It’s the tire Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae and Didier Auriol all wanted. And now MRF has delivered it.
The ZWM2 is made for mud, and made for Indonesia.
Anybody whose memory stretches back 29 and 30 years will well remember watching Group A and then World Rally Cars slip, slide and generally struggle their way through the Sumatran plantation stages in the World Rally Championship.
Typically, renowned journalist David Williams found just the right way to define and describe conditions, likening the level of grip in the road to that on a potter’s wheel.
The tread pattern on traditional gravel tires was worked on, with blocks chopped and shoulders slashed in the hope of diverting mud from the cover on Indonesia’s two WRC rounds. In the end, there was only one answer: the snow tire.
It’s true: back in the day, the studs were whipped out and the bicycle tire was pressed into action when the going got muddy.
Grip was at a premium for WRC drivers in Indonesia - a problem MRF has fixed today
Today? No need. MRF has come to the rescue. Inspired by a four-year control tire supply agreement for Indonesia, the all-new product is a first for MRF.
MRF representative Vivek Ponnusamy told DirtFish: “This tire is what our customers wanted. In Indonesia, as well as in Thailand and Malaysia, we’ve listened to what the drivers and teams have been asking for a – a tire specifically designed to work in really wet and muddy conditions and we’ve brought it to market for them.
“As you can see, the tire looks more like a motocross tire than one designed for rallying, but this is for a very specific set of conditions. We all know that when the tread on a regular gravel tire gets filled with mud, its ability to deliver grip is really compromised. Basically, it becomes a slick. The ZWM2 has an incredible ability to evacuate mud and maintain grip.
“We’ve done a lot of testing on palm plantation roads in Malaysia and Indonesia with top-level drivers and we know this tire is going to deliver what our customers want. But it’s not just in Indonesia and the Far East, I’ve had calls from New Zealand about wet and muddy conditions on the South Island and from Canada – it looks like it’s going to be very popular.”
The ZWM2 joins a loose surface line up including the MRF G4 and its predecessor the ZG3.
The ZWM2 has an incredible ability to evacuate mud and maintain grip
The mud tire is available in size 205/65 R15, with a 185 version in development. It will form part of the Indian firm’s offering in Indonesia and other Asian countries.
Talking about MRF’s latest long-term single supplier agreement, Ponnusamy added: “This agreement with Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI) represents another major step in MRF Tyres’ long-term commitment to international rallying. Indonesia has a passionate motorsport community and championships that continue to grow in both quality and participation, making it an important market for us.
“We are delighted to begin this new four-year partnership with the FIA-recognized National Sporting Authority and look forward to working closely with IMI, competitors and organizers to support the continued development of rallying in Indonesia. We are confident that our proven rally tire range will provide competitors with the performance, consistency and reliability needed to deliver close and exciting competition across both championships.”
Alongside its major European Rally Championship commitment, MRF has long-term control tire supply deals with the New Zealand Rally Championship, Australian Rally Championship and Latvian Rally Championship.
