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It’s time to find out about the new Alfa MiTo in even more detail, since so many of you have been asking to! And to do so we couldn’t but start “from the bottom” - the wheels and tyres of Alfa’s supermini.
At any given moment, a patch of rubber on each tyre no bigger than a sheet of A4 paper is all that connects a car to the road. The magic 'black stuff' is thus essential to the performance, handling and comfort of any car. It's not surprising to learn then, that the boffins at Alfa have expended quite a bit of effort in the development of the MiTo's wheels and tyres.
A totally new family of new tyres has been developed for the car, using the latest technologies available to guarantee the car an excellent balance of handling and comfort in all situations. Tyres were developed for 16”, 17” and 18” wheel measurements.
The targets in the tyres’ development phase were immediately clear: cutting edge performance for handling and braking, excellent road holding in all conditions, a good level of driving comfort, and low rolling resistance.
Notably, the MiTo's wheels are wider than many comparable cars and the tyres were adapted to suit this. This is a choice which has allowed a clear improvement in handling performance due to the tyre having a bigger 'contact patch', as well as maintaining a good level of driving comfort.
Now let’s have a closer look at the individual sizes. For the 16” tyres, particular attention was paid to minimise rolling resistance, thus reducing both consumption figures and CO2 emissions.
For the 17” and even more so for the 18”, which have been designed more with sporty driving in mind, attention was largely focused on the handling, with the aim of achieving class-leading performance.
The individual tyre manufacturers were required to undergo rigorous tests, measured both on the test bed and directly on the car, with each constructr having to pass dozens of specific tests until the specified targets were achieved.The handling performance has been tested for each tyre chosen, measuring the tyre's gripping power, response times and its performance in aquaplaning conditions on the Alfa Romeo test track at Balocco. In addition, the stopping distances on dry and wet were measured, as well as rolling resistance, noise, water-clearance capacity and wear resistance.
With an extensive development process like this behind it, you can rest assured that the MiTo and its tyres will work as one to deliver superior handling, performance and comfort under a myriad of possible conditions.
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