by SlotCarCorner » Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:57 pm
Hello Bruce,
The answer to your question depends on the car/tire - factors which determine whether a Super Tire will be made for a given car/tire include:
1. Demand - There is considerable expense designing and precision CNC-machining Super Tires molds. In general, 250-300 pairs of a given tire must be sold to just breakeven on the investment cost for the mold. This means less popular cars and/or cars with one-off, oddball wheels are not likely to be candidates. A car that is popular with a given racer may have limited appeal to the broader group. Our authorized dealers also provide valuable input regarding cars their customers are asking if Super Tires are available.
2. Applications - It is easier to recoup the initial investment in a mold if a given tire fits several applications. Again, less popular cars and/or one-off wheels are less likely to be candidates.
3. Conversion of Existing Super Tires to a Rounded Outer Sidewall - Our plan is to continue converting the more popular (best selling) Super Tires to the newer rounded sidewall wherever possible. Contrary to some discussions we have seen/heard on this subject, it is not just a matter of reworking the existing molds. New molds (and therefore, another investment of $$$) must be designed and manufactured. Sneak Preview - Look for an announcement in the next week or so.
4. "Expert" Input - Whenever possible, we do work with representatives of companies to gain insight into planned models, run sizes and the number of liveries planned for release over a period of time. Carrera is a good case in point. Up until about 18 months ago, there were only 3 Super Tires available specifically designed for Carrera applications. In the past 18 months, an additional 6 Super Tires for Carrera have been released (9 total). There is currently one other application on the list for Carrera with a good probability of being released. That said, there is no firm release date at this time.
If you have a SPECIFIC make/model (any brand) that you think would be a good candidate for a Super Tire, please let us know (this goes for all HRW readers - not just Bruce). We do keep a database of this information.
:)
Last edited by
SlotCarCorner on Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.