Pirelli’s brand new simulator, recently inaugurated at the company’s renowned research and development division in Milan, allegedly will reduce tyre development time as well as the number of physical prototypes needed: further enhancing the close working relationship between the Italian firm and the world’s best-known car manufacturers.

The new simulator aims to accelerate development cycles and tyre testing, reducing lead times and reinforcing the strong partnerships with leading car makers, thanks to a more agile interaction between Pirelli and these key producers of prestige and premium vehicles.

Courtesy of this cutting-edge technology, there is now a 30% reduction in average development time for new tyres, both for the road and motorsport, thanks to faster assessment of virtual prototypes produced for different car models. The new simulator makes it possible for different development parameters to be remodelled rapidly, leading to a more rapid exchange of digital information between Pirelli and the world’s car manufacturers.

Compared to traditional development methods, the simulator allows a virtual model of any car – either supplied by the manufacturer or produced internally ¬ to be quickly programmed into the system, while joint design and development work can also be carried out on the manufacturer’s own simulator. This means that tyre development lead times remain perfectly in step with those of the cars that they are destined for, with more and more new models coming out more frequently these days.

Furthermore, the use of a simulator to maximise the virtual development phase means that the number of actual physical prototypes made is reduced, following Pirelli’s sustainability ethos, with consequent benefits to the environment.