Pirelli's 35 Years of Performance and Innovation Story

Pirelli's Annual Performance and Innovation Story
Pirelli's 35 Years of Performance and Innovation Story

The Pirelli P Zero product family tells a long story of continuous innovation and technology, both in prestige and extreme cars of the last 35 years and in motorsports. Formula 1 came first in this story, serving as an open-air laboratory needed to apply lessons learned from the track to road tires. In recent years, the P Zero family has expanded to include electric mobility while retaining the sporty character that defined the brand from the very beginning.

The P Zero was born in 1986 and instantly became the star of the ultra-high performance industry. His association with two of the most powerful and extreme cars of their era, such as the Lancia Delta S4 competing in the World Rally Championship and the original road hypercar Ferrari F40, underscored this status. P Zero was at the forefront of technical innovation from the very beginning. The first 17-inch tire for a road car was developed for the F40 in different sizes front and rear and with a speed rating of 240 km/h. This was just the beginning of a brilliant career for P Zero. Over time, the P Zero has adapted to the increasing demands of the automotive world, with increasingly higher levels of performance, safety and driveability. Developed in 1994, the P Zero System meant an evolution in the series, with different tread patterns front and rear against aquaplaning. A true technical revolution for its time, the P Zero System and subsequent versions became the equipment of other automotive icons such as the Ferrari F355 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera. All these original equipment tires were 'tailor made' to meet the specific requirements of each different car. The Perfect Fit strategy, which is at the center of Pirelli's strategy today and which makes the Italian company the world leader in homologations every year, has thus been strengthened.

P Zero Rosso was born in 2000 and has become the equipment of the world's most powerful cars with the aim of offering comfort along with the highest level of performance. The result was a lot of homologation for cars like the Ferrari F430, Ferrari F575M Maranello, Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Murciélago, as well as performance-oriented SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes ML, and class-leading sports sedans from BMW M and Mercedes AMG. Inspired by the success of the product family, Pirelli created the P Zero Nero tire two years later. Later updated with the P Zero Nero GT, innovative materials were used to extend the overall life of the tire.

The heart of the P Zero brand actually beats in motor sports. All tires supplied for Formula 2011, of which Pirelli has been a global tire partner since 1, form part of the P Zero product family, including the 2022-inch P Zero F18 tires launched in 1 to highlight the technology transfer from race to road. P Zero tires are also used in the World Rally Championship, where Pirelli is the tire supplier.

With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, Pirelli also used the 'Elect' marking for the first time on a P Zero tire in 2019. This marking identifies tires specially developed and manufactured to meet the specific technical needs of electric cars, such as extending range, reducing interior noise and maximum grip.

As the P Zero story continues with a wide range of tires constantly evolving to meet the needs of an evolving market today, there is even more focus on personalisation. The P Zero family has received more than 35 homologations in the premium and prestige markets in 600 years. The P Zero legend is now ready to get even stronger with three new tires launched at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, kicking off the renewal of the whole family. And it will do so by focusing, as always, on performance and safety, sustainability and efficiency.