The story of the Pirelli P Zero

This year Pirelli launched the new P Zero at Estoril circuit in Portugal, and this was followed by a UK and Ireland launch in May at Silverstone reinforcing the track to road concept of Pirelli tyres, which is at the heart of the company’s philosophy.

The P Zero has been a key product for Pirelli since its introduction in July 1987 when Ferrari presented its F40: the fastest and most sophisticated Ferrari ever produced. It was equipped with Pirelli P Zero tyres: the very first ones seen on the road. With a futuristic 17-inch size and a brand new ‘Z’ speed rating, it re-wrote the rulebook when it came to ultra high performance tyres.

In September 1988 another famous sports car joined the P Zero stable: the Lamborghini Countach Anniversary, built to celebrate the company’s 25th birthday.
By 1990 the Lamborghini Diablo came along requiring yet another P Zero, which used a structure similar to that which Pirelli had been using in Formula 1. But it was the Ferrari 512TR of 1991 that would increase tyre sizes to an unprecedented 18 inches.

In 1994, there was a fundamental evolution in the P Zero concept as the P Zero System was introduced, that featured a directional front tyre and an asymmetric rear. By then tyre sizes had grown to 20 inches, meaning that P Zero tyres could be fitted just as easily to a high-performance hatchback as to a Ferrari.

In the spring of 2000, there were some more important advances. The P Zero Rosso was born, used extensively by Porsche, which maintained the asymmetric design but added sporting comfort. The Scorpion Zero arrived too shortly afterwards: destined for the growing market in SUVs and big off-road vehicles.

Fast-forward to 2002 and we had the P Zero Nero make an appearance, designed largely for the aftermarket and big sporting saloons in particular.

The 2003 Geneva Motor Show introduced another P Zero innovation, the Corsa System. This was derived from racing experience in the FIA GT championship and offered two different tread designs at the front and back: improving grip in all conditions.

A brand new P Zero was launched in 2007 – heralded as a major step forward – and this is where it gets technical: the extra performance was guaranteed by new nano-technologies which led to state-of-the-art compounds capable of guaranteeing maximum levels of performance but also comfort.

The next key chapter was the introduction in 2010 of the new P Zero Corsa System, which went on to be adopted by manufacturers like Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, Pagani, Porsche, Maserati and Aston Martin. Thanks to its advanced sports racing pedigree it lends itself to use on circuits as well as on the road. This was chosen as original equipment for the McLaren 650S (coupé and spider) and for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde. For those who wanted something that was even more hard-core, there was the P Zero Trofeo R: a road-legal track tyre, incorporating all the lessons that Pirelli has learned from competition.

And that brings us right up to the present day, when the latest P Zero was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Launch homologations included the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso, Lamborghini Centenario, Porsche Boxster 718 and Audi R8 Spyder. To name but a few..
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While the latest P Zero has one name, there are actually three different technical variants, with different applications and parameters depending on the type of car they are destined for.

For sports cars, there’s a tread pattern design with fewer blocks: intended to deliver a more dynamic and sporty drive. For luxury saloons, the P Zero has an external shoulder with more grooves, which absorb the tyre’s impacts against the ground better, leading to the increased comfort that is required for these vehicles. The third variation is a much more aggressive design, similar to the P Zero’s slick big brother in Formula 1, destined for the latest P Zero Corsa family: road tyres with a motorsport soul.

These days, each car has its own dedicated P Zero – just like the Ferrari F40 that started the whole story off. And it’s this unique concept that is at the very heart of Pirelli’s perfect fit strategy.