Mud Bogging Mayhem

My next Wild Calling drive unleashed BFGoodrich’s KM3 Mud Terrain - a tyre engineered specifically to pulverize sloppy terrain. Hopping behind the wheel of a Can-Am Commander, one glimpse and you know this rubber means business!Descended from BFGoodrich’s original 1980 Mud Terrain T/A, the new KM3 pulls zero punches. Made for traversing ridiculously slick terrain from glutinous mud pits to wet boulders fields, every block and edge looks sharpened to bite. The open-shouldered tread design delivers crazy flexibility too - the pliant sidewall lugs deform to grip objects head-on when aired down. I hammered the throttle blasting from tarmac onto muddy donut trails surrounding rice paddies. The KM3 just hooks up and accelerates hard, chunking mud everywhere! Hitting nasty ruts, the tyres conform and find traction where none seems possible thanks to flexible Linear Flex Zones intentionally broadening the contact patch.

Sticky Street Rubber

While the muddy trails made the KM3’s day, taking BFGoodrich’s G-Force Phenom track tyre to nearby 8 Speed Motor Track brought goosebumps. The Phenom belongs to the brand’s ultra high performance tyre lineup designed for maximum grip and handling on warm, dry pavement. I couldn’t wait to experience Phenom’s nimble reflexes attacking corners at speed!

Instructors orchestrated high-speed hotlaps featuring the Toyota Celica GT-Four, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, and Toyota Corolla Atlis racing cup car. The tyres showcased stability, control, and exceptional wet performance, leaving an indelible mark on the tarmac. Torturing rubber to its limits looked fun but also proved BFGoodrich racing bloodlines still run strong. Then came my turn attacking the track behind the wheel to push these UHP tyres to their cornering and braking extremes!

KO2 - Conquering Boundaries

Hitting pavement once more, our convoy’s drive to SSB Park Khao Yai Thiang explored BFGoodrich’s KO2 All-Terrain capability in the Toyota Hilux. At highway cruising speeds the KO2 rolls impressively silent and smooth despite the aggressive appearance - a testament to its optimised All-Terrain focus balancing rugged capability with confident on-road manners. Computer-modelled pressure distribution across the tread contact patch maximises dry grip while reducing road noise from block resonance too. Engine roar drowns out tyre noise even at 100km/h. The KO2’s tall, rectangular-edged blocks span the entyre rubber contact patch in an open configuration leaving ample space for gripping irregular surfaces or ejecting gravel/debris to avoid getting clogged in the mud. Smaller intermediate tread blocks fill the voids to provide additional biting edges for enhancing traction at all angles.

Our sizable crew of 200 tyre distributors, press and influencers gathered in Bangkok, eager for a BFGoodrich tyre testing adventure. We soon loaded up enroute to Khao Yai National Park, a legendary region spanning mountains, rainforests and savannah only two hours outside the city and perfect for evaluating BFGoodrich’s latest extreme off-road and high performance rubber on a mix of terrain.

Born in America in 1870, BFGoodrich helped birth the radial tyre while pioneering innovations like the first mass production All-Terrain and Mud Terrain tyres. Now owned by Michelin, BFGoodrich tyres boast victories at top tier racing events too including Baja 1000, Dakar Rally and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The bus dropped our group at Wild Calling Farm Park bordering Khao Yai to kick off BFGoodrich’s driving activities. Here I first strapped into a Ford Everest SUV shod with the brand's Trail Terrain H/T tyre - a rugged all-season design made for pickups and SUVs. Immediately the refined interior ambience and smooth highway ride confirms the Trail Terrain focuses handling predictably on-road despite its aggressive, lifted looks. Like the KO2, its rounded shoulder blocks reduce noise for comfortable cruising long distances. Accelerating hard on wet, winding backroads proved the advanced all-season tread compound sticks surprisingly hard, enabling agile handling for an All Terrain design. Precise steering response through corners demonstrates impressive dry grip as well. The pattern looks adaptable too - full-depth siping across the blocks enhances wet weather and light snow traction while open grooves resist clogging. This tread looks ready for everything, from slushy city streets to muddy construction sites. Seeing the Trail Terrain capably tackle loose gravel highlighted clever engineering that borrows muscle from BFGoodrich’s off-road heritage. A grippy yet smooth tyre structure places shockingly high limits on side grip while accelerating hard out of drifts...this A/T punches way above its weight for taming loose surfaces! Beefier internal construction improves durability too - the rigid dual-ply polyester casing resists damage off-road while twin steel belts add high speed capability just like passenger tyres. But unlike most all seasons, the Trail Terrain still carries reputable Mountain Snowflake certification for deep snow traction, making it extra versatile. The full range fills 15” to 22” rims, affordably priced from RM984 to RM1690. Consider me impressed how BFGoodrich blended on-road composure with seriously capable muddy playing.

The advanced Krawl-Tek rubber compound feels literally sticky, clinging to wet surfaces and yanking the UTV up steep, muddy ravines without a wheel slip. This is my kind of fun! The KM3 can flex hard because its tough 3-ply carcass uses fortified construction licensed from BFGoodrich’s Baja race program. Beefy shoulder blocks protect the vulnerable sidewall area while specialized rubber extends grip at extreme lean angles. Overall the KM3 feels utterly unstoppable charging through slop and dirt at speed.Sizing runs from 15” up to 20” in this Mud Terrain range, with retail pricing from RM1662 to RM3827 putting them on par with other premium players.

Strapping into a Corolla Altis racing cup shod with max performance rubber transformed my adrenaline into apex hunter mode. Turning out of the pits, the g-Force Phenom’s precise steering response feels instantly telepathic. Tip in and the tyres carve a perfect arc without hesitation. Lateral adhesion levels astound through swooping esses as the Phenom’s optimized contact patch shape hugs the tarmac hard with absolute precision. These shoes speak track fluently! Hard runs through tight hairpins pushes traction to the brink but the Phenom responds progressively as slip angles increase, making throttle modulation easy. Such linear breakaway translates into beautiful, graceful oversteer - easily gathered up again thanks to ample warning when adhesion fades. Late braking tests showed the compound’s sheer tenacity too - using every ounce of grip before finally locking the fronts under brutal one-two pedal stomps.

Light off-roading along the SSB Park access road let us try the KO2’s enhanced traction performance climbing small embankments and over uneven rocks. The intermediate tread blocks adapt well to various approach angles, biting in from all directions as the tyre conforms through dips and over obstacles. Where predecessor All-Terrain tyres skittered sideways losing traction, the KO2 finds grip tenaciously thanks to additional sidewall reinforcement too - the spiral overlays almost let you feel their support willing the tyre forward. Our KO2 tyres feature stylish white raised lettering on the retro classic sidewall. While eye-catching, there’s serious tech hidden beneath that old school vibe - the KO2 incorporates spiral-wrapped reinforced nylon cap plies covering the entire sidewall like a shield, it is more accurate to say it’s a 5-ply rated sidewalls (despite brochure saying it’s a 3-ply), it’s clear BFGoodrich built the KO2 ready to handle abuse. The full KO2 range spans 15”-22” sizes priced RM930 to RM2398.

This rubber simply wanted more punishment while begging me to brake later each lap! The wet handling course highlighted the Phenom’s talents even further. While rival max performance tyres lost traction unexpectedly, the Phenom communicated slip clearly through initial understeer then graceful oversteer rotating just the rear. Superior water evacuation via circumferential grooves also proved real, the Phenom maintaining a sure-footed sensation urging me chase wet apexes with confidence. Mileage expectations may not match touring rubber but longevity certainly didn't seem sacrificed for sheer grip. Even among top shelf UHP rivals, Phenom’s balance of reflex agility, slip angle progressiveness and braking forces stands out.

The full sizing range stretches from 16” to 20” in 25 common fitments aimed squarely at classic JDM machines and smaller passenger cars. Costing just RM438 to RM1241, pricing undercuts comparable extreme performance tyres too.

Final Verdict

This Thai tyre escapade proved BFGoodrich melds extreme mud running and track speed but now also adds greater on-road refinement across lines like the All-Terrain KO2. Newcomers like the KM3 Mud Terrain dominate sloppy terrain while advanced compounding boosts all-round flexibility - the sticky Trail Terrain H/T for example can rally surprisingly quick on loose gravel yet stays comfortable enough for daily commutes. Combining race pedigree with the brand’s legacy conquering off-grid terrain continues paying dividends through BFGoodrich’s versatile modern tyres. Our Thailand test highlighted how BFGoodrich rubber can indeed master both on and off-road duties without compromise! And here’s our artist impression of the Tesla Cybertruck with the KM3 :) Looks dope eh?

BFGoodrich Advantage Touring

A good value-for-money “on-road” tire, perfect for daily urban driving, designed to give drivers the confidence in any road they take.

BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3

A "must-have" tire for the serious off-road enthusiast when conditions require extreme traction and toughness.

BFGoodrich g-Force Phenom

An on-road, ultra-high-performance tire that takes vehicle performance to the next level, in both wet and dry conditions.

This is my kind of fun!

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

An iconic tire for 4x4s, 4x2s, SUVs, and high-rise pickups with a powerful off-road traction, even on the toughest terrain.