The 3 Most Iconic Cars Ever
What do the world’s most iconic ever cars all have in common? No, we don’t mean that they were all designed by Italians, driven by movie heroes such as Bond or Bourne, or iconic in the history of motorsport – the single thing that connects them all is far simpler than that – they would never have earned their place in history if it wasn’t for the tyres on their wheels. When it comes to performance cars, no matter how good the geometry, dynamics and driver, it is the tyres that ultimately set the limit of what can be achieved. We decided to take a look at three of the most iconic cars ever and what tyres they might be using.
Aston Martin DB Series
Probably the single most iconic car of all time, this beautiful motor (and indeed the brand) has been made famous time and time again by the James Bond syndicate. Most noteworthy was the DB5’s 1964 appearance in Goldfinger, followed by its reappearance in Thunderball. Later versions including the DB6, DB7 and DB9 have all played lead roles, driven by screen icons including Pierce Brosnan and, most recently, Daniel Craig.
As well as firmly establishing itself as the motor of choice for the quintessential English spy and anybody with a desire to make an impression upon society’s elite, the car is also famous for some of its amazing aftermarket features. In the original DB5, these included smoke screen, revolving number plate, ejector seat, oil dispenser and wheel destroying blades.
So what did this gentry of British motoring drive on? We don’t know exactly what tyres have been used in the films, but experts recommend that an original DB5’s 205VR15 rims should ideally use either the PIRELLI CINTURATO ™ CN72 HS or the Michelin XWX – neither of which are in production now.
As the DB has matured and evolved, its rims have grown. The Latest DB9 Volante & DB Coupe comes with 245 35 20 rims on the front and 295 30 20 on the rear, with Pirelli establishing itself as the tyre of choice. Aston Martin tyres also come with specific tyre marking to indicate Aston Martin approved tyres: Aston Martin = A2A, A4A, AM4, AM6, AM8, AM9, AML, AMP, AMR, AMS, AMV, AMX (these depend on the tyre size, type and Aston Martin model).
Whilst we don’t have a lot of Bond cars rolling into our workshops here in Dublin, you’ll be pleased to know that we can guarantee an excellent range of Pirelli and Michelin tyres at some of the best prices on the market, giving you the confidence to get the best out of your vehicle whatever the road might throw at you.
Tesla Roadster (2008)
“Apparently, there is a car in orbit around the Earth” tweeted Elon Musk recently, as the world watched images of a cherry-red 2008 Tesla Roadster complete with its mannequin driver ‘Starman’ beamed directly from space. This was the spectacular finale of what proved to be the most powerful and significant successful rocket launch in modern history, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy – which also resulted in the Tesla 2008 Roadster becoming the first car ever to travel to space.
Now tyres serve little purpose to a car floating in zero gravity miles above the Earth’s surface, but if you are lucky enough to be driving one of these amazing cars a little closer to Earth’s surface, what tyres would you need? With an acceleration of 0-60mph in just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 125mph, trust and reliability are certainly a key factor.
Recommended for this all-electric icon of the road are the Bridgestone Potenza range. However, the original Roadster was unusual in that it was produced with two different rim sizes – 175 55 r16 on the front and 17 inch alloys on the back, size 225 45 r17. The sport version known as the Roadster S, on the other hand, was designed to accommodate the 195 50r16, a wider 16 inch tyre for better handling.
The modern Tesla Tesla comes with 21″ alloys and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres. As with the Aston Martin DB series, Tesla tyres also have their own markings – TO.
If this is enough to make you want to get a set of high-performance Bridgestone or Michelin tyres on your terrestrial vehicle, we’d be happy to quote you the most competitive prices available along with a full range of services including fitting and wheel alignment.
McLaren F1
There are supercars, and then there is the McLaren F1 – the most powerful production car to ever hit the streets. In 1998, the car recorded a speed of 240.1 mph with the limiter removed, surpassing the previous record set by the Jaguar XJ220.
The McLaren F1 has gone on to receive widespread acclaim. The British car magazine Autocar described the F1 as “The finest driving machine yet built for the public road.” and a car that “will be remembered as one of the great events in the history of the car, and may possibly be the fastest production road car the world will ever see.” Channel4 later placed the car at number one on their list of the 100 greatest cars, calling it “the greatest automotive achievement of all time”. In popular culture, the McLaren F1 has earned its spot as ‘The greatest automobile ever created’ and ‘The Most Excellent Sports Car Of All Time’ amongst a wide variety of car enthusiasts and lovers.
So what tyres are recommended for this monster of a motor? Unfortunately, there are no standard tyres for this particular breed of car and McLaren are very secretive about them! It is advised to use tyres supplied directly by McLaren at a substantial cost – $50,000 according to some media reports. But then again, if you are lucky enough to be driving one of these, it is probably the least of your worries.
Other McLaren models for which tyres can be privately purchased typically use Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres, with the MC1 marking used to denote McLaren approved tyres.
Here at Tyreland in Dublin, we offer our customers the very best in quality, value and customer service whatever you choose to drive. We carry an extensive range of tyres in stock at incredible prices, meaning you can always be sure of getting the best performance and reliability whatever your budget. To find your nearest branch, call now on 01 860 20 20.
