Bridgestone has begun a new era in the Australian and New Zealand automotive industry, and it goes far beyond just selling licorice.
A company-wide ethos change has arrived, where metro Bridgestone Select stores both here and across the Tasman will receive slick new fit-outs to welcome customers to the world of tyres; one they’ve probably never thought about before.
AutoTalk was hosted by Bridgestone for the launch of its new Potenza tyre bolted to the alloy wheels of the BMW Driving Experience fleet, although the M4 and M2 are nothing like your average company car, especially thrown into the fast, graceful curves of the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
With an 18% Australian and 24% Kiwi market share, a footprint of over 530 stores and 1500 staff in both countries, the big B is hungry for a greater presence among non-tyre people, while still attracting the enthusiast.
Enter the S007A Potenza performance tyre, designed with an entirely unique compound to offer an even better tool for attacking stop watches at track days across the country.
It’s the sporty one.
A new Alenza tyre has also been developed for the luxury SUV segment.
But more importantly for the local operation, bigger than the new rubber, is the new bloke steering the ship.
Managing director Stephen Roche is only three months into the role, but is eager to “reinvigorate and re-establish” the brand.
“I’m not from the automotive industry or tyre business, but I’ve been across a number of sectors including retailing and pharmaceuticals, so the whole concept of delivering a product or service to an end consumer is something I understand,” he says.
“I’m also very passionate about giving something back which is why I established a company-wide charity in my last role.”
Roche reminds that Bridgestone has its hands in aviation, heavy trucks, and seismic bearings in buildings, and has production facilities around the world.
“Most of Australia’s development is done in Thailand at our technical centre, and a proving ground.
The Australia/New Zealand operation is also the only operation manufacturing truck retreads for both countries – in Queensland,” he explains.
“When we stopped manufacturing in this country in 2010, we donated a six-hectare parcel of land back to the local community in Salisbury which has been turned into park land, as part of that giving back theme which began with Bridgestone founder Shōjirō Ishibashi who donated a swimming pool to poor local school children to avoid infections from swimming in the river,” Roche says.
He says the 50 million tyres Australia disposes of every year also need to be responsibly recycled, which is why Bridgestone is partnered with Tyre Stewardship Australia and the Australian Tyre Recycling Association.
“That’s something we’re proud of, but need to admittedly keep finding new solutions to,” he concedes.
The company says it needs to open up to both the media and customers, despite having won multiple awards this year from Reader’s Digest, Canstar Blue and others.
Jon Tamblyn has the engineering and commercial solutions mantle, meaning it’s his job to make sure the new S007A rubber does what it says on the packaging.
“We’ve developed a new testing procedure called UltimatEye, which measures pressure applied by the tyre into a flat surface as just one of seven steps in getting the tyre to market,” he explains.
“About 70% of OEMs operating in Australia are using our tyres new from the dealer which gives us commercial confidence that those 150-plus models are using not only a tyre customers can afford to replace, but will offer the safest performance and optimal ride and economy,” Tamblyn explains.
“In fact we have over 100 different tyre SKU numbers developed in partnership with manufacturers, many of which are unique to the Australian and New Zealand market,” he adds.
Director of sales Heath Barclay says high-traffic Bridgestone Select stores are receiving that aforementioned once-over to avoid corporate complacency.
“We’re not standing still, our showrooms need modernising to bring a contemporary feel to what is a fairly mundane process in buying and fitting tyres,” he explains.
“We’re finding ways to give new life to old tyres by developing a recycled tyre-rubber flooring compound, and we’ve worked with a number of franchisees to design an ergonomic, functional area that works for both store managers and their staff, as well as their customers,” Barclay says.
“The business is also pushing to increase and improve our services in the transport sector, including operating out of major truck depots and rest stops in order to reduce disruptions to operators’ schedules,” he says.
“We’ve also secured partnerships with some significant trailer manufacturers like MaxiTrans which we feel speaks volumes for our heavy duty customers,” Barclay adds.
A series of so-called tests allowed a bunch of journalists to pitch the new boots against the previous generation “001” Potenza on identical BMW M cars back-to-back.
So-called because doubtless it’s anywhere close to the kind of gruelling torture Bridgestone engineers put it through before signing off.
Considering one of those 10 test centres Roche speaks of will burn through 10,000 tyres per year in testing.
These included a rather timid couple of laps keeping up with BMW’s talented instructors, braking tests in both a straight-line ABS-test and emergency swerve at 80km/h, timed slaloms which became ultra competitive (as they inevitably do), an alleged drifting test which only a few could sustain on wetted-down, polished concrete, and the obligatory hot laps at day’s end just to separate the keyboard warriors from the professionals clocking hundreds of laps every year.
Keeping pace during three laps the S007 does feel like a competent performance tyre even underfoot of an employed typist, offering what I would consider decent grip where it’s needed on corner exits, under hard braking at Honda corner (turn four) and the downhill-right at Lukey Heights where you ask the fronts to cop longitudinal and lateral punishment while squeezing on the power to push you toward the apex without overcooking the goose.
The potentially treacherous turn one is taken in fifth at what feels like 200km/h (although eyes never dared look anywhere but ahead), leaning on the front left before the double-apex at turn two is ideal for feeling how connected the S007 remains with the blacktop in order to hold your line without pushing wide or looping it like the top of a candycane.
The timed slalom weaving around six cones, flicking a U-turn and returning to a clock-stopping halt not only demonstrated how blatantly rubbish motoring journos are at remaining calm under pressure, but also how much abuse a modern tyre can cop without protest.
Killing three cones on the first attempt, the test also demonstrated a flaw in the otherwise impervious M2 which certainly held up its end of the track-day agreement.
The U-turn reveals quite a dead spot in the car’s pick-up from low-speed, as you apply and open out from full-lock and are tempted to nail the right pedal.
The gearbox, engine and diff take what feels like a light year to comprehend the task being requested.
However, it’s a necessary evil, because once they do come good, it’s very likely the over-eager journo has asked for too much too soon.
Patience is key to making a smooth exit and begin the return slaloms with the same degree of finesse you wish you’d started the lap with.
