1 for the road - Pirelli P1 Cinturato

Pirelli has brought us to the Nine Dragon Hill resort in Zhejiang Province, about an hour or so from Shanghai to test the Cinturato range and the Scorpion Verde on both road and controlled environments.

First up was a taste of the P1’s handling and braking characteristics in an Audi S5 Cabriolet over a course marked by cones. . Around the slalom course, the P1 felt like it griped well onto the tarmac and when it does lose adhesion, it does break away progressively and predictably. Steering feel is fairly positive and the car’s turn-in felt sharp enough. Pirelli says that the P1’s sporty handling characteristics are the result of features such as the use of hybrid materials and by controlling and stabilizing the tyre distortion. The P1’s innovative tread pattern design also ensures more stable footprint throughout its life, hence increasing safety on both dry and wet surfaces.

The tests were repeated in a BMW 5 Series Touring fitted with P7 Cinturatos. The P7s felt pretty much similar to the P1s bar a slightly shorter braking distance. The tyres’ similarities aren’t exactly surprising as the P1 was developed according to the standards of its P7 big brother’s.

We went through further handling tests of both the P1 and P7 in an Audi S4 saloon and a Jaguar XF over a quick slalom and circuit drive. At higher speeds, the P1 and P7’s progressive and predictable nature certainly inspires confidence, hence making them very good tyres for both beginner and advanced drivers.

We proceeded to test the P1’s ride comfort and noise reduction performance. The tests were conducted with the P1s fitted on a variety of less performance-oriented cars. We hopped onto a Chinese market Volkswagen Bora and drove on the roads around the resort. At low to medium speeds, the P1 gives a rather pliant and soft ride – thanks to tension control and a new mould profile that minimise impact shocks and their effects. There is very little noise from the tyres at these speeds as well. Pirelli says that the P1’s optimised tread pattern design with specific pitch sequence and other features reduce tyre noise inside the cabin by as much as 30 per cent. We also briefly sampled the Scorpion Verde SUV tyres over the same touring route in a Mercedes ML-Class and found that the green SUV tyre offers similar characteristics to the P1 – a comfortable and quiet ride.

The Cinturato P1might not be as performance oriented as Pirelli’s own P-Zero range of tyres but its capable and progressive handling as well as its comfort and quiet nature makes it a great all-rounded premium green tyre that is suitable for a wide range of applications and needs.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai in Shanghai Photos by Pirelli and Raymond Lai