All tires are round and black, but occasionally one rises from anonymity to become a rock star. Pirelli?s superstar is the P Zero. Like Mick Jagger, this tire has been a memorable performer for ages. To celebrate its 30th birthday, the world?s fifth-largest tire maker recently began fitting supercars such as Ferrari?s F12tdf with the latest generation of P Zero tire.
To showcase its star, Pirelli hosted more than 100 journalists and five additional waves of swell folks at a party in Portugal dubbed “302.” With the aid of shrieking supercars, highly choreographed dancers, and an Oscar-worthy industrial video, Pirelli announced the significance of the 302 name: a 30-year lifespan and ‘2’ times the horsepower delivered by today?s supercars versus the first model to be fitted with P Zeros. For good measure, the number 3 has another meaning: This new tire now serves three distinct applications?high-performance sedans, super sports cars, and dedicated track cars.
Versus the tire it supersedes, the new P Zero brings five technical strides to the party:

An unusually rigid rubber compound transferred directly from Pirelli?s Formula 1 tires gives the P Zero a stiffer bead area for improved steering response.
Additional tread pattern grooves and channels that are both deeper and wider deliver a 10-percent improvement in this tire?s ability to flush water out of the contact patch. Reducing the chance of aquaplaning yields safer and more stable wet braking....