Falken Tire unveils UUHP tire for road and track in Europe

Tokyo, Japan – Falken has unveiled the AZENIS RS820 – a new ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) tire. The new pattern has been designed to offer responsive handling, balanced wet and dry grip and impressive feel on both road and track.

Initially available in 38 sizes spanning 19 to 21 inches, with cross-sections from 30 to 45, and a Y speed index – of up to 300 km/h – the AZENIS RS820 is derived from Falken’s race-winning motorsport technologies and experience honed from over 20 years of competing on the Nürburgring.

Designed to suit a range of high-performance cars and SUVs – such the Porsche 911, Audi R8, Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M5, Cupra Formentor, and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT – Falken Tyre Europe’s engineers focused on developing a tire that would offer maximum driving pleasure, safety, and longer life. The result is the AZENIS RS820.

Falken’s product development team called upon the expertise and materials knowledge of its engineers in Europe, as well as the technological capabilities of parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd in Japan, to produce its new generation and first UUHP pattern for the region.

Engineered to offer ultra-precise handling, stability, and control at all speeds and in a variety of conditions, as well as a quiet and smooth ride, the AZENIS RS820 features an asymmetric tread pattern with four circumferential tread grooves. An improved shoulder design offers increased contact with the road and solid lateral stability on dry roads.

Motorsport technology is truly at the AZENIS RS820’s core with Aramid – just like its race car pattern – used in the hybrid-configured reinforcements. An optimized belt ply provides even pressure distribution, allowing for a dynamic driving experience with heightened safety – particularly at the limit.

The tread compound itself comprises a variety of chemical compounds to ensure ruggedness in tread blocks, while a combination of interlocking microstructures and flexibility provides robust driving properties in a broad range of a road surfaces and conditions.

The circumferential tread ribs of the AZENIS RS820 not only provide improved lateral grip while cornering, but also ensure a stable straight-line stability. Wide, deep grooves also ensure particularly good water drainage and minimize the risk of aquaplaning.

With weight also an important factor when it comes to high-performance vehicles, Falken’s engineers explored all weight-saving possibilities – both in construction and compound – to make the AZENIS RS820 lighter than its comparable internal reference product.

Falken’s proprietary advanced 4D NANO design technology* ensures lower wear rates and a longer lifespan of the tire. The label values for the AZENIS RS820 – which have not yet been fully defined – are provisionally classified as A (performance in wet conditions), B (noise) and C (fuel consumption).

Thirty out of the 38 sizes are set to go into production before the end of 2023, with the remaining eight to follow in 2024.