Pagani Utopia Roadster Gets More Out Of Its Tires Than Any Other Car

Pirelli’s Cyber Tire technology isn’t totally new. The company was working on the technology, which features a sensor directly attached to the tire tread to gather information about the tire’s status, a few years ago. It has also appeared on a couple of car models since being launched. Among them are the McLaren Artura, Audi RS 4, and the Pagani Utopia. What is new, is the use of the technology. According to Pirelli, Pagani is now taking more advantage of Cyber Tires than any other automaker with the Utopia Roadster, which now uses the tires as an integral part of the vehicle’s traction systems.

The Car Consults Its Tires For Optimum Traction

Before talking about the Pagani’s implementation, let’s quickly go over how Pirelli’s Cyber Tire technology works. The company glues a sensor that can measure g forces, air pressure and temperature, among other data. This information is then transmitted wirelessly to a compatible vehicle’s computer. It’s then up to the automaker to figure out what it wants its cars to do with that information. On the McLaren Artura, the sensors effectively replace conventional tire pressure monitors, and they also offer information about tire temperature that’s available to the driver. Audi also used the system in a special track package for the RS 4 which would let owners keep track of lap times and other tire information via a phone app that connected to the Cyber Tire sensors.

Pagani’s implementation goes farther than McLaren and Audi. It doesn’t simply provide the information from the tire to the driver, but it actively changes how its ABS, traction and stability control systems work. As such, it can fine-tune how and when to intervene depending on whether the tires are at their optimum or minimum grip, since it has both the immediate status and the particular tire model’s information to consult. Pagani hasn’t given specific information on how the system improves performance, but a Pirelli representative we spoke with said that their testing has shown that ABS with Cyber Tire connectivity can reduce braking distances by between 3 and 10 feet. When sports carmakers are always looking for the extra tenth of a second on a racetrack, these kinds of improvements can be a big deal.

Cyber Tire Tech Offers Some Interesting Possibilities

We can see lots of different ways this technology could be used, and so can Pirelli. An app like Audi developed would be great for all kinds of amateur racers. Off-roaders would probably like an easy way to keep track of all their tire pressures, too, especially when raising or lowering them for conditions. The Pirelli representative we spoke with also told us that the system can measure tire wear, too, so it could potentially alert the owner to the need to replace the tire. It could even potentially be used in conjunction with other connected systems to set up an appointment for a replacement. Additionally, he said that this information could be combined with a vehicle’s control systems to adjust to the tire’s reduced overall grip, or even change to help reduce wear as it approaches the end of its life.

Some of these possibilities also open up potential concerns. Just like with connected cars, data privacy and security is something that needs to be addressed. According to the Pirelli representative, the tires sold to customers only communicate with the car they’re attached to, and the information stays within the car’s systems. But if features like the hypothetical tire replacement scheduler were implemented, information would definitely be transmitted elsewhere. The representative noted that Europe has stringent information protection laws, but that’s not the case in every market.

Related

VW Data Flaw Left The Private Info Of 800,000 Cars Accessible For Months

The data was publicly available, including the locations and movements of cars owned by some German politicians.

Another area of concern is the addition of computer equipment to a consumable product. Pirelli does have plans for this, though. The Pirelli representative told us that when the tires are replaced, the sensor can be cut out of the tire to be separated and properly recycled like other electronic equipment. This does require the tire installer or whatever tire disposal company is used to know the sensor is there and should be removed, though. Pirelli has even noted that one of its obstacles to its tire recycling programs is making sure used tires are returned to be taken apart and the materials reused. Still, this should be a more cut-and-dry issue to fix, and there aren’t many vehicles using the system yet. We’ll be looking forward to seeing what comes of the technology though as it develops and spreads.