Hankook Is Leading the Pack Through Tech, Testing, and Some Serious Track Time“Come With Me” as we explore why 46 car manufacturers trust the brand, including Lamborghini’s Super Trofeo race series.
25 drivers, all in 620 horsepower, V10 race cars, fighting across the globe in the most rigorous conditions, on the most demanding tracks. The weather is dynamic, the drivers’ skill varies, but one thing ties everything together: Hankook tires.
Since 2023, Hankook has been the exclusive global supplier for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, supplying every Huracán EVO2 on the grid with its tires, both slicks for dry and wet for rain. Working closely with Lamborghini’s motorsport division, Squadra Corse, Hankook developed the tires not only for competition and performance, but within strict regulations and technical guidelines set within the one-make race.
“To be selected as the official tire for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, we conducted extensive real-vehicle testing under a variety of demanding conditions, including high-speed driving, high-speed cornering, and high-temperature environments,” admitted a Hankook representative when asked about the exclusive partnership. “Evaluations were carried out on multiple circuits – such as Jerez, Vallelunga, Monza, and Sepang – tailored to the performance characteristics of the Lamborghini Huracán EVO2. In particular, to assess high-speed stability and durability, we adjusted the vehicle setup to even more extreme conditions in order to test the limits of the tire’s performance. We also conducted thorough comparisons between prototype and mass-production products to ensure consistent quality.”
This level of attention to detail reminds us of similar conditions you’d normally find in other high-demand, extremely low tolerance environments, namely tech industries and the medical field. So why does Hankook go to this extreme? To prove that its tires – including the all-new Ventus Evo Z – not only meets but far exceeds the demands of its sports car drivers, the conditions of your every day road, and the max performance required from your vehicle.
Testing at the Technoring
Hankook invited us to its private testing facility – the aptly named Technoring – situated in Taean, South Korea, considerably far from Seoul. Once arriving and realizing the sheer size of it all – 1.26 million sq. meters, or 125 football fields – it was clear why Asia’s largest testing track needed separation from the city. Nevertheless, each testing ground within the Technoring we experienced was more impressive than the next.
Dry course. Wet course. High speed oval. Rough terrain simulation. The Technoring is meant to be an all-encompassing proving ground that allows absolute control and verification of what its tires can do, mimicking anything and everything the tires would happen to encounter on the road. There’s even a patch of road with purposefully placed potholes and a municipal sewer cap, just like the one down the block from you.
Alongside pro drivers and instructors, we were able to test Hankook’s range of Ventus tires on a selection of these grounds, while fitted to the fastest, most extreme sports cars. We also got to try out the Ventus Evo Z model exclusively, prior to its global launch.
The Ferrari 488 Pista on Ventus tires allowed us to experience grip levels on the dry circuit, while the wet course gave us the chance to explore grip levels when the road gets slippery.
Our high speed oval taxi ride put us shotgun in both a 660-hp Ford GT and a $3 million USD Bugatti Chiron. The Ventus tires explored the dichotomy between speed and stability and resulted in highly impressive performance in both regards.
For its Gymkhana autocross handling track, we got behind the wheel of one of the best handling cars on the market, a Porsche 911 Targa 4S, on which the brand new flagship Ventus Evo Z gave us complete confidence around the tight hairpins and slaloms.
And all of this during extreme near-100ºF temperatures. All day.
We were particularly impressed with the Ventus Evo Z, the brand’s most hardcore model that’s track-ready while still being streetable. According to the representative, the Evo Z represents a no-compromise approach to performance, factoring cornering, grip, braking and balance across its extreme tire pattern. From its asymmetrical in-out tread pattern to its race tire-originating solid resin compound with a high softening point, the Evo Z far exceeds the highest demands of today’s modern sports cars, all while somehow still keeping with efforts towards environmental sustainability.
Technology at the Technodome
“[Our tires are] engineered to deliver optimal safety on both dry and wet surfaces, taking into account real-world driving conditions,” our representative stated, as we continued our Hankook tour. “The key differentiator of the Ventus Evo is its outstanding performance without trade-offs.”
Our visit behind the scenes continued to Daejeon, South Korea at Hankook’s Technodome, a massive private facility that’s home to the brand’s design and development center. Designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners and measuring 96,347 sq. meters in size, the Technodome more resembled an isolated futuristic civilization than what most would call their office. Within the facility, there were dedicated labs organically arranged to the tire production process that focused on their individual duties – compound, design stations, testing zones and more. Each room’s clear, visible glass allowed not only visitors to peer through and tour the facility, but staff to understand the unity between development and deployment – everything comes full circle at the end.
But Hankook wanted us to relate to the product and its development further, and gave us two very relatable examples.
The first was the anechoic chamber – a noise isolation room completely filled with sound deadening materials, much like in a recording studio. The purpose of this room was to examine and record the noise each tire makes, down to individual decibels. Hankook explained that more than 17 separate microphones record the noise the tire and its tread makes on a rolling road, allowing engineers and developers to fine tune designs as needed to reach an optimal noise level.
The second was the vehicle simulator room – a giant open floor with an actual 1:1 vehicle wrapped by a 180º digital screen that acts as an enormous sim setup. While it may seem like overkill to replicate a 1:1 driving simulator to this size, Hankook explained that it didn’t want a compromise when it came to remote testing of its tires and the data it compiles. The simulator room is based on a racing track setup and gathers data from real-world race tracks, the tires it develops, and even auto manufacturers’ cars to simulate driving, handling, acceleration and braking tests, all within the comfort of one room. The software is developed in-house at Hankook and showcases the high performance of Ventus tires, derived from motorsport technology. Hankook proudly confirms it is the only tire company in South Korea with this setup.
All of this technology yields results: 46 global automotive manufacturers across 320 car models use Hankook tires as OEM (original manufacturer equipment, or the tires you find on the car straight from factory). And it isn’t as simple as just fitting the right size; certain brands, like BMW, Audi, and Porsche, require specific parameters from Hankook on their tires in order for it to perform as expected. Tuning house BRABUS even commissions a custom Hankook tire design for its exorbitant, bespoke builds.
“[Our tires are] engineered to deliver optimal safety on both dry and wet surfaces, taking into account real-world driving conditions.”
Teamwork at the Technoplex
Our last stop took us to Hankook’s HQ, also known as the Technoplex. Similarly impressive in size and design and also designed by Foster + Partners, the Technoplex is where the minds within Hankook come together and create the business behind the tires.
During our tour we encountered multiple key-words that explained why Hankook is a leader in the industry – “cohesive,” “transparent,” “collaborative.” Much like industries that create world-changing products, Hankook’s approach towards its business is very much towards a team effort where they work together as a whole rather than individually within their own silos. It’s quite enviable, impressive, and simply awe inspiring.
Each department member is encouraged to mingle and mix with their coworkers, removing rigid guidelines and secrecy from the equation. Windows are transparent, seating plans are open, tables are communal. In a country where traditional hierarchical structures dictate how things are done with no deviation, the Hankook Technoplex stands alone and gives a bright future not only to the company’s direction, but the products it develops.
And in order for Hankook to create future-minded tires with innovative features like RFID embeds, eco-friendly tire compounds and sustainable business efforts, a proactiv and collaborative team mentality isn’t just a good idea, it’s vital. “Today, cutting-edge technologies such as eco-friendly materials, fuel-efficient designs, and smart sensor-equipped tires are being actively integrated into modern tire development,” confirmed Hankook. “The advancement of tire technology has progressed hand-in-hand with the evolution of automobiles.”
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