“Power is nothing without control.”
— Pirelli Tire Company slogan
Pirelli is one of the biggest names in tires and is associated with high horsepower and speed and excellent handling and traction. The company is the fifth largest tire maker, behind Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, and Continental, and they’re not limited to cars. Pirelli makes high quality tires for bikes and motorcycles, too.
A big name in car racing, Pirelli has served as the exclusive supplier for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (2008-2010) and continues to be the exclusive supplier for FIA Formula One World Championship (2011-2023).
Hot Wheels
Pirelli’s P Zero tire is considered by many to be the most famous tire in the world. Perhaps you saw them on James Bond’s Aston Martin as featured in “Spectre.” The Aston Martin was specially created for the 2015 film, allowing 007 (played by Daniel Craig) to evade villains at breakneck speeds around stunningly tight corners—all while looking perfectly in control.
The P Zeros were the tire of choice for the world’s most expensive Ferrari—the trailblazing F40. That car rolled out in the 1980s, dripping with speed and strength. It had a 3.0-liter engine and a mere 1100 kilogram total weight; however, it lacked the benefit of today’s traction control and electronic stability systems. In short, the car could have been a catastrophic accident waiting to happen if it hadn’t been for the incredibly capable P Zero tires that kept it grounded.
The list goes on. Kanye West fitted his Lamborghini Aventador with P Zeros, singer-songwriter Jay Kay (the frontman of Jamiroquai) sported P Zeros on his head-turningly bright green Ferrari that paid tribute to the Italian flag.
Pirelli has a clear corner on the “OE” market, meaning original equipment. More than half of the supercars made worldwide come standard with Pirelli tires. To list just one example, The Bentley Bentayga—the worlds’ fastest sports utility vehicle—is exclusively supplied with P Zeros. But that’s just one of thousands of luxury or sports vehicles that come with tailor-made Pirellis.
Tires for the “Rest of Us?”
While we all salivate over Ferraris and Lamborghinis, most of us can’t begin to afford them. If these high-end cars are not in your future, should you cross Pirellis off your list? Not so fast.
While Pirelli is most commonly associated with “original equipment” tires spec’d for high-performance vehicles, it makes some outstanding “after-market” tires for people who want a well-built, reliable, affordable tire that performs particularly well in winter weather.
Burt Brothers offers hundreds of tires from over a dozen of the world’s best car makers—including Pirelli. If you’re in the market for new tires, here’s why you should consider the Pirelli brand for your vehicle:
- Great reputation. Pirelli has been around since 1872 when Giovanni Battista Pirelli started a company to produce elastic and rubber items in Milan. The company made the first tire for a velocipede (a forerunner to the modern bicycle) 20 years later and has been going strong ever since. Considering that Pirelli has maintained its stellar reputation for nearly 150 years and is the go-to brand for high-performance and luxury vehicles worldwide, we think they’re worth trusting.
- Latest technology. Pirelli was the first company to make tubeless tires, which have rendered tube tires largely obsolete. The tubeless technology offers a lower risk of punctures, better traction, lower weight, and slower air escape (meaning if you do get a puncture, you’ll have more time to get to safety). Pirelli is constantly rolling out new innovations that inspire other tire makers.
- Handles winter weather well. Due to their tread depth technologies and strong grip (thanks to the high quality rubber they are made from), Pirelli tires handle especially well on wet and icy winter roads. At Burt Brothers, we regard Pirelli tires as some of the best winter tires in our inventory.
- Fuel efficient. Pirelli invests significantly in technologies that allow drivers to get better gas mileage.
- Longevity. Pirelli’s after-market tires consistently rank high for durability over time.
- Reasonably priced. Though we associated Pirellis with huge price tags, after-market Pirellis are really quite reasonable. They offer a lot of entry-level performance options at low minimum prices.
- Committed to sustainability. Pirelli has invested heavily in projects that improve the health of our planet. Their “Green Performance” initiative, for example, works to reduce consumption as well as emissions of harmful substances, improve mileage, and increase the use of eco-friendly materials. They have even initiated the first integrated program of eco-sustainable building construction for their offices and plants.
Pirellis at Burt Brothers
We carry roughly 20 types of Pirellis including:
- P ZeroTM All Season and All Season Plus
- CinturatoTM P7 All Season and All Season Plus
- P4TM Four Seasons and Four Seasons Plus
For winter Pirellis, we offer:
- Winter SottoZeroTM 3
- Winter SottoZeroTM Series II
- Ice ZeroTM FR
- CinturatoTM Winter
…and more.
Stop by and ask about our Pirelli tires or shop online.
