PUMA® Gets You To The Goal Faster Than Ever With The Next Generation PUMA v1.08 Ball Herzogenaurach, Germany, November, 2007 – PUMA® launches the next generation of its v1.08 ball, complete with numerous technological advancements that help you get the ball to the goal even faster. PUMA’s v1.08 ball is a revolutionary concept with the new d3o™ cushioning layer that makes this ball the world’s first intelligent football. PUMA and UK-based material developers, d3o™, have collaborated to develop a revolutionary new football. The v1.08 ball is designed for players seeking the perfect blend of soft-feel, precision, stability and speed. The patented 24-panel design reduces the internal radii variance for unsurpassed roundness and the unique dimple outer casing reduces drag for a superb aerodynamic performance. However, the most exciting development is hidden beneath the surface. Sandwiched between the outer casing and the inner woven textile backing is layer of the revolutionary new material, d3o™. “The new v1.08 PUMA match ball takes you into the future of football technology with its reactive foam cushioning that makes it the world’s first intelligent ball,” said Filip Trulsson, Business Unit Manager, Teamsport, PUMA. “The harder you kick it, the faster it flies. The softer you touch it, the softer it feels.” Richard Palmer (Founder and CEO, d3o™ lab) comments “d3o Lab is focused on creating intelligent products that enable the athlete to do what they do, to their absolute maximum. The new PUMA ball is truly ground breaking in its use of d3o™ giving the player more control and more power, exactly when they need it. This is the most exciting project the d3o™ team have ever worked on and we can’t wait to see it out of the lab and into the back of the net!” When applied to the new PUMA ball, the d3o™ layer provides fascinating performance benefits. The material’s sensitivity to impact speed means that the PUMA v1.08 ball displays “intelligent” behaviour. At low impact speeds (i.e. dribbling) the cushioning layer retains its soft feel, but when impacted at speed (i.e. a powerful shot on goal) the d3o™ molecules lock together instantaneously to increase the ball’s acceleration off of the foot. In comparative tests by Sheffield Hallam University, at high impact speeds, the new PUMA v1.08 leaves the foot 6% quicker than previous PUMA balls and quicker than all other brands’ leading match balls. The ball’s materials include the same 24-panel Concept 45 construction as used in its predecessor, the v1.06, for the roundest ball ever. Each panel has round edges and is pre-shaped to minimize tension and folds on the material when the ball is being inflated. Together with the new Dimple II CW-System, you can count on the truest flight ever. As with PUMA’s past technologies, the v1.08 ball features Perimeter Balance Technology to balance out the weight of the air valve and PAL – PUMA Air Lock to ensure the best protection against air leakage. The PUMA v1.08 ball will be used by PUMA national teams including World Champions Italy and Euro 2008 hosts Austria and Switzerland with other national teams and professional clubs – such as Bundesliga Champions VfB Stuttgart and Lazio – featuring the ball in the new year. The v1.08 Italia ball will hit stores for the holiday season at a recommended retail price of €100. Check out the latest pics of the ball in action! Click here! Want to buy the world’s first Intelligent Football? Click here!
V1.08 Austria ball
V1.08 Switzerland ball
V1.08 Italy ball