Goodyear 'Racks Up' More Wins With Eagle F1 Tire

AKRON, Ohio, June 24 -- Goodyear's first "world tire" has racked up a couple wins with a leading tire mail-order service.

Distributor Tire Rack listed the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D3 ultra-performance radial atop its Max Performance tire survey, with customers rating the tire on its traction, cornering stability, steering response, ride comfort and -- most importantly -- their willingness to buy again.

Eagle F1 scored a 9.4 out of 10 points in the repurchase category. No other tire scored more than 8.6. Tire Rack customers said they had traveled 335,032 miles on Goodyear's newest ultra-performance tire.

Tire Rack officials also rated Goodyear's ultra-performance tire highly in a separate competition against Bridgestone and Michelin tires. Although competitive on dry pavement, neither tire could match the lap times of the Eagle F1 GS D3 on a wet track, Tire Rack experts said.

Bob Toth, Goodyear marketing manager for auto tires, said Eagle F1's ultra-performance showing "delivers a halo effect on the entire Goodyear Eagle tire lineup. Customers' positive feelings for Eagle F1 definitely trickle down to Eagle F1 Supercar, Eagle F1 GS, Eagle HP Ultra Plus, Eagle RS-A, Eagle LS and Eagle GT II tires."

That's significant, Toth said, because it means a richer product mix in the independent dealer channel. It's a winning formula for both Goodyear and its dealers.

"One look at Eagle F1, and it's emotional," Toth said. "It looks fast even standing still."

Eagle F1 GS D3 tires were introduced in Europe a year before becoming available in the United States; today, the tires are manufactured on both continents. The tire features OneTred design for maximum response and virtual rib technology for maximum wet traction, Toth added.

Mounted on 2001 Lexus IS300 sports sedans, Eagle F1 got Tire Rack's attention on wet pavement. "Eagle F1 GS D3 tires provided predictable handling and enough grip to run the fastest average lap times of the three tires in the test, confirming that the Eagle F1 GS D3 is the most competitive Goodyear tire we've tested to date and that it earned its Max Performance category position," Tire Rack officials said.

Toth said Tire Rack's findings mirror Eagle F1's performance in German and British automotive magazines. They, too, noticed the difference in tire brands.

"As satisfying as Eagle F1's ultra-performance in these objective tests, the ultimate standard resides in the marketplace. That's the true test of the tire's attraction, as evidenced by Tire Rack's tire survey results. The strong intent to repurchase is the surest sign of the tire's performance and appeal," Toth said.

For more information on Goodyear's newest Eagle, go to www.eaglef1.com. To view Tire Rack's tire survey, go to www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/max.jsp.