It seems like every second month we're reporting on a new Goodyear Eagle tire, and here's news of another: the Eagle GT. It's a performance tire with broad appeal, so isn't as focused as the Eagle F1 range, yet offers all-around performance and will be priced to give you a premium alternative to some of the lesser brands in the market.
We had a chance to drive the new GT tires at Goodyear's R&D center in Akron, OH (it's also where they keep one of the three Goodyear blimps, and you can read more about that in the blimp blog at www.eurotuner.com).
Perhaps one of the more surprising aspects of our visit was the discovery that tire development often starts with the visual design. We'd assumed a group of engineers set all the parameters, but Goodyear's designers explained how they model in 3D to create an attractive or aggressive tread pattern, which the engineers then evolve into the product they require.
We didn't see the manufacturing process, but did wander through the test labs where high-speed rigs put tires through their paces. This included a rig for Goodyear's Nascar tires where we saw them running at a continuous 175mph. The rig is able to increase the load, camber and scrub angles. In fact, they can replicate an entire race and examine how the compound and carcass stands up.
On the track, we were able to compare the Eagle GT to its predecessor using BMW 328i and an R32 on a wet autocross track. Although speed was limited for the test, the GT offers good wet traction with a surprising amount of turn-in precision. We were also impressed at how predictably the GT would break away when traction was overcome, allowing the BMWs to be drifted through the top turn.
The GT features dual-zone asymmetric tread with the outboard performance zone aiding grip and handling, while the all-season inboard zone is designed to work in the wet. This zone also uses Goodyear's TredLock Technology that enables the tread blocks to lock together during high-load handling maneuvers to improve cornering.
Although we had a limited amount of time behind the wheel on the Eagle GT (5min 20sec, to be exact), the improvement was instantly recognizable and we'd happily recommend these tires to performance enthusiasts. With 24 sizes available now and an additional 19 coming soon, ranging from 15-22" diameter, Goodyear seems to have most of the popular sizes covered.