Studded Tyres

What are studded tyres?

Studded tyres are winter tyres with metal studs permanently set into the tread, typically 80 to 200 per tyre. The studs break into the ice and bite into it, which gives far more grip on frozen roads or ice tracks than a normal winter or road tyre can offer.

Where are they allowed?

Regulation is strict. In Germany they are banned apart from a few special cases. In Scandinavia (Sweden, Finland, Norway) they are standard winter equipment and in places legally required. For competition on ice, whether ice drifting or ice racing, studded tyres are mandatory: without them the sport is not possible.

Racing on ice

Ice races such as the Zell am See ice race and the GP Ice Race use competition studs with long pins set far more densely. In a rear-wheel-drive car on ice, drifting is the core skill: the studs give enough grip for genuine control, but every manoeuvre is more dramatic than it would be on asphalt.

Ice drifting with ESC

ESC runs ice drift programmes at Scandinavian locations with studded cars, professional coaches and prepared ice tracks. It is a spectacular winter alternative to a normal trackday. Ice drift experience.