SEMA Show 2006: Cooper Now Part of Need For Speed Game Series

Cooper will have an in-game presence in the form of decals, branded billboards and storefronts in the new Need For Speed Carbon game.

Additionally, the Cooper Zeon 2XS will be prominently featured in the game’s only drift track.

Need for Speed Carbon, which features both city street and canyon racing, is available worldwide as of Nov. 1.
“Our deep product integration into the best-selling racing game title to date provides us another unique touch point in which gamers can interact with the Cooper Tires brand in a positive, non-traditional manner,” said Dave Craig, Cooper’s director of North American advertising. “The Need for Speed series has a large and dedicated fan base that will be exposed to the level of quality and performance that our tires offer – both on the screen and in real life.”
Cooper launched its in-game integration through a 16-mall gaming tournament in association with Mazda in October in 16 top U.S. markets. The winners of each regional event received an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Las Vegas, admission for two to the Mazda Party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a $500 Cooper Tire gift certificate good towards a new set of tires, a $50 GameStop Gift Card and the Need For Speed: Carbon game.

The 16 regional winners flew to Las Vegas this week for the finals at the Hard Rock CafÉ on Nov. 2 during the SEMA Show. The grand prize winner will drive home a new 2007 MazdaSpeed 3 Sport Model packed with a GameStop/EB Games Gift Card, Logitech Z-5500 Digital Speaker System, Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote and Logitech DriveFX Wheel.

If you’re a shop looking to sell summer tires, it’s important to know that customers looking for these tires have very specific needs. Let’s talk about why, before recommending summer tires, you need to fully understand customer performance requirements.

Unlike all-season or all-terrain tires built for diverse driving conditions, UHP summer tires are designed with one priority: dry and wet traction for performance driving. Lateral and longitudinal grip in dry and wet conditions are also important, which is achieved through optimized contact patches, high silica tread compounds and circumferential grooves to channel water. Generally, UHP summer tire tread design features large blocks and fewer grooves for more road contact on dry surfaces. The grooves are designed to channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.