V710 Mold Shape Modification
The V710 was introduced into the marketplace on January 1, 2004. The pattern debuted with the following 17 sizes:
215/50R13 195/55R14 205/50R15 215/40R16 245/45R17 245/35R18
205/55R14 225/50R15 225/50R16 275/40R17 285/30R18
225/50R14 265/45R16 295/40R17 315/35R18
315/35R17
335/35R17
The mold shape of the V710 is considered round; meaning the radius of the tread-to-sidewall interface, also known as the shoulder, has a large radius. This was done to maximize handling characteristics on vehicles with limited suspension adjustability in regards to negative camber. The tire was designed to “lean” onto the shoulder and provide corning grip.
The first size expansion of the V710 began appearing in 2007 with the 225/45R17 size for the Mazda MX-5 Cup series. The following 10 sizes complete the first size expansion since the introduction of the V710:
215/45R16 215/40R17 225/40R18 335/30R19
245/45R16 225/45R17 245/40R18
245/40R17 305/30R18
345/35R18
This group of sizes uses an updated mold shape profile, which is more ‘square’ at the tread-to-sidewall interface than the original group of sizes. The theory behind the change was to improve corning grip by increasing the footprint width. Another subtle change is the width that the tire beads are molded to, also known as molded base width. The molded base width is narrower in comparison to the original mold profile. The reason for this is to mold the tire to the middle of the operating range in order to maintain the ‘square’ profile of the tire. If the tire was molded at the wide end of the allowable rim width range, then the profile of the tire would dramatically change if it were to be mounted on the narrow end of the allowable rim widths; almost like squeezing it onto a narrow wheel, thus affecting mold shape, footprint width, and cornering performance.
One side affect is the overall width dimension. The square profile appears to be narrow in width in comparison to the original profile. The key difference, which is not apparent to the naked eye, is the overall footprint width. The updated profile has a wider contact patch than the original.
In regards to vehicle setup, the updated profile will require more negative camber for peak performance. All other factors are equal such as operating pressures and tread temperatures.
