From the ’80s to AI: Up Close with the Latest Pirelli P Zero Tire

Picture it. Monza National Circuit, 2025. The stands at the Italian Formula 1 track are empty and quiet, but pit lane is roaring with Pagani Utopias, Porsche 911 GT3 RSs, and BMW M5s. A Lancia Delta S4 Stradale is on display in a nearby paddock. This version of car heaven could’ve easily been cooked up by artificial intelligence, but instead it was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Pirelli P Zero tire and its historic run that dates to the 1980s when it debuted on that Lancia. The anniversary also coincides with the recent debut of the P Zero’s fifth-generation tire. And while artificial intelligence may not have organized the festivities at Monza, it played a big hand in the new P Zero’s development.

AI and the Fifth-Gen P Zero

The new “PZ5” P Zero is Pirelli’s first road tire where AI was used through the entire research and development process, much of which trickled down from the company’s F1 program. Not surprisingly, the addition of AI has been revolutionary. In the past, Pirelli’s chemists spent countless hours in the lab formulating hundreds of tire compounds. Now, most, if not all, of that material experimentation is done virtually. Same goes for the tire structure, tread patterns, and pretty much everything else that comes with designing a tire.

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And the AI-driven R&D doesn’t just stop at tire material and design. From there, Pirelli essentially creates a “digital twin” of the tire, ready for a full round of virtual prototype testing. All the typical tire performance targets are covered, from wet and dry performance, ride comfort, and noise to rolling resistance and wear. And if that weren’t enough, some automakers have already implemented virtual specifications of a vehicle that allow Pirelli to perform even more fine-tuning.

Virtual prototyping has also drastically reduced the need for physical prototype tires, which can take months to produce—the tire mold alone takes two to three months alone. In the past, dozens of molds and prototypes may have been required to achieve the final spec of a tire. Today, Pirelli says some automakers are skipping physical prototypes for final performance validation altogether.

As of now, Pirelli says AI has reduced development time by more than half. Physical prototype and real-world testing has also gone down by about 50 percent. Why go through the hassle of flying to Laguna Seca when you have virtual Laguna Seca at home in Milan, Italy, where the track is loaded into a driving simulator within the company’s headquarters?

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New Rubber, Sooner

Pirelli says adding AI to the development mix will allow it to speed up its product cadence; it currently releases about six new tires per year and is aiming to increase that to 10. The P Zero currently has a staggering 1,400 applications and there are no signs of slowing down given the growing popularity of the premium vehicle segment in which the P Zero is primarily used.

The relatively recent addition of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and super SUVs and trucks only add to the complexity, given their extreme curb weights and power. Consider BMW where the P Zero underpins the 2025 BMW 330i, a modest and fun 255-hp sport sedan. At the other end of the spectrum is the BMW XM Label, a plug-in-hybrid super-SUV with 738 hp and a curb weight of just over 6,000 pounds, or 2,400 more than the 330i (based on our most recent tests of both vehicles).

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PZ5 In Action

Compared to its predecessor, Pirelli says the PZ5 makes minor gains in rolling resistance, wet handling, and noise. Bigger improvements were made in dry handling, dry braking, wet braking, and tire wear. On a scenic route from Monza to Lake Como, we got our first taste of the PZ5 on a Mercedes-Benz CLE450. The cabin wasn’t whisper quiet at highway speeds but still perfectly acceptable for a low-riding coupe riding on 19-inch wheels. And a brief encounter with rain allowed the PZ5s to flex their ability to handle wet conditions with little drama at speeds approaching 70 mph.

We also sampled an Audi e-tron crossover fitted with P Zero Elect tires, a P Zero variant for EVs. Overall road noise and comfort were impressive for a relatively hefty EV, and so were grip and braking performance through the twisty mountain roads.

Unfortunately our time with the core P Zero tire was restricted to the road, with no opportunity to test its limits on the Monza circuit. That said, we expect to put the PZ5 through its paces on our figure-eight course soon enough as the new tire has already made its way to several vehicles like the new Audi A5, BMW 5 Series, Lucid Gravity, and a number of Mercedes-Benz models.

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P Zero R and Trofeo RS on Monza

Though we sadly missed out on a ride opportunity in the Pagani Utopia, we were able to squeeze in short but sweet driving stints in a BMW M5 and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. These German heavy hitters were fitted with P Zero R and P Zero Trofeo RS tires, respectively. And though both tires debuted a couple years ago, Pirelli considers them part of the new-generation P Zero family. It’s no secret that the new M5, with all of its plug-in-hybrid gadgetry, is a much heftier beast than its predecessor. Our most recent test of an M5 Touring, shod with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 2 tires left us wanting for more grip. We’ve found it here in Monza because the P Zero R seem to do a better job of masking the M5’s heft with strong braking performance and decent lateral grip. We’ve already begun pestering BMW for an opportunity to retest the M5 Touring on Pirellis.

When it comes to the 911 GT3 RS, its aerodynamic wizardry steals all the attention. Not a surprise considering its ginormous wing and vents seemingly ripped through the front fenders. But the Trofeo RS rubber is undoubtedly deserving of the spotlight, especially experiencing these tires through Curva Grande, a long and fast right-hand sweeper at the Monza Circuit. While this corner comes immediately after a chicane, the GT3 RS is already approaching triple-digit speeds at entry. And although our initial instinct was to swing wide, slow down, and look for a late apex, the GT3 RS’s handler in the passenger seat was quick with the corrections. “Stay inside, inside! And don’t lift throttle,” he said. Doing it the right way was surreal. The corner is blind and fast, but the Trofeo RS’s grip just seemed endless.

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Introducing the P Zero Trofeo Track

As part of the festivities, Pirelli officially unveiled its new P Zero Trofeo Track tire. As its name suggests, this semi-slick tire was designed for track use from the outset and is aimed at enthusiasts with dedicated track cars that are no longer legal. For now, the Trofeo Track will only be sold in the United States and will be produced at Pirelli's factory in Rome, Georgia.

The Trofeo Track is DOT-compliant to meet requirement from racing bodies like the SCCA and NASA. And while that means the tire is technically street-legal, Pirelli strongly advises against such use.

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