Yokohama Rubber to expand motorsports tire production in Japan

Hiratsuka, Japan – Yokohama Rubber Co. (YRC) has announced plans to invest Yen3.8 billion (€22.5 million) in expanding the production of motorsports tires in Japan.

The group will add a new production line to produce 18-inch and larger tires at its manufacturing plant in Mishima, Shizuoka prefecture, said YRC in a statement 14 May.

The investment will expand the plant’s production capacity for sports tires by 35%, the Japanese manufacturer added.

Construction work on the new line will begin in the third quarter of the year with production set to start near the end of 2026.

A full ramp-up to full capacity is expected by the third quarter of 2027, the statement added.

The project will support increased sales of Advan tires, including the Advan A052, which YRC said has received "particularly high evaluations" from the motorsports market.

“The high market evaluation of Advan tires has led to a strong increase in orders that has created a chronic order backlog,” YRC went on to explain.

The added capacity will meet current demand as well as “an expected increase in demand in the future,” YRC added.

In its latest ‘three-year transformation’ strategy (YX2026), YRC disclosed plans to ‘maximise’ the ration of its high-value-added tires.

The group aims to achieve this by increasing the sales of the Advan brand, the Geolandar brand of for SUVs and pickup trucks, as well as winter tires, and high-rim-sized tires.

YRC also is focusing on strengthening the development, supply, and sale of tires that respond to "specific trends in each regional market."