Bridgestone: Why a tire is more than just black and round

The magnificent road up from Beckenried NW through narrow and wide bends to Seelisberg UR is probably familiar to many. In the "most beautiful road safety center in Switzerland" outside the village, at 850 meters above sea level, there is a perfect facility for all test drives - with cars, motorcycles and even trucks. The Seelisberg event center is also the course organizer for the mandatory 2-phase WAB training course for new drivers and is ideally suited for a wide variety of events. Bridgestone has been a strategic partner of Eventcenter Seelisberg AG since the beginning of 2025. At the end of August, the Bridgestone Switzerland team invited dealers and garage owners to a training day there to find out about the current state of the art and the redesigned tire range in a rich driving and workshop program. A lot of theory, but also a lot of background information from Bridgestone technicians in the workshops were one part of the Training Day menu, challenging driving experiences with the Toyota GT86 and bZ4X models were the other. Experienced instructors from the Event Center guided the participants through the tire Variété program high above Lake Lucerne.

Important safety factors
The aim of the workshops was to gather more information and experience on two sensitive topics relating to car tires. Although modern car tires are among the most reliable vehicle components today, despite the high loads they are subjected to when driving, tire pressure and tread depth should always be kept in mind. If, for example, the tire pressure is not checked before a vacation trip with family and luggage, low pressure can lead to heat damage and even tire blowouts during freeway journeys. Insufficient tread depth in the tread can also lead to dangerous situations. Even the legally required 1.6 millimetres is no longer sufficient on roads wet with rain or snow.

The Bridgestone team in Seelisberg made the event participants aware of any shortcomings. In the Toyota GT86, the differences in handling could be seen in the differently inflated tires on the slalom course and on the watered sliding surface. Not an easy task, sometimes even for the tire specialists, to clearly see the different tire pressures on the drive. However, this also means that regular checks are all the more important. It was easier to recognize grip differences in wet handling with different tread depths. These could be experienced on the test track with four Toyota bZ4Xs. Aquaplaning occurs much earlier when the tread is more worn, and you know: then it's generally only straight ahead.

Theory is not gray
Garage owners and tire dealers usually feel more comfortable in the workshop than in the theory room. In Seelisberg, however, the participants were interested and actively followed the speakers. An important topic, for example: How much value do you place on OE tires? "The OE tire can be seen as a tailor-made suit. It is therefore sometimes a little more expensive, but is generally a good choice," emphasized technical trainer Konrad Schütz. After all, the OE tire is developed in close cooperation with the vehicle manufacturer over a period of two to five years and therefore fits perfectly. This involves a lengthy procedure from the initial negotiations with the vehicle manufacturer through to product release. "Test sites are available to us in Italy and Sweden, among other places, and of course virtual tire development is also playing an increasingly important role," Schütz noted. He cited manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Maserati and Mercedes as quality references for Bridgestone's OE tires, in addition to the large series manufacturers Stellantis, Toyota and VW.

One tire for all drives
As a full-range supplier, Bridgestone is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers alongside Michelin. Also important: 95 percent of Bridgestone passenger car tires for Europe are also manufactured in Europe. To this end, there are plants in Italy, Spain, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The current Turanza, Blizzak and Duravis product ranges cover both seasonal and all-season tires. Bridgestone Switzerland Country Manager Urs Lüchinger describes the range as follows: "We have made the tire range more efficient and simplified it with new products that sometimes replace two existing ones. In addition, new tires are being developed together using Enliten technologies for electric cars and vehicles with combustion engines. This means that these tires are ideal for both combustion and electric cars."

When asked about tire wear in electric cars, Lüchinger says: "In many early electric vehicles, the powerful starting torque was actually responsible for rapid tire wear. In the meantime, however, the difference to combustion cars has decreased - thanks to innovations such as our exclusive Enliten technologies and the adapted driving style of EV users."