By Mark Kleis
Friday, Dec 11th, 2009 @ 11:00 am

Every so often innovation in the automotive industry arrives in the oddest of ways – in this case, it came from discarded orange peels. Yokohama can now lay claim to starting a new trend – orange is the new green.

Leftlane was recently extended an invitation to experience Yokohama’s newest green (or orange?) tire, an offer we couldn’t pass up since, well, we love orange juice. It wasn’t until after we finished reading the invite to sample the new tires at Carson, California’s Home Depot Center that we realized we would be driving, not drinking.

The newest dB Super E-spec tire has actually been in the market for several months, but is gaining popularity and attention for its unique approach at integrating orange oil (derived from discarded orange peels from the juicing industry) into their tires.

Making tires out of oranges
As Yokohama explained it, orange oil and natural rubber molecules share a similar architecture which allows them to form an excellent bond that is the backbone of Yokohama’s new Super Nano-Power Rubber Compound.

The Super Nano-Power Rubber Compound possesses a pair of qualities that happen to be very applicable to passenger vehicle tires – it provides extremely low rolling resistance in typical straight driving, but increases in grip when the compound is heated up during aggressive driving. This combination of qualities provides optimal fuel economy, but retains a level of safety and fun when needed.

Yokohama provided us with material that they have compiled from their extensive testing and cross-comparison that showed the low rolling resistance in action – rolling as much as 22 percent further than comparable tires on the market.

Yokohama also credits their new Airtex Advanced Liner for increasing fuel efficiency possibilities by considerably reducing the amount of mass needed for the liner – while simultaneously increasing air retention which also helps to maintain optimal fuel economy.

On test
Yokohama prepared a pair of Mini Cooper S test cars with the new dB Super E-spec tires and filled the parking lot at the Home Deport Center with cones (orange, of course) to simulate an autocross course to test out these new tires. Without much hesitation, we obliged and took them for a few laps.

Our initial impression of the tires was that incorporating “decibel” into the name was a good choice as the tires were whisper quiet – a quality with a fair amount of importance in the target market. Yokohama is only offering a handful of sizes for the tire at this time, most of which would make for ideal OE replacement tires for popular gas efficient vehicles such as the Mini Cooper or Toyota Prius . Obviously driving on an autocross track with a turbocharged street legal go-kart (Mini Cooper S) wasn’t the best way to test out the fuel-efficiency claims of the tire, so we can’t comment on that beyond what we’ve read and been told.

In regards to handling, the tires were not destined for track duty, so we experienced a level of performance that was slightly above the standard OE tire on most modern passenger vehicles. A few of us did the sentiment that the tire did improve its ability to stay planted after a few hot laps, which would give credence to Yokohama’s claim that the special compound will change its handling characteristics for the better when driven aggressively.

It is worth noting though that the tires did have a very predictable, controlled release when pushed beyong their means – a quality important in racing or daily driving situations alike. Overall, for the eco-conscious consumers out there looking for a tire that can provide them with the best possible mileage without comprise in ride quality, road noise, overall environmental impact or handling will find the Yokohama dB Super E-spec to be a perfect choice for their special needs.

Given the context of the tire’s intentions, we did also feel it was worth mentioning that Yokohama produces this tire in a zero emissions plant, all of which goes towards making the world a greener and orange-er place.

Words, photos, and video by Mark Kleis.

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