FINDLAY, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has expanded its Zeon high performance line with the Zeon RS3-G1, an ultra high performance, all season version that supersedes the 5-year-old RS3-A as the tire maker's top-of-the-line performance offering.
The Findlay-based tire maker is targeting owners of a range of performance vehicles—from American muscle cars to import sports and GT models—with this tire, which is W speed-rated and offers lateral grip of up to 1g, Cooper said, while also delivering all season performance.
The RS3-G1 slots in above the RS3-A and, as such, will carry a higher manufacturers' suggested retail price, reflecting its “advanced materials and superior performance,” the company said.
It launches with 37 popular sizes—ranging from 205/55R16 to 275/35R20—to fit the targeted range of vehicles, and will be offered with a 50,000- or 25,000-mile treadwear warranty, depending on whether the vehicle uses the same size or different sizes front and rear.
The new tire combines a number of leading innovative features to create a product with exceptional grip, stability and durability, Cooper said.
“The Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 was built for people who love to drive, whether that means a commute to work every day or exploring new roads on the weekends,” said Scott Jamieson, director of product management for North America.
Features include:
- A broader, more square “footprint” that enhances grip, offering cornering forces up to 1g;
- A five-rib asymmetric tread pattern with an inboard tread optimized with a higher sipe density to provide better traction on wet roads and light snow conditions, and more rubber on the outside shoulder for enhanced cornering;
- A “coupled silica compound” in the tread for improved dry and wet traction, enabling the tire to grip and hold the road in all kinds of driving conditions;
- Cooper's “Wear Square” visual indicators in the tread for quick and easy assessment of remaining tread life;
- Full-depth “3D” sipes, designed to help the tread blocks maintain a stable shape during acceleration, braking and cornering, while also providing consistent performance even when half-worn; and
- A “glide mount” bead design that offers easier tire mounting with less chance of damage to the tire, and improved cold weather tire-to-rim sealing.
Cooper said the RS3-G1 makes use of polymers, resins and oils in the compounding that weren't commercially available five years ago when the RS3-A was launched.
The tire maker is offering a free 45-day free road test with the RS3-G1.
“Cooper knows that every mile counts, and tires must keep up with drivers once the rubber meets the road,” Jamieson said. “The new RS3-G1 features innovative technology to deliver on the highest expectations of today's most discerning drivers.”
The RS3-G1 is the third offering in Cooper's Zeon performance line. The others are the RS3-S UHP summer tire and RS3-A, which earned a Consumers Digest “Best Buy” designation in January 2015 for a second time.