Dunlop Sport BluResponse tyre review

Winning performances in all conditions make this brilliant new tyre our 16-inch champion.

New last year, the BluResponse was launched with tyre label ratings firmly at the top of the designers’ performance targets. The result is a product with a 30 per cent fuel economy improvement over the model it replaced in Dunlop’s range – the FastResponse, which we tested back in 2012.

And that’s been seen here, where it finished second only to its Goodyear stablemate and with a clear margin over the rest of the field – with the exception of the Pirelli P7 Blue, which has been similarly targeted at rolling resistance.

This tyre label focus means it was also no surprise to see the newcomer finish joint second in our wet braking test. Yet, true to Dunlop’s launch claims, other performance aspects haven’t been ignored, as it was also in the top three on the handling track. And while the tyre finished 10th on the wet circle, it was only a tenth of a second off the winner.

The BluResponse also starred in the deeper water with a win in the straight aquaplaning test and second on the curve – a remarkable feat. It felt good, too, diving for the apex accurately and only washing wide progressively.

But wet road prowess alone rarely wins a test, and that was the case for this champion. It finished joint third around our dry handling track and won the dry braking test. Key to its dry track success was its ability to take plenty of throttle through the long turns. It didn’t feel the most alert, but it hung on well.Six top three places in nine tests were more than enough for a debut victory.