World record for the highest number of hairpin turns in 12 hours of driving. For the first time, the Pirelli Collezione tyres fitted on a first-generation Mazda MX-5 set a world record to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the small roadster. The event was organised by Mazda Germany on a winding Austrian road with four different drivers taking turns at the wheel. They all pushed the P Zero Asimmetrico tyres fitted on the little sports car to the limit
RECORD ON HAIRPIN TURNS OF THE GLACIER
The Miata was back in the spotlight for its thirtieth anniversary and has a new record in its sights. A first-generation MX-5 was driven for 12 hours with the goal of breaking the record of the most hairpin turns completed on the Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße, a scenic road leading up to the Kaunertal glacier in Austria. Driver Cyndie Allemann, MX-5 Cup driver Jan Spiess, Auto Bild test driver Stefan Novitzki and rally driver Niki Schelle, closely supervised by the Hamburg Record Institute for Germany, took turns at the wheel. The mission was accomplished after 12 hours totalling 2900 hairpin turns, some 1400 more than the previous record.
PIRELLI COLLEZIONE, COMPANION OF THE EXPLOIT
This is the first record to be set by the Collezione range tyres dedicated to vintage cars and youngtimers. The exterior look of the tyres, true to the age of the car, conceals modern technologies capable of ensuring performance and safety. The tyres of the record-breaking Mazda were the P Zero Asimmetrico with a design optimised for high side loads and ideal for a trial that required high-standard endurance, durability, grip, steering accuracy, performance and safety on wet road conditions.
THE MOST POPULAR ROADSTER
The first-generation Mazda MX-5 was introduced in 1989 and its popularity kept growing as the years went by. Streamline and lightweight, the car offered unadulterated sporty driving pleasure at an affordable price, gaining thousands of fans worldwide and turning the MX-5 into the symbol of the spyder segment. It is the best-selling two-seater roadster of all times. It passed the milestone of one million units sold in 2016 and the latest generation was named 2016 World Car of the Year. The enthusiastic owners of Miata worldwide have got together several times to create long parades with their spyders, the most recent of which brought together the members of the Mazda MX-5 Owner's Club at the Elvington Airfield (UK) in April 2019 when 1544 roadsters lined up, one after the other. This marked another record for the legendary MX-5.
