Motorsport 2012 Porsche RSR & GT3 R

Video update from Team Falken on their American Le Mans Series, brand new 2012 Porsche GT3 RSR chassis, with Jens Walther, CEO Porsche Motorsport North America. Also, the Falken Motorsports’ Porsche 997 GT3 R race car has received a number of key updates ahead of its 2012 campaign: Factory sanctioned upgrades including a switch to paddle shift gearbox and softer front anti roll bar are being fitted together with an engine upgrade by crack Porsche team Schnabl Engineering as the Falken team mounts a serious attack on both the VLN Championship and flagship N24 race in Europe and AMLS in the States. "The 2012 Porsche engine upgrade offers more power and better driveability," says team principal Sven Schnabl. :Together with the paddle shift to help our drivers avoid miss-shifts, we have a stronger package that should challenge for podiums."In addition to the upgrades, Schnabl Engineering is refreshing and servicing the gearbox, uprights, driveshafts as well as replacing ‘lifed’ components such as fuel filters and pumps. As a car specifically designed for long distance reliability, Schnabl claims that further modifications for the headline 24 hour race in May are surprisingly minimal. "We will simply be fitting additional lights and the illuminated side panels," claims Schnabl, "we don’t even need to lower the rev limit." The team will continue to use its own tyres, developed specifically for use on the Nordschleife, incorporating features to meet the specific requirements of an endurance race with exceptionally long laps. Examples include higher puncture resistance with the inevitable corner cutting and softer compounds for night time running. Drivers for the 2012 campaign have yet to be confirmed but the 2011 line up of Peter Dumbreck, Wolf Henzler, Martin Ragginger and Sebastian Asch is likely to feature during the season. 2011 was the first year that the Japanese tyre maker fielded a Porsche in Europe. After gearbox problems stymied the team’s hopes of a strong finish in last year’s round the clock race, the team returns confident that it will be competitive and reliable. "We have further tyre tests planned to refine the specifications and compounds to the 2012 chassis set up and softer front end," adds Schnabl. "With a good Balance of Performance package and a good tyre from Falken, we are in a strong position." The first test for the VLN Series takes place on 24th March, and we will have news and a video here soon...