Dunlop Reinvents the Car for New Direzza DZ101 Tires
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AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunlop tires normally are reserved
for the world's finest automobiles or concept cars, and they are often
featured at car shows, such as the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit.
In the case of Dunlop's revolutionary new Direzza DZ101 ultra-performance
tire, no ordinary car would do. The Direzza is so special that Dunlop created
its own car.
The carbon-fiber Dunlop Stinger, featured on an 18-by-24-inch poster, is
available free on the brand's web site. Enthusiasts who want to order the
poster at http://www.dunloptires.com/catalog/stinger/index.html will be
charged $4.95 for shipping and handling.
The Screaming Yellow sports car was designed by Dunlop's Akron marketing
communications agency, Hitchcock Fleming and Associates Inc. Dunlop is a
signature brand of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT).
Andy Traicoff, director for Dunlop consumer tire marketing, said the
Direzza DZ101 tires "are a perfect fit for the Dunlop Stinger and many of the
highly modified sports cars on the roads today. They are designed to
accentuate the positives of tuned vehicles - both in style, high performance
and quietness."
The Stinger and Direzza DZ101 share a common heritage. Traicoff said the
inspiration for both the car and tire was derived from "tuners" who customize
their sports compacts to reflect their personalities and attitudes.
HFA worked on the sports car for a month - from concept drawings to
modeling to texturing, rendering and post-production.
"Every material on the car needed to be made to replicate the real
materials on a car. The paint was glossy; the metal took on a metallic cast;
the carbon fiber was made to appear woven. Even minor imperfections were
added to 'sell' the car as being real," said Mike Mickley, HFA art director.
Although created in three dimensions on a computer, the Stinger's
headlight lens flares and road-hugging ground effects look very realistic as
it speeds across a bridge. For sure, it appears very different from other
sports cars on the road.
But one look at the Dunlop Stinger reveals its DNA, Mickley said. Wide-
body kits, ground effects, carbon fiber hoods, custom lights and all types of
wheels are so popular today that they all factored into the final design.
"We wanted to avoid making the car look too much like a Japanese, German
or American car, so it has elements of each to create an amalgam that looks
familiar but unique and believable," Mickley said.
Traicoff said the Direzza DZ101 "is a performance tire with no manners.
The benefits derived from Dunlop racing are built into this tire."
The new tire targets the fast growing vehicle personalization segment,
those who bolt on aftermarket parts to make a statement. "Sport compact
starts small, but thinks big. That's what we had to achieve with the
Direzza," he added.
Just don't look for the Dunlop Stinger at the Detroit show. The virtual
car comes only in poster form. But the best part is it's free, he said.
Article Source
AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunlop tires normally are reserved
for the world's finest automobiles or concept cars, and they are often
featured at car shows, such as the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit.
In the case of Dunlop's revolutionary new Direzza DZ101 ultra-performance
tire, no ordinary car would do. The Direzza is so special that Dunlop created
its own car.
The carbon-fiber Dunlop Stinger, featured on an 18-by-24-inch poster, is
available free on the brand's web site. Enthusiasts who want to order the
poster at http://www.dunloptires.com/catalog/stinger/index.html will be
charged $4.95 for shipping and handling.
The Screaming Yellow sports car was designed by Dunlop's Akron marketing
communications agency, Hitchcock Fleming and Associates Inc. Dunlop is a
signature brand of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT).
Andy Traicoff, director for Dunlop consumer tire marketing, said the
Direzza DZ101 tires "are a perfect fit for the Dunlop Stinger and many of the
highly modified sports cars on the roads today. They are designed to
accentuate the positives of tuned vehicles - both in style, high performance
and quietness."
The Stinger and Direzza DZ101 share a common heritage. Traicoff said the
inspiration for both the car and tire was derived from "tuners" who customize
their sports compacts to reflect their personalities and attitudes.
HFA worked on the sports car for a month - from concept drawings to
modeling to texturing, rendering and post-production.
"Every material on the car needed to be made to replicate the real
materials on a car. The paint was glossy; the metal took on a metallic cast;
the carbon fiber was made to appear woven. Even minor imperfections were
added to 'sell' the car as being real," said Mike Mickley, HFA art director.
Although created in three dimensions on a computer, the Stinger's
headlight lens flares and road-hugging ground effects look very realistic as
it speeds across a bridge. For sure, it appears very different from other
sports cars on the road.
But one look at the Dunlop Stinger reveals its DNA, Mickley said. Wide-
body kits, ground effects, carbon fiber hoods, custom lights and all types of
wheels are so popular today that they all factored into the final design.
"We wanted to avoid making the car look too much like a Japanese, German
or American car, so it has elements of each to create an amalgam that looks
familiar but unique and believable," Mickley said.
Traicoff said the Direzza DZ101 "is a performance tire with no manners.
The benefits derived from Dunlop racing are built into this tire."
The new tire targets the fast growing vehicle personalization segment,
those who bolt on aftermarket parts to make a statement. "Sport compact
starts small, but thinks big. That's what we had to achieve with the
Direzza," he added.
Just don't look for the Dunlop Stinger at the Detroit show. The virtual
car comes only in poster form. But the best part is it's free, he said.
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