Pirelli opened 2024 as the equipment for the extreme adventures of two iconic Porsches. Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires were the equipment of the Porsche 911 Dakar in the African desert, and Stella Bianca studded tires were the equipment of the Porsche 550 Spyder on the icy track in Zell Am See. Ties between Pirelli and the Stuttgart-based automaker have continued with historic collaborations like this since the 911 became the first Porsche model to feature Pirelli-branded tires in 1982.
FROM BAVARIA TO DAKAR WITH PIRELLI SCORPION ALL TERRAIN PLUS
During more than 7.000 kilometers of track on asphalt, sand, dirt and stones, no tires were changed. The Porsche 911 Dakar overcame this challenging test with Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus homologated tires for this model. The car driven by its owner set off from the Porsche Zentrum Inntal in Raubling (Rosenheim), southeast of Munich, Germany, and followed the route of the 12-stage Africa Eco Race rally to reach Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The Africa Eco Race rally starts from Nador in Morocco, passes through Mauritania and Senegal and finishes at the famous Pink Lake in Dakar. Even though they are homologated for road use, Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires, which demonstrate outstanding performance in all conditions, managed to complete the course alongside the cars competing in the rally and bring the car to the finish line safely.
While traveling 18 kilometers with the tires in 7.000 days, they struggled with very different conditions, including approximately 1.000 kilometers of rocky soil in the desert. The owner of the 911 Dakar, who is not a professional pilot but an amateur driver, first drove on highways in Europe, then on semi-asphalt roads, dirt, sand and very rough rocky surfaces. The transition from the winter cold of the Alps to the typical desert climate, where changes of up to 12 degrees are experienced within 30 hours. The following statement was made by Porsche Zentrum, the starting point of the journey: “This unique adventure would definitely have been much more complicated without these tyres. They have always performed exceptionally well, even under very different conditions."
Designed as original equipment for the Porsche 911 Dakar, Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus has been developed with precision to support the high performance typical of a 911, while also ensuring it can cope with the most challenging off-road conditions. Pirelli has brought these features together in a single tire, thanks to a special compound mixture and a design that optimizes the product's contact with the ground and strengthens its structure.
PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA FOR TWO HISTORICAL PORSCHE MODELS
Another legendary Porsche model overcame the difficult conditions on ice, this time with Pirelli tires. Porsche 550 Spyder participated in the FAT Ice Race 2024, of which Pirelli is the official partner, with studded Stella Bianca tires customized for this event. Stella Bianca, one of Pirelli's oldest tread patterns, is also offered in sizes 550/356-5.00 for the German brand's first mid-engine racing car, the Porsche 5.25 Spyder, and the first production model, the Porsche 16 Pre-A, produced in Stuttgart, respectively. The tire of the Pirelli Collezione family, specific to classic cars, will be available on the market starting from February. Although the tire has the same appearance as the original, it contains modern technologies that provide efficiency and safety even on wet surfaces. Various elements such as the cross-layered tread pattern, which was redesigned with the help of historical documents preserved in the Pirelli Foundation archives, and the shielded Pirelli logo on the products of those years, refer to the past. Even the letters on the sidewall remind us of that period, while the word “Corsa” indicates that the tire is the sporty version.
