BMW 3 Series To Run on Bridgestone Run-Flat Tires

Bridgestone will be supplying both all-season Bridgestone brand Turanza EL42 Run-Flat Tires and summer Bridgestone brand Potenza RE050A Run-Flat Tires as original equipment for the 2006 BMW 3 Series performance sedan.<br>
In equipping the BMW 3 Series, the European automaker’s best-selling sedan worldwide, Bridgestone Corporation has secured the following size and placement fitments on its North American market vehicles:<br>
All-season Turanza EL42 RFT tires in size 205/55R16 91H <br>
All-season Turanza EL42 RFT tires in size 225/45R17 91H <br>
Summer Potenza RE050AI RFT tires in size 225/45R17 91V <br>
Summer Potenza RE050AI RFT tires in size 225/45R17 91V front, with Summer Potenza RE050AI RFT tires in size 255/40R17 94V, rear<br>
Summer Potenza RE050A RFT tires in size 225/40R18 88W front, with Summer Potenza RE050A RFT tires in size 255/35R18 90W, rear<br>
“We’re thrilled that the Bridgestone Group has been selected by BMW to supply an extensive array of Bridgestone-brand Run-Flat Tires for the all new 3 Series, which will be traveling the roads throughout the United States and Canada,” said Michael Martini, president, original equipment consumer tire division, BFNT. “This wonderful opportunity expands our original equipment offerings of self-supporting Run-Flat Tires while also allowing us to showcase our premium Bridgestone technology on BMW’s most popular vehicle.”<br>
In addition to the tires’ proprietary Run-Flat technology, Bridgestone Corporation and BMW engineers worked together closely on developing and optimizing performance of both the Bridgestone Potenza and Bridgestone Turanza tires to meet the demanding requirements of the new BMW 3 Series.<br>
Bridgestone-brand Run-Flat tires are based on a Self Supporting Run-Flat Tire (SSR) system. The SSR system employs a special, rubber sidewall reinforcement that carries the weight of the vehicle and maintains the tire’s shape following deflation. Consumers may feel so little difference when the tire loses air that a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) must be used with Run-Flat Tires to notify the driver of an air loss. Run-Flat Tires offer drivers the opportunity to get to a safe location to change a tire when necessary, offering mobility for up to 80 kilometers at 80 km/h. <br>