Dunlop’s Sport Direzza Z1 has been awarded the European Car “Select Gear 2008” distinction in the magazine’s December issue.

“Each year, European Car selects the best of the best for its ‘Select Gear’ section, and we are pleased to have the editors select the Dunlop Sport Direzza Z1 for this honor,” says Todd Hershberger, Dunlop’s brand director. “It has been recognized for its outstanding performance in wet and dry conditions, and real-world use on the road and at Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competitions bear out this performance.”

According to the publication’s editors, “Of the thousands of new automotive components, services and accessories which come to our attention each year, only a handful stand out for their quality and soundness of operation.”

The Direzza Sport Z1 now features the Star Spec tread compound, which helps a performance car’s initial dry grip during sanctioned amateur driving events, such as autocross and high-performance track-events hosted by regional car clubs. It is available for use in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national events, and the tire had excellent success in SCCA competition this year, including winning the overall 2008 Hawk Super Challenge, part of the Tire Rack ProSolo Series, Hershberger says.

The tire helps deliver superb dry traction and handling at regional car-club events like track days, driving schools and autocross, he adds.