Kumho has demonstrated the superior adhesion and durability of its Ultra-High Performance (UHP) tyre technology by winning the fiercely contested LMP2 class of the Le Mans 24 Hour sports car race.

The British Binnie Motorsports team won the class driving a Lola-Zytek B05/40 prototype as well as finishing 17th overall in a field of 55 runners.

The Binnie Lola was shod with Kumho ECSTA race tyres throughout a race which ended in the midst of a torrential rain storm.

Lead driver Bill Binnie said a cautious approach and the wet adhesion of Kumho’s tyres helped his team stay on the track in the treacherous conditions, which caused several major accidents and resulted in the 24 hour race finishing behind the safety car.

“The rules were no kerbs and no contact – the plan was to stay out of trouble and that’s what we did,” said Bill Binnie after the race.

“We decided to use Kumho at Le Mans because comparative testing proved they were superior to other maker’s tyres in technology and performance.”

Binnie was full of praise for the durability of Kumho tyres which allowed the team to run two stints on a set of tyres during the race.

“The Le Mans rules prevent you from simultaneously re-fuelling and changing tyres, so if you can skip a tyre change during a pit stop it saves a lot of time and therefore track position.”

Lessons learnt on the race track are used by Kumho to improve its road tyres.

“Kumho’s expanding range of UHP tyres has also benefited from our growing commitment to motorsport both here in Australia and around the world,” said D.J. Lee, Managing Director of Kumho Australia.

The KU19 is a prestige car tyre featuring an asymmetrical tread pattern. The inner pattern is designed to maximise performance in the wet, while the outer pattern is designed to enhance high-speed stability and grip in corners.

The KU31 SPT is a tyre for the discerning driver who requires a fine balance of comfort, high performance & safety in all conditions. It features a directional tread pattern designed to provide superior stability in corners and lessen aquaplaning.

The KU25 is an affordable tyre featuring Kumho’s patented ESCOT technology, which maintains the tyre’s shape at all speeds to ensure consistent ground pressure distribution and grip.

Kumho Tyres has completed the construction of a rubber plant in Vietnam and will shortly begin supplying the company’s tyre factories.

Kumho Tires announced their plan for the rubber plant back in October 2006 when they opened a tyre production facility in Vietnam. Owning the plant reduces the risk caused by a sudden rise of raw material costs and will contribute to pricing stability.

Natural rubber takes up to 25% of the total raw material required to produce tyres and the recent rise of natural rubber costs has dramatically affected the profitability of tire businesses worldwide. According to the SICOM (Singapore Commodity Exchange Limited) report on rubber costs, the price has doubled from year the 2003, where at US$1,004 per tonne it has increased to the current average of US$2,100 per tonne.

The CEO of Kumho Tires, Sae-chul Oh said “As we have a rubber plant fully functional in Vietnam, we can demand and supply raw material to and from our tyre plant in Korea and other countries as well as Vietnam. This will we expect, lead us to a better position in price competition and improve the quality of the products.”

The rubber plant is financed solely by Kumho Tires with the investment being US$4 million. Located in Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province, it covers an area of 82,645m2 and has the capacity to produce approximately 11,000 tonnes of rubber per year. This will go into producing 6 million tyre units. Further study and observation on the plant’s profitability may see an increase of the production level at current location..

KUMHO TYRES (CEO: Sae-Chul Oh) has announced that it has been selected by DaimlerChrysler AG to supply tyres for the new Mercedes Benz A-Class model.

Kumho will supply its SOLUS KH15 in size 185/65R15 for the new hatchback which which is manufactured at Daimler Chrysler’s state-of-the-art Rastatt plant in South West Germany.

The deal with Daimler Chrysler is seen as a major achievement for Kumho Tyres and is likely to have a significant impact on the global OE business of the Seoul-based company which becomes the first Korean tyre manufacturer to supply the giant car maker.

According to a Kumho Tyres spokesman, the company was awarded the contract after meeting Daimler Chrysler’s stringent technical and quality criteria.

During the development programme for the new A-Class, lead by Kumho’s Birmingham, UK based European Technical Centre, the main focus was on ride refinement whilst maintaining safe levels of wet and dry performance as well as low rolling resistance.  A new tread compound and carcass material were developed specifically for the A-Class version of the KH15. 

 The tyre will bear the MO (Mercedes Original Equipment) symbol on its sidewall to indicate that it is an approved fitment for Mercedes Benz cars.

HS Lee, president of KUMHO TIRE Europe GmbH, commented: “We are delighted that we have been awarded this prestigious contract by Daimler Chrysler and look forward to continuing to develop high quality tyres for one of the world’s finest car manufacturers.

We intend to focus increasingly on the growth of our OE business in future,” he continued. “This contract is bound to make an important contribution to the strength of the Kumho brand in the global market and will boost recognition of the quality and technological capability of our products.”

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA…KUMHO Tire U.S.A. has gained its first original equipment business with a U.S. auto manufacturer.

Plus-size fitment will be on international Chrysler Sebring model

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA…KUMHO Tire U.S.A. has gained its first original equipment business with a U.S. auto manufacturer.

The company will supply tyres for the international version of the 2007 Chrysler Sebring that will go on sale outside the U.S. starting in the first quarter of 2007. KUMHO’s ECSTA KH11, size 215/55R18, will be the top-of-the-line plus-size option on the Chrysler Sebring in international markets.

The ECSTA KH11 is an ultra high performance touring tire that utilizes the latest technology to deliver superb handling without sacrificing ride comfort. Designed to offer very low noise levels and high performance handling, the ECSTA KH11 is a great fit for today’s high performance sedans. The tire delivers exceptional three-season performance in both wet and dry conditions. KUMHO did extensive cooperative testing with Chrysler Group and worked closely with the company to ensure that the KH11 meets Chrysler Group’s tire quality standards.

“Since coming to the U.S. marketplace in 1975, KUMHO has focused 100 percent on the replacement tyres business,” said David Hudrlik, KUMHO’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We now have a distribution network of warehouses and dealers throughout the country, and in the last couple of years we’ve increased our capacity by building new plants. Now that we have sufficient plant capacity and a national dealer network in place, we’re actively pursuing original equipment business with U.S. automakers.”

“We’ve captured a good share of the U.S. ultra-high performance tire replacement market,” noted Hudrlik. “Our sales continue to grow while the industry remains flat because we’ve developed a reputation for building quality tyres that offer exceptional performance. We intend to work with OE customers who want to offer these same traits to their customers.”

Rick Brennan, brand director for KUMHO Tire USA, pointed out that this new fitment with the international version of the Chrysler Sebring is another step in the continuing development of the KUMHO brand. “Capturing an OE fitment with a U.S.-based auto manufacturer is a big step for KUMHO,” he said. “Partnering with Chrysler Group brings additional credibility to KUMHO and opens the door for us to have more OE fitments with other U.S. automakers.”

Brennan said that KUMHO will announce additional OE fitments with U.S. manufacturers in the coming months. KUMHO currently has OE fitments with Volkswagen, Fiat, Kia and Hyundai outside the U.S.

Leading the "inch-up" tire market with a world-first development

Kumho Tyres (CEO: Sae-Chul Oh) announced that it has developed an ultra-large-sized “inch-up” tire with a 32 inch rim diameter for SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles). This 305/25R32 ECSTA X3 product, developed to expand the standards of inch-up tyres for SUVs, is the world's first ultra-large-sized UHP tire developed by Kumho Tyres.

The 305/25R32 ECSTA X3 has been developed to lead the ultra high-performance tire market through distinction in technology and the establishment of a lineup of top-class inch-up products for SUVs. It features stability at high speed, excellent contact force, durability and braking force through the heavy load design for SUV tyres.

Kumho Tyres plans to launch the 305/25R32 ECSTA X3 from this November, targeting the tuning maniacs among SUV purchasers who want inch-up tyres. With a unit price of 2 million KRW (approx. 2100 USD), this product is expected to bring the company high profits.

Since its world-first development of the 28 inch tire in 2002, Kumho has swept over the inch-up tire market in the Northeast America and already succeeded in the development of their 30 inch product.

"As a leader in the markets of the normal PCR UHP tyres and UHP tyres for SUVs, Kumho has continuously and promptly introduced market-oriented products to the industry. This is a product of the R&D force of Kumho Tyres which is always pursuing technical innovation. We will aggressively respond to the consumers' needs through swift understanding of the market situations in the future." said a researcher at the Kumho Tyres R&D Center.

[Notes]

1. What is “rim diameter?”
The rim, a thin loop-shaped part positioned on the utmost outside of a wheel, holds and sustains a tire. Just as it means, the rim diameter indicates the distance across a rim in inches.

2. What is “inch-up?”
As an operation to increase the diameter of a wheel, it is a form of tuning to maximize the performance areas of a tire, such as the contact force, required for high-speed driving, by increasing the diameter of the wheel and decreasing the thickness of the rubber layer, while the entire height of the tire remains the same.

Kumho Acquires Tyremaster Wholesale Pty Ltd from Coles Myer

Kumho Tyre Australia formally aquired their long term distributor of many years, Tyremaster.

The company will trade under the Kumho banner and will continue to distribute quality tyre products around Australia in the most efficient way possible.

Mr. D.J. Lee, Managing Director of Kumho Tyre Australia said, "Taking on the Tyremaster business provides us with a seamless transition into this market. The logistics, sales and support staff are highly experienced with our products and with the support of our factories and development centres, our customers will see a bigger and better Kumho in the future"