Ever striving for quieter, more comfortable tires, tire manufacturers are looking at increasingly novel ways of achieving sound reduction. Goodyear is one of a number of manufacturers attempting to solve the problem with foam, or as the press release puts it, an "open-cell polyurethane foam element attached to the inner surface of the tire."

Apparently this is good enough for a 4db noise reduction in the cabin, and is light enough to avoid any impact on fuel consumption. Already being fitted to the new Audi A8, RS6 and RS7, it will be interesting to see if this is the next step in lower label scores and increased driving comfort.

Initial Sizes Available

Goodyear

Audi A8

a. Eagle F1 Asymmetric – 255/45R19 104Y XL (Summer)

b. Eagle LS2 - 255/45R19 104H XL (All Season)

c. Excellence - 255/45R19 104Y XL (RoF)

d. Eagle F1 Asymmetric - 265/45R20 104Y XL (Summer)

Dunlop

A. Audi RS6

a. Sport Maxx GT – 285/30ZR21(100Y) XL

b. WinterSport 4D – 285/30ZR21 100W XL

B. Audi RS7

a. WinterSport 4D – 275/30R21 98W XL

C. Audi A8

a. Sport Maxx GT - 275/35ZR21 103Y XL

Full Press Release

Goodyear reduces interior car noise levels with new SoundComfort technology Four decibel noise reduction is something to talk about Birmingham 23rd May 2014 – Goodyear announces today that it is launching a new technology that addresses the noise caused by the tire cavity resonance.

Goodyear’s new “SoundComfort” technology features an open-cell polyurethane foam element attached to the inner surface of the tire. The technology dampens the Tire Cavity Resonance (TCR) sound peak, generated when the tire rolls over a surface, by up to 11dBA and enables an vehicle interior noise reduction of up to 4dB, making the vehicle cabin significantly quieter across a large range of vehicle speeds.

The new technology is designed to make the overall driving experience more pleasant.

Goodyear's SoundComfort Technology is cost effective, stable over the full life of the tire and is light enough to avoid any negative impact on mileage, rolling resistance or speed capability. It is available for summer, winter, All Season and RunOnFlat tires.

“As car manufacturers continue to perfect their vehicles, noise reduction has become an integral part of their drive to improve overall driver comfort”, says Xavier Fraipont, Director Technology Consumer Tires EMEA. “Today Goodyear is joining this effort with SoundComfort Technology and is thereby making a significant contribution to overall noise reduction in the car.”