Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue tops German tyre test

The Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue, developed by the Italian manufacturer for a wide range conditions while respecting the environment, has been rated “exemplary” in a test of eight ecological summer tyres conducted by German magazine Autobild.

Autobild is one of the most highly regarded automotive publications in the world, published in 36 countries through its international franchises and selling more than seven million copies each month.

All of Autobild’s tests are extremely rigorous, examining every aspect of a tyre’s performance. This latest test focussed on ecological summer tyres, with a thorough range of assessments including wet and dry braking and handling, in order to build up an accurate overall picture of how well the tyre performs.

The Pirelli CInturato P7 Blue was described as exemplary, with the magazine pointing out its “safe handling, short wet and dry braking distances and good resistance to aquaplaning.” The tyre also has strong environmental credentials, reducing fuel consumption thanks to decreased rolling resistance.

A particularly strong performance was acknowledged in the most treacherous conditions of all: heavy rain. The Cinturato P7 Blue shares many of the characteristics of its ‘big brother’: the Cinturato Blue full wet tyre, used in Formula One to shift around 65 litres per second at 300kph.

This is because Formula One is Pirelli’s biggest test laboratory, with the lessons learned from competition eventually finding their way on to tyres used by ordinary motorists. The Cinturato P7 Blue is a case in point, having been named after a Formula One tyre. The Cinturato name itself is a lot older though, dating back from the 1950s and describing the ‘cintura’ – which means ‘belt’ in Italian – that has been a traditional hallmark of Pirelli’s safety characteristics.