"TUNE IT! SAFE!" 2020 campaign: Fast and safe on Hankook tyres

On the press day of the Essen Motor Show 2019, the latest campaign vehicle of the TUNE IT! SAFE! Initiative was unveiled in a traditional police car design, supported by the BMVI, alongside partner and main sponsor Hankook. The RS4-R, further developed by ABT Sportsline, is based on the recently developed model-maintained Audi RS 4 Avant and rolls into the new decade on the latest ultra-high performance Ventus S1 evo 3 tyres in the 20-inch dimension. The unveiling of the vehicle took place on the press day together with TUNE IT! SAFE! Since 2005, the founding year of the initiative, Hankook has been the exclusive tyre partner for safe and legal tuning.

Once again the curtain has fallen on the Essen Motor Show. Premium tyre maker Hankook and the "TUNE IT! SAFE!" initiative unveiled a new police vehicle, in support of the campaign for safe and legal tuning, at the VDAT stand in the presence of Hankook management. Following the BMW i8 Coupé from last year, the upcoming campaign vehicle once again comes from a German manufacturer. The more than 500 HP sports car is equipped with Hankook’s Ventus S1 evo 3 ultra-high performance tyres in the 275/30 ZR20 size.

"Since 2005, the founding year of TUNE IT! SAFE! Hankook has been a successful main sponsor and exclusive tyre partner for road safety and tuning. With the Ventus S1 evo 3, the ABT RS4-R has the right ultra-high performance tyres to enter the campaign year 2020 in a sporty yet responsible way," said Roland Hehner, Head of Product and Tuning at Hankook Reifen Deutschland.

The ABT RS4-R impresses with its uncompromising sporty design. The 450hp Audi RS 4 Avant already had significant power, but the further developed ABT version has an extra 80hp under the bonnet, which allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. For the tuning community, ABT has also implemented optimised aerodynamics, sports rims, exhaust and chassis technology and an interior using the RS4-R design especially for the campaign vehicle.

Tyres are always at the top of the tuning list, which is why Hankook, as a tyre maker, has been particularly interested in the initiative since the beginning of the TUNE IT! SAFE! campaign, which this year starts with a tuned police car for the 15th time. Launched in spring 2019, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 is a completely new development that systematically continues the success story of Hankook’s ultra-high performance tyres. The tyres have increased sidewall strength thanks to bead packing, a special nylon material used in the sidewall area. The blocks of the stiff and extra wide outer rib of the asymmetric tread pattern have been further reinforced with additional connecting bars for precise and stable cornering and handling.

In the 2019 Auto Bild summer tyre test, the tyre immediately achieved top position among 53 brands. Like its predecessors, it offered a very safe, sporty and comfortable driving experience in both dry and wet conditions. Consequently, the new Ventus S1 evo 3 outperformed all other tyres tested, including during wet braking, which was probably the most significant test criterion from a safety point of view. However, the ABT RS4-R was not the only vehicle fitted with Hankook tyres at the Essen Motor Show. The company had already equipped two different Audi RS models with the predecessor Ventus S1 evo 2. The new Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV has also been successful in its SUV version and is fitted as original equipment this year on the Audi Q8 and Porsche Cayenne.

Source: Hankook