Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS, high performance test at the Goodwood circuit

Power is nothing without control. It was 1994 when Pirelli coined the legendary slogan, with the historic photo of sprinter Carl Lewis wearing a pair of heels on the starting blocks, launched for the launch of the P6000 tyre. Thirty-two years later, the concept is still valid at Pirelli, even when it comes to extreme performance as in the case of the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tyre. A semi slick tyre designed to achieve the best time on the track, with a high level of consistency, it is also homologated for the road, making it usable on a daily basis. Developed with leading supercar manufacturers, with several records set on the Nürburgring Nordschleife track by cars such as the Porsche Taycan, Bmw M2, and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, from this year it is available not only as original equipment. Translated: it can be fitted at the first tyre change on your high-performance car.

To test it we went to the Goodwood circuit in Great Britain, where we were able to understand its potential on cars as diverse as the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, Bmw M3 and M4.

Perfected on the simulator at the Bicocca Research and Development Centre in Milan, which allows new products to be developed in virtual mode, the new sizes are made using Mirs (Modular Integrated Robot System) robots and the most advanced innovations dedicated to the production of ultra-high performance tyres. Mirs technology is present in the Settimo Torinese plant in Italia and in the US plant in Rome, Georgia, where the production of the new replacement range destined for the American market, in particular the sportscars and muscle cars of local manufacturers, is concentrated.

Evaluating a high-performance tyre on track during a session of about 25 laps on four different cars can leave several questions. Because you can't make comparisons with other tyres tested on the same track and above all, as in the case of the Goodwood Motor Circuit, it was the first time we had tackled it. What was clear right from the start, however, was how the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS is the "egg of Columbus" for those looking for a tyre with really high grip but at the same time with a usability unknown to most semi-slick tyres. Initially tested on a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive coupe with 420bhp at 7,600rpm, a torque of 420-430Nm and a kerb weight of around 1,500kg, we were impressed by how quickly the tyre comes up to temperature. After the first lap run at a moderate speed to get to know the track - characterised by high speed with 100% throttle corners and several hard braking sections - the P Zero Trofeo RS confirmed what the Pirelli engineers had said. Being careful to put two tyres on the grass, given the decidedly narrow run-off paths, lap after lap we were surprised by the repeatable performance and reduced degradation. Even switching to the heavier Bmw M3 Competition, with 510 horsepower and a kerb weight of around 1,850 kilograms, we found the same level of performance and the impression that we could always ask more from the tyres.