GCAPS physical testing expertise has led to research and new modelling methods for improved products delivered to our customers, including global vehicle manufacturers, tyre manufacturers, and championship motorsports teams. These clients have used GCAPS modelling and testing services to elevate their performance in vehicle handling, autonomous vehicle technology, and many other aspects of transportation simulation. The ability to provide these services begins with the LTRe (Figure 1).

The LTRe was purpose-built with motorsports in mind. Infused with highly dynamic positioning rates, a maximum speed range of 320 kph, high force capabilities, and electric drives enabling driving and braking conditions throughout the entire speed range makes the LTRe the most dynamically capable machine globally. High spindle torque capabilities and overall size allow GCAPS to test heavier tyres such as light trucks and some commercial truck/bus tyres.

Until the establishment of GCAPS in 2012, the motorsports industry had been limited to either on-track or low-speed machine tests to quantify tyre response. On-track test methods are adequate for simulation validation but are often not comprehensive enough to measure pure tyre response due to vehicle dynamics interference and inconsistent terrains. Low-speed indoor methods will capture tyre responses, but speed limitations result in data extrapolation in trend analysis and tyre models at higher speed ranges. Increasing speed will affect the growth of the tyre, typically shown in loaded radius measurements, thereby changing the tyre’s contact patch dimensions and directly affecting the tyres force generation. This demonstrates the importance of measuring the tyre’s response throughout the vehicle’s operating domain. A tenth of a second in motorsports can mean finishing multiple positions behind the leader. Capturing accurate data at operating speed allows teams to optimize their performance and improve lap time. The LTRe provides such measurements to reduce speed sensitivity compensations in tyre models and measure the tyre’s response more accurately with a flat contact patch interface.

Another illustration of the LTRe’s dynamic capabilities is completing drive file replays (Figure 2). On-track or simulation data can be used as machine inputs to replicate vehicle manoeuvres. This test method can be used to validate tyre models, inform construction and vehicle setup analysis, or test the tyre’s durability. The LTRe is also instrumented with premium thermal measurement sensors (Figure 3) to capture the tyre’s outer and inner carcass temperatures to monitor the thermal state of the tire, develop thermal models, and improve lap-time predictions in simulation. GCAPS has developed a thermal logic algorithm, using customer-defined locations and temperature setpoints, controlling the tyre’s position in the test sequence until the defined setpoints of the tire are satisfied. This method ensures optimal and consistent temperatures are met before testing continues with the most efficient time, which inevitably reduces thermal variations in tyre response.

Heavy emphasis has been placed on vehicle simulations to improve the performance of handling, ride comfort, and safety. These areas are desired by customers and are required to comply with federal regulations.  GCAPS Simulation group produces commercially available tyre models such MF-Tyre™, MF-Swift™, PAC2002, and FTire™. These models are widely known across the industry and used frequently in vehicle dynamics platforms.  Utilizing their dynamic, thermal, and unique cleat capabilities, GCAPS has internally developed procedure methods aimed at improving the model’s fidelity which have been verified with the tyre model creators. These capabilities ensure and improve the robustness of these tyre models by offering dynamic test data to properly characterize the tyre’s response and match innovative vehicle maneuvers.  GCAPS offers both testing and modeling at the same facility, which will improve modeling results, shorten lead times, and reduce costs.  Additionally, GCAPS simulation team has the experience and industry leading expertise to generate tyre models that improve vehicle simulations and enhance the mobility industry. 

Not all race events have ideal sunny and dry days.  Many series will continue the race as rain occurs.  To gain knowledge of the wet tyre response, GCAPS has developed a water delivery system that can apply a consistent water depth to the tyre for speeds up to 250 kph on its LTRe. Using the water delivery system, GCAPS engineers have developed procedures to not only determine a hydroplaning speed, but also how a tire performs for all conditions a vehicle may encounter on roads or racetracks. Using the LTRe coupled with the water delivery system, changes in tyre force generation are measured at various speeds, loads, cambers, pressures, and even water depth. This information provides insight into the tyre’s force generation differences, which can loop back into the stability and safety assessments in wet conditions of highway vehicles ADS technology, and motorsport vehicles.  The methodologies developed by GCAPS have been used to quantify and improve the compounds and tread pattern designs of motorsport tires. 

Motorsport tyre design requires an in-depth knowledge of tyre response, irrespective of the vehicles their placed on. Pirelli faces a new challenge ahead of the 2022 season relative to tyre design, the new vehicle aero package coupled with a change in tire size from a 13-inch to 18-inch diameter wheel. With overall tyre diameter increasing from 660mm to 720mm (~3-inch difference), a reduction in sidewall height inevitable, requiring structural changes to the tyre to maintain current performance demands and removing the team’s ability to rely on historical data increase the challenges for understanding the tyre.. Teams use historical data through race events, practices, and testing to apply setup configurations to the car. Since there is no historical data for the new tyre designs, teams will rely on testing data from both on-track and laboratory environments. It is imperative that testing be performed at a facility containing the resources and capabilities to match conditions seen on track. GCAPS provides this framework to their motorsport’s customers by removing speed compensations, helping improve vehicle setup decisions, and optimizing overall performance.

Over the years, GCAPS has developed and implemented processes, test procedures, and processing tools to improve quality assurance for their customers. These methods are used to evaluate machine health, repeatability, and data quality, which is the reason GCAPS customers can collect such comprehensive data over the span of almost a decade and trust its validity. Yearly machine calibrations are completed by GCAPS to ensure machine repeatability, giving them explicit knowledge of system components and capabilities. For their global customer’s needs, GCAPS understands the importance of time and accuracy with respect to traveling schedules and deadlines, offering adjustable operating hours and virtual attendance options to remain flexible.

In January of 2013, Goodyear Racing became GCAPS first motorsports customer, and have consistently used GCAPS capabilities to improve tyre development, becoming even more prevalent in Goodyear’s development of the new 18-inch diameter tyre being implemented in the 2022 NASCAR season (Figure 4). GCAPS continues expanding their motorsports customer base, including a variety of racing series’ from IMSA to Formula 1, and notable customers which include Pirelli Motorsports and Alpine F1. GCAPS LTRe provides an asset to the motorsports industry and is used by championship series’ across the globe. So, why shouldn’t you?

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The European Commission has approved a €71.6m Hungarian state aid measure to support Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd. in establishing a new tyre manufacturing line, in a project aimed at boosting employment and industrial capacity in central Hungary.

The aid, equivalent to HUF28bn, will support the construction of a truck and bus radial tyre facility in the Central Transdanubia region. The investment forms part of a broader €538m project to expand Hankook’s existing plant in Fejér County, which currently produces tyres for passenger cars and light trucks.

The measure will be provided as a direct grant and is expected to create 469 jobs, primarily in manufacturing.

The Commission assessed the scheme under EU state aid rules, notably Article 107(3)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Regional Aid Guidelines. It concluded that the measure is necessary and appropriate to support economic development, competitiveness and employment in a disadvantaged region.

The Commission also found that the aid has an incentive effect, noting that the company would not have undertaken the project within the European Economic Area without public support. It further determined that the measure is proportionate and limited to the minimum necessary, remaining within the aid intensity thresholds defined in Hungary’s regional aid map.

The Commission said the scheme would have a limited impact on competition and trade within the EU and therefore approved the measure under state aid rules.

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Pirelli has entered into a strategic agreement with Swedish technology firm Univrses to integrate artificial intelligence-based computer vision systems into its Cyber Tyre platform. As part of the deal, Pirelli has acquired a 30 percent stake in Univrses, with an option to increase that share to a majority holding. The collaboration will embed Univrses’ 3DAI technologies into Pirelli’s existing Cyber Tyre solutions, creating a unified system aimed at producing safer and higher performing vehicles.

The combined technology has potential applications in advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving. It also generates timely, actionable data for road management, helping authorities make better decisions and deploy resources more efficiently. This could lead to fewer road accidents and saved lives. The system uses onboard cameras and tyres to collect feedback on road conditions. Pirelli’s Cyber Tyre, the first integrated hardware and software system of its kind, gathers data from tyre sensors, processes it with proprietary algorithms and communicates in real time with vehicle electronics and the cloud.

Univrses originally developed its technology to help cars understand their surroundings, but it has since been adapted to turn vehicles into AI-powered road monitoring agents. The Swedish company’s 3DAI Engine provides autonomous vehicles with perception capabilities including 3D positioning, mapping and spatial deep learning. Its 3DAI system digitises roadside infrastructure using data from vehicle-mounted sensors like cameras.

A pilot project is already active in Italy. In 2025, Pirelli and the Puglia Region launched a road network monitoring system to create an updated map of infrastructure conditions. The system analyses data from tyres via the Cyber Tyre platform alongside visual data from cameras interpreted by Univrses’ technology.

Andrea Casaluci, CEO, Pirelli, said, “The agreement with Univrses further enhances our Cyber Tyre™ platform, thanks to advanced AI‑based artificial vision technologies. The collaboration between Pirelli and Univrses will make a significant contribution to the ongoing transformation of cars into true software‑defined vehicles.”

Jonathan Selbie, CEO, Univrses, said, “Continuous monitoring and data are becoming the new foundation for infrastructure asset management, and Univrses technology is able to provide powerful analytical capabilities based on reliable and frequently updated data. In this context, we are pleased to welcome Pirelli as an investor and to take our partnership to the next level: we will join forces to deliver increasingly advanced services and products.”

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ZC Rubber is preparing a major European-focused showcase at THE TIRE COLOGNE, scheduled to run from 9 to 11 June 2026. The tyre manufacturer will occupy Booth C050g in Hall 8.1, highlighting its WESTLAKE and GOODRIDE brands with a clear emphasis on products tailored specifically for regional market demands.

The display will blend imminent and future innovations. Products destined for a European launch in the latter half of 2026 will appear alongside the company’s current truck and bus radial lineup. Selected previews of developments planned for 2027 will also be on view. A featured attraction is the Westlake Sport RS2, a drift-proven ultra-high-performance tyre praised for its grip, precision and 180 treadwear rating. A renewed rubber compound, developed through work with the Red Bull Driftbrothers, now delivers steadier traction under severe driving conditions. Appearing at the stand, Red Bull Driftbrothers driver and engineer Elias Hountondji will illustrate how motorsport data directly refines ZC Rubber’s product engineering.

Additional new passenger car radial models for Europe in the second half of 2026 include the Westlake ZuperFlex Z-137, Goodride RideMax G-147, the all-season Westlake Zuper4S Z-411 and the off-road focused Westlake Terra Legend SL399 and Goodride Mud Legend SL388. On the truck and bus side, already available tyres such as the Westlake WSL2, Westlake WDL2+ and Goodride S2, D3 and D4 will be exhibited, covering steer and drive axle needs for long-haul and heavy-duty transport.

A sneak peek at 2027 offerings will feature the Westlake Z-301 commercial van tyre, Goodride All Season G-721, Goodride SnowComfort G-518 and new TBR models including the Westlake WTL2, Westlake WTR OEM and Goodride M2. ZC Rubber’s team will remain on-site throughout the event, welcoming visitors and partners to the booth for meetings and professional discussions.

Leo Liao, General Manager, ZC Rubber Europe, said, “This year’s showcase reflects a much broader and more complete portfolio for Europe. From UHP and all-season tyres to all-terrain, mud-terrain and TBR solutions, we are bringing new developments across almost every major segment. This reflects how seriously we take the European market: we are listening to local needs, investing in the right products and building a portfolio that better matches the needs of our European partners.”

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Magna Tyres has launched the MA801 TR, a new solid tyre engineered for extreme operating conditions in recycling facilities and heavy industrial settings. Designed to maximise equipment uptime while supporting high load capacities, the tyre is built to deliver dependable performance in harsh environments. The official debut of the MA801 TR will take place at IFAT 2026 in Munich, scheduled from 4 to 7 May 2026.

The new model is intended for compact wheel loaders and telescopic handlers, featuring a flat-free solid construction. Its extra-deep non‑directional tread is reinforced by a triangular structural design, which enhances traction and stability on surfaces littered with sharp debris. Available in sizes 13.00‑24 and 14.00‑24, the tyre prioritises puncture resistance and reduced maintenance needs.

Thanks to its robust architecture and deep tread profile, the MA801 TR offers an extended service life and consistent performance across demanding work cycles. By eliminating the risk of flats, Magna Tyres positions the tyre as a reliable solution for recycling and industrial operations where continuous heavy loads are standard.

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