As you read this the team are currently mid-way up Cape York, tackling one of the country’s most remote regions with the fresh Season 18 builds, a series rebuild of the F-150 as well as the new Everest and Ranger Tremor’s. And bolted to the hubs for this trip? A fresh set of Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres wrapped around Lenso alloys.
Now, we’ll admit, when we first heard the name Pirelli, our minds jumped straight to supercars and race tracks. This is a brand that’s more synonymous with Monaco than Maytown. But that’s exactly why we were curious to see how these A/Ts would stack up in the real world, with red dust, corrugations and croc-infested crossings to deal with.
So far? We’ve been pleasantly surprised.
Handling on the Blacktop
Before we even reached the dirt, we clocked thousands of kays up the east coast, cruising highways, navigating backroads, and motoring along loaded to the gills with two months worth of touring gear. And it’s on the blacktop where the Scorpions show off their racing pedigree.
“You can tell Pirelli hasn’t forgotten its F1 roots,” says Josh, who’s been rotating through several of the vehicles. “The on-road grip and road feel are second to none for an all-terrain.”
Steering feel is tight and predictable, and road noise is impressively low even on coarse-chip bitumen. A lot of A/Ts can feel vague or noisy, especially at highway speeds, but these have been rock solid. It’s the sort of tyre that makes you forget you’re running something off-road capable.
Traction Where It Counts
Once we hit the dirt and started tackling the Old Telegraph Track, we were expecting the usual trade-offs. Compromised traction, sidewalls too soft, lugs that clog up with mud. But that wasn’t the case.
The Scorpion A/T Plus features a fairly conservative tread pattern by off-road standards, but don’t let the looks fool you. The shoulder blocks dig in well under load, stone ejection has been consistent, and sidewall protection has been better than expected, especially on rocky creek entries.
“We thought these tyres might be out of their depth once we left the tarmac,” Josh admits. “But boy, were we wrong. They’ve been seriously strong performers through the rough stuff.”
They’ve clawed up loose muddy climbs, held their own in sloppy creek beds, and shrugged off the endless corrugations that shake vehicles apart. No punctures yet, either, which is saying something for this part of the country.
Confidence in the Rough
Off-road confidence isn’t just about raw traction, it’s also about how predictable the tyre feels when you’re pushing through variable terrain. The Scorpions offer a reassuring balance between ride comfort and bite, which is ideal for long-haul touring.
We’ve run into plenty of situations where we’ve needed the tyres to air down and flex without folding in on themselves, and so far they’ve responded well. It’s not just the compound or the tread, it’s the way the tyre talks to you through the wheel. And on remote trips like this, that kind of feedback counts.
They’ve got a certain composure to them. You feel like they’re working with you, not against you, even when the going gets tough.
Too Early to Call… But We’re Impressed
Look, it’s still early days, we’ve got more mud, more corrugations, and plenty of river crossings to come. But at the halfway point, the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres have done more than just hold their own.
They’ve delivered proper off-road capability without sacrificing the on-road performance we’ve come to expect from a brand like Pirelli. And in a market jammed with me-too all-terrains, that’s something worth noting.
We’ll be putting together a full, long-term review once the trip’s wrapped up. But for now? Consider us impressed.
5 comments
I bought these mainly because I didn’t want to compromise the quietness of my Rangie Sport. They are very quiet for an AT, and you don’t notice any difference on the tar in roadholding or noise. They are great on dirt roads too and feel sure footed. On the rougher stuff they seem so far as good as any other AT I’ve used. So I endorse your findings!
Did cape York some years ago in a dual cab RG Colorado, in a convoy of 5 4×4’s. I had a set of 3/4 worn scorpion a/t and had no issues. Still running them today.
I have fitted, now, 3 sets of Scorpion AT+ to my Disco 4. 19″. Most of the 150Ks travelled has been towing a 2.5 ton caravan. Included tracks are Cape York, not the Telegraph, Longest short cut, Bungle Bungles and many more outback tracks. No problems with them. Changed over before leaving on a big trip. Not that they were warn out. Hard to get a good 19″ tyre in the outback. A great tyre that I would recommend to anyone wanting a premium tyre.
I have a Ram 1500 express and bought the Pirelli Scorpions AT and found as you did great and handle all conditions I put the tire through, however, with the low tire pressure (highest of 45 psi ) I found them under load the rear wore on the inside and had to replace them at approximately 22000 klms. For the price of the tires and quality of the brand I did expect better.
no surprises, Pirelli can make an off road tyre, check their desert race/ dakar pedigree & off road their desert and dirtbike race tyres are worth a mention too, i like them. deffo fair to be in the range considered next change.