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Source: Akebono Group announcement
TOKYO — Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. announced that Akebono’s products have been adopted by CUPRA, the unconventional challenger brand from Barcelona. Akebono is supplying 6-pot disc brake calipers for the front wheels of the “Formentor VZ5” model, a cutting-edge, high-performance crossover (CUV).
This is the first time the company’s products have been used by CUPRA, which is part of the Volkswagen Group.
The disc brake calipers to be supplied for the Formentor VZ5 are opposed type brakes designed with a piston diameter combination specifically for the model to achieve braking performance, as well as even brake pad wear and heat transfer, and the suppression of high temperatures due to frictional heat.
Furthermore, braking stability is enhanced by optimizing caliper length. In addition to performance, the calipers also display an excellent balance between weight reduction and durability. This expertise is based on technology Akebono has cultivated in motor sports including Formula 1.
Akebono will continue to proactively seek new business opportunities with automakers to increase sales in Europe and work towards achieving our Business Turnaround Plan to secure sustainable growth for the future.
About the Akebono Group
Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd. (TSE: 7238), founded in 1929, is a world leader in advanced brake and friction material development and manufacturing. With a focus on brake products for the automotive industry, the company is determined to provide safety and peace of mind to its customers. It is a global supplier of friction materials including brake pads and brake linings, and mechanical parts such as disc brakes and drum brakes. Akebono also supplis brakes for motorcycles, rolling stock including bullet trains, forklifts, and other industrial machinery. The firm’s expertise in vibration analysis technology has also been leveraged to expand business in other fields such as the development of sensor products for various applications.
About CUPRA
CUPRA is the unconventional challenger brand that brings together emotion, electrification, and performance to inspire the world from Barcelona. Launched in 2018, CUPRA has its corporate headquarters and a racing car workshop in Martorell Spain, in addition to a global network of specialized points of sale.
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In 2021, CUPRA maintained its upward trend, tripling sales with 80,000 vehicles delivered, driven by success of the CUPRA Formentor. CUPRA proves that electrification and sportiness are a perfect match, and in 2022 the brand expanded the range of the CUPRA Born, the brand’s first 100-percent electric vehicle, with models with different battery capacities, as well as a more powerful e-Boost version. An exclusive, limited-edition version of the CUPRA Formentor VZ5 was also introduced. The CUPRA Tavascan, the brand’s second all-electric model, as well as the CUPRA Terramar, the electrified sport SUV that pays homage to the Terramar racetrack where everything started for CUPRA, will reach the market in 2024, followed by the brand’s first urban electric car, inspired by the CUPRA UrbanRebel concept, in 2025.
