Burning your Bridgestones in the name of progress

It's hard to get people excited about rubber. Most tyre marketing campaigns err towards either safety lectures or the combination of scantily-clad females draped across 10kg of patterned rubber.

Therefore, when tyres become part of the great Formula One debate, the tyre firms leap at the change to catch the public's attention for long enough to give them a lesson in tyre technology.

While Michelin and Bridgestone slug it out on the racetracks of Formula One, both are making the most of their links with their teams' successes. Bridgestone, for example, has done well from its links to Ferrari's Formula One success.

The tyre firm has, after all, invested a great deal of time and effort ensuring that the long hours spent by the 800 Ferrari staff in its Formula One operation, perfecting the power production and aerodynamics, translates onto the road.

So, when it came to electing a tyre of choice for the new Enzo supercar it would have proved rather embarrassing if the enormous 345mm tyres that connects each wheel to the road didn't carry the Bridgestone moniker. Thankfully for all at the Japanese tyre firm, their endeavours were so successful, their new Potenza RE050 is now the only tyre fitted on the 349 Enzos to be produced. It's an achievement that has since been repeated with BMW which has chosen the run-flat version of the RE050 is also going to be the tyre fitted to its new sporty Z4.

But, while it's proud of its efforts at creating a performance tyre that can be marketed to the masses, the tyre company is really interested in drawing attention to its work on run-flat technology.

Variations on this theme have been around for years, designed to ensure motorists can continue driving, at least for a while, until they can get the tyre repaired.

Currently Bridgestone and Continental, the parent company of Semperit Ireland, are working to try and establish a global standard for run-flat technology. Continental's ContiSupportRing (CSR) uses a metal ring to support the tyre if it deflates, while Bridgestone's run-flat system uses reinforced sidewalls that support tyres in the event of air loss.

According to Andy Muller of Bridgestone Europe, the distance you can drive on run-flats depends on the load in the car. But, for example, a fully laden car with five passengers could go 50 miles, while a single occupant with only a little luggage could get up to 155 miles before having to pull in.

So far the only downside to run-flats, are claims of increased tyre noise. We tested the run-flat system over a slalom course on a BMW Z4. While the hood was down, we did not notice excessive tyre noise under normal conditions, and were impressed by the lack of rumble when one of the tyreswere deflated and we went through the course at 55mph with a flat tyre.

One requirement for run-flats is that the car must be fitted with a tyre pressure monitor, so that drivers don't carry on without being aware of the puncture and slowing down to the necessary limits.

At the moment there are no plans for offer post-sales, or retro-fitted run-flat tyres, but it is likely to be only a matter of time. Similarly the introduction of run-flat options on touring tyres - those for more general purpose use - are still in the development stage.

But Motors couldn't simply accept the word of the PR department as to the quality of the new RE050s. So, with readers in mind, we took to the second of Ferrari's race tracks, Mugello, for an hour of empty track and unrestrained tyre screeching.

Lined up in front of us was a collection of performance cars set for tyre testing. Clad in the RE050s, our task, should we care to accept it, was to put Bridgestone's new tyres to the test for one glorious hour on the sun-baked track.

The cars for today's test: Mercedes SL55 AMG, Alfa Romeo 156 GTA sportwagon, VW Golf Gti among several others.

For guidance, former Formula one Jordan driver Stefano Modena brings us around the track. Then we're on our own. It takes three laps to get acquainted with the track. Soon we're weaving through the cones at ever higher speeds and at each turn getting the tyres to cry out that little bit more.

In the safe surroundings of track conditions and marshals, it's the perfect place for understanding the aim of all those tyre engineers, progressive flows of grip and power. It's hard to leave the track but all good things must come to an end. The tyres did what was expected of them. And our favourite car of the day?

Surprisingly, it was the VW Golf Gti. For sheer driver enjoyment and go-kart-like feel, there was no match. Now we know what the Gti generation were raving about.