In the world of motor racing, the name of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is absolutely legendary. In the world of tires, Goodyear's is just as legendary. During the famous race, which took place on the Le Mans track on June 10 and 11, the American company lived up to its reputation by using, for the first time, intelligent tires capable of communicating information in real time.
It was the Garage 56 edition Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button and Mike Rockenfeller that had the honor of being equipped with this kind of system for the first time in a race. Although the team finished 39th, the data it helped collect is invaluable to Goodyear engineers. The question is: will we ever see this kind of system at home?
The solution: Goodyear SightLine
Contrary to popular belief, the system is far from heavy and invasive. Such weight would be a huge handicap for a racing car, after all! Instead, it's an innovative technology using passive sensors that don't even need batteries to operate. The secret of their power is Goodyear SightLine technology, which has been in development for years.
During the race, the Hendrick Motorsports technical team received real-time data on tire pressure and temperature. This enabled them to improve vehicle performance by allowing the driver to adjust according to the latest information. For the occasion, Goodyear had prepared three different types of tire, adapted to different road conditions, from dry to wet.
One day in our garages?
This technology goes far beyond the realm of motor racing. Imagine being able to know the pressure of your tires, or even their wear, at all times! That's what the large-scale integration of the Goodyear SightLine system promises, but it's far from being a reality. For the moment, in North America and Europe, it's only available to commercial fleet owners. Thanks to exclusive algorithms, it can predict maintenance and prevent accidents by monitoring tire wear and pressure at all times.
Although not equipped with this futuristic technology, the Goodyear tires offered on Blackcircles.ca also have their share of qualities. The Eagle Sport All-Season will fit most vehicles and wallets, but performance enthusiasts may prefer the Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1. Finally, for off-road enthusiasts, there's the rugged Wrangler Duratrac. Hard to choose, isn't it?
