If you're deaf from the whine of big mud tires and have a bad back from driving on aired-up, bias-belted tires, then the new Pirelli Scorpion ATR might not be for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a good tire with excellent street cred as well as off-road performance, the new offering from Pirelli might fit the bill.
We got a chance to check out the new tire on a recent trip to Vegas, and on dirt and rocks it proved to be a much better tire than we anticipated. Pirelli isn't our first thought for an off-road tire, but since Pirelli produced the original Armstrong Tru-Tracs, it makes sense that the company would know a thing or two, including all about rally racing.
This tire was specifically made for the enthusiast rather than the grocery-getter, but careful attention was still paid to noise and ride since most people care about those. The design, with its the central sweeping ribs and computer-designed blocks and spacing, helps with both traction and noise control. The Scorpion ATR has the unique benefit of being a quiet tire when worn as well as new. We plan to do a full test run soon, but for now here's some highlights of what we found on the trail.
Designed to be equally at...
Designed to be equally at home on the road or dirt, the Pirelli ATR Scorpion proved to be a competent dirt-digger. The unique sweeping tread grooves and the individually siped blocks absorb noise as well as increase traction.
Pirelli offers the Scorpion...
Pirelli offers the Scorpion ATR in a variety of sizes, even this ridiculous 22-incher mounted on an H2. Luckily the overall height of the tire left some sidewall, so off-road performance isn't hindered as much as it could be. The Scorpion is also offered in LT (Light Truck) and P-Metric sizes so that load-carrying ability is ensured for fullsize trucks and SUVs.
Another cool technology from...
Another cool technology from Pirelli is the run-flat tire, as seen on this BMW we were flinging around a race track. Notice the red dot on the valve stem, indicating a low-pressure situation. Because of the stiff sidewalls the tire was able to be hammered on without a problem. Not exactly right for our 4x4 uses, especially with that small a sidewall to begin with, but cool nonetheless.
We had the chance to take...
We had the chance to take a Grand fitted with Scorpions over some rocky trails in the Nevada outback. Even at full street pressure, the tires conformed well to rocks and ruts for a better-than-average ride. Traction proved to be a high point, even with a rental AWD Grand.