Vredestein give us a chance to experience their Ultrac Vorti tyre on a racetrack
Story: Joshua Varghese
Photography: Vredestein
The Dutch luxury car tyre makers, Vredestein, are not new to India but with an increase in localization, the company is aiming to capture at least a 20-plus per cent share of the premium tyre market. Recently, they introduced two products in our country: the Ultrac and the Ultrac Vorti. The former is aimed at the premium car segment while the latter is meant specifically for luxury cars. Vredestein launched these tyres at a swanky event in Mumbai and followed it up with a racetrack experience.
Vredestein take the design of their tyres seriously. So much so that they enlist the services of the reputed Italian design house, Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. They proudly claim that their tyres make the car look good rather than vice-versa and, personally, I must say they do look rather appealing. When asked about the benefits of their tyres, the response includes claims such as precise and responsive cornering, good wet and dry braking, lower fuel consumption, and extended tyre life. The manufacturer claims that this is due to stiff shoulder and sidewall construction, high-traction tread compound, and new body compounds that reduce rolling resistance.
Vredestein aim to capture the luxury car market and to show how competent their tyres can be as a choice for replacement, new Ultrac Vorti tyres were fitted on to cars that had already clocked a few thousand kilometres. The cars in the line-up included a Mercedes-Benz, an Audi, a Jaguar, and a couple of BMWs. Having invited a large number of influencers in addition to motoring journalists, Vredestein were only able to give us a short time on the track to experience just one car. Yours truly got a go in a diesel A6 that was shod with Ultrac Vorti.
While we were on our warm-up laps, the one thing that stood out for me was the low level of tyre noise. That is definitely worth a few points when shopping for new tyres. Soon, the pace increased and I was able to drive faster. There was enough grip to rely on while entering long, fast corners and while making quick changes of direction to power through a chicane.
Fairly satisfied with the level of grip at three-digit speeds, I experimented by going faster and only once did the car understeer and that was more of a forced manoeuvre on a front-wheel-drive car than a loss of grip mid-corner. However, it was reassuring when the tyres regained grip and completed the corner. The Ultrac Vorti certainly lived up to expectations on the track. The only things that remain to be seen are wet-weather grip, improvement (if any) in fuel efficiency, and the durability of the tyre over time. We hope we get to test that in the real world.
The Ultrac Vorti is priced from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000 (depending on the size) and does seem to promise good value for your money if you own a luxury car. As for the Ultrac, we were not given a chance to drive that this time. Maybe, we shall get an opportunity to check it out soon.
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