26 — Friday, March 12, 1993 - North Shore News OVERDRIVE AS CARS got smaller and more compact in the late °70s and early ’80s to meet an increasing demand for the higher fuel-efficient cars, automakers started in- corporating many space- saving ideas into them. Some of the new ideas, like the fixed rear side windows on newly downsized intermediate General Motors sedans, recessed arm rests in the doors to save space, simply got rejected by the consumers who didn’t want to give up too much comfort and convenience features: Other ones, including the com- pact spare tire that took less space in the trunk, stayed on to become a standard part of virtually every vehicle.sold today. Now with the environmentally sensitive Clinton/Gore administra- tion in power and potentially de- manding more stringent. fuel economy and emission standards, the race to reduce weight and in- crease passenger space is on full throttle. And Bridgestone Tires intends to join the action by helping car companies eliminate the spare tire, albeit relatively small and light now, altogether from the trunk. Simply called a Bridgestone runflat tire and wheel system, it’s designed to allow the vehicle equipped with the system to travel at least 80 kilometres (50 miles) at a speed of 90 kilometres per hour (55 mph) with absolutely no tire pressure, Actually, the 80-kilometre fig- ure is a ‘‘very conservative estimate’? said Mike Cerio, Bridgestone’s consumer products marketing manager in the United States. Last fall,. Bridgestone demon- strated the. capability of the system at the Willow Springs Raceway .in California by com- pletely deflating the left front tire of a special Callaway Corvette. Despite the track’s demanding turns, the handicapped Vette racked-up a Surprising 335 kilometres (208 miles). The real benefit to the con- sumers is not so much the in- creased trunk space, but the safety aspects of the system. “The system enhanees con- trollability of the vehicle at the time of air toss and allows the driver to continue travelling to a location where the car can be conveniently and safely serviced,” added Cerio. When a car is equipped with the runflat wheels and tires, the stability is maintained even in a tire blow-out scenario at a three-digit speed. The runflat tire and | wheel package, first announced in August of fast year and most recently introduced publicly at the Los Angeles Auto Show in which allowed uts pressure On Co! New Bridgestone wheel system eliminates need for spare, increases safety January, is the first such system to become available on a new automobile and in the after- market segment. Bridgestone’s system became available this winter as an optional feature on new Callaway Corvettes and as a replacement system for all owners of the Corvettes, 1988 and newer models. Callaway is a well-known custom-vehicle engineering com- pany specializing in modification of Corvettes. For the past five years, the company, in conjunc- tion with Chevrolet, has offered a twin turbo package for the Vette which turned it into a Ferrari- eating beast. More than 500 copies of the Callaway Turbo Corvettes have been produced to date. Bridgesioné is showcasing the system on two special Callaway Corvettes which boast a power train with 100 more horsepower than the standard Vette’s already impressive 300 rating through the optimization of various internal engine components. Bridgestone hopes to make a deal with a number of automotive manufacturers and make _ this available on a much wider basis. “We believe in the not-teo- distant future American con- sumers will be able to purchase runflat tire systems as an option on a variety of new automobiles, as well as from after-market sup- pliers,”’ Cerio said. Although Bridgestone is the first to market this product to the public,. Goodyear has beaten Bridgestone in closing a contract with Chevrolet. Chevrolet will of- fer the Goodyear’s runflat system, not yet available, as a part of the 1995 Chevrolet Corvette features.’ Bridgestone's system currently utilizes the modified version of the super-performance Expedia S-01 tires, mounted on unidirectional aluminum wheels with special wedge hump rim profile. Bridgestone came up with a special} rubber compounding and unique insert designed to prevent . loss of strength and durability - when the tire loses air. The combination of special tire rubber, insert and rim profile makes it possible to hold the weight of the car and maintain —MOST WITH WARRAN vehicle stability in the event of a tire puncture. Because the lire/wheel system allows the driver to maintain good control of the vehicle regardless of the actual amount of air pressure, he or she may not notice the loss of air in one of the tires. To make sure that the driver becomes aware of any low air pressure condition, the Bridgestone system also comes with a low tire pressure warning 4 WBS ‘O93 TROOPER $ The #1 rated sport/utility vehicle in the world, This fully equipped vehicleg is at home anywhere, any time. —TOP DOLLAR FOR COUR TRADE 4890 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD 4 Or, factory warran fully equip ed, 32,000 9.4693-1 $23,680 1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 2.Dr., 4 Cyl. Automatic, Radio, Super Buy! Stk.#9-5267-1 1987 CAMARO 2 Dr, & Cyl, 5 Speed., _ T-rooi, warranty, Stk. #A-9577-2 $7,880 1986 CHEVROLET SPECTRUM 20r., 4 Cyl, 5 Speed, AMIEM Cass, Warranty. Stk.#8-1195-2 1891 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX LE 4 Dr,, Air Cond., AM/FM Cass, Tilt & more. Stk.#9-0607-1 1988 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 2 Dr., Fully Loaded, Warranty, Excellent. Stk.#9-4981-1 FRL & SAT. SUNDAY device, manufactured by Epic Technologies Inc. located in Ohio. Four small wheel modules, a radio receiver, and a warning light in the instrument panel make up the Epic's system. The huge P275/40ZR17 tire, 17-inch wheel, and Epic’s low- pressure warning device are being assembled into one package by Callaway Cars Inc., to be sold for US$5,252 (for a set of four tires and wheels). The installation cost ion should run around $300 or so, in- cluding the mounting of the wheels and installation of the low-pressure warning device. If you currently own a late- model Corvette and you’ re itching to become the first one in town to get this high-tech wheel system, contact the Bridgestone/Callaway hotline at 1-800-452-2812 (toll free; hours — 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. our time). PICK-UP Why buy a used pick-up when you could own a brand new one for less. And this new pick-up is loaded with standard features. TROOPER LS This is your opportunity to save thousands on this one of o kind, totally loaded, hi- performance, all weather machine. $ SPACE CAB 4x4 } Get the best of both worlds. The utility of a pick-up, rug can offer and comfortable seating for 4x4 performance only fuzu BOS LARGEST SELECTION. —ON-THE-SPOT FINANCING 9393 PONTIAC SUNBIRD LE Anti-lock Brakes, stereo, 4 door, AUTOMATIC. STK.#J-22060 1983 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE 4 Dr. Sedan, PWindows, Air, Cruise, Stereo, 3.3L V6. ONLY 3 LEFT Come in and find out why CARTER is #1 in Canada! SALE HOURS: MON-THUR. 9am-9pm 5 Sod., AM/FM Cass., Rally Wheels, Special ! Decor Pkg. 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