Hutchinson has unveiled the Caracal Race, a new gravel bike tyre claimed to be the fastest gravel tyre on the market.The Caracal Race is said to beat unnamed competitor models by up to 35 per cent, according to independent [rolling resistance] tests commissioned by Hutchinson.According to the French brand, the Caracal Race achieves this level of performance thanks to technology borrowed from its latest flagship road bike tyre, the Blackbird.This includes a lighter, more flexible casing and an updated tread compound, both of which are claimed to make the Caracal Race tyre faster rolling and more resistant to tearing.The Caracal Race features a slick central tread paired with pronounced side knobs for added off-road cornering grip.The trade-off, however, is that the Caracal Race doesnt feature a dedicated puncture protection layer beneath the tread. As a result, Hutchinson recommends it's best reserved exclusively for races on hard packed gravel or for all-road use.Given this, Hutchinson is also launching a hardier version called the Caracal which uses the same tread on a thicker casing, with a Hardskin bead to bead puncture protection layer.This tyre is claimed to offer a more versatile balance of performance and durability, making it more suitable for everyday riding off-road.Available now, in a size 700x40c and with tan sidewalls, the Hutchinson Caracal Race costs 54.99 / 59.99 per tyre.The Hutchinson Caracal is available in a size 700x40c and with black or tan sidewalls. It costs 49.99 / 54.99.Both the Caracal Race and Caracal are compatible with hookless rims and are claimed to weigh 475g per tyre.Blackbird-inspiredHutchinson's new Caracal Race gravel tyre borrows tech from its high-performance road bike tyres. - Hutchinson / Widen ProdHutchinson says the Caracal Race was designed to be the fastest gravel tyre on the market.The brand boldly claims the Carcal Race is the fastest gravel tyre on the market and exhibits up to 35 per cent less rolling resistance than unspecified competitor tyres, according to independent tests it commissioned.As such, the brand looked to its recently developed Blackbird road bike tyre said to be the fastest road bike tyre it has ever produced for inspiration.Hutchinson's new Caracal Race gravel tyre is claimed to be "the fastest gravel tyre on the market". - Hutchinson / Widen ProdThe first technology ported over from the Blackbird tyre is the SwiftEasy casing, constructed from a 127 TPI (Threads Per Inch) fabric.Hutchinson says this features only two layers of overlapping fabric beneath the tread compared to three on the sidewalls, which improves the flexibility of the tyre and reduces rolling resistance.According to the brand, this change alone led to a 40 per cent reduction in rolling resistance compared to other similar gravel tyres in its range.The Caracal Race features a slick central tread with shoulder knobs for added grip. - Hutchinson / Widen ProdThe tread on the Caracal Race is also said to be optimised for the lowest rolling resistance possible.This is due to its new high performance" Mach Tread 3.0 compound and semi-slick design.Hutchinson says its Mach Tread 3.0 compound is the most efficient it has developed, claiming it offers 25 per cent rebound, meaning more of the energy put into compressing the tyre is returned into forward motion while riding.More tear resistantHutchinson says the Caracal Race gravel tyre is designed for dry, hard-packed gravel and all-road racing. - Hutchinson / Widen ProdThe new tread is also claimed to be 10 per cent harder and more resistant to tearing than Hutchinsons previous best compound.This is claimed to result in 75 per cent better performance in tear tests, without sacrificing grip.As noted, the Caracal Race gravel tyre eschews a dedicated puncture protection layer beneath the tread.The central tread area is also completely slick (in order to reduce rolling resistance), with knobs only on the shoulders for off-road cornering grip.As a result, Hutchinson recommends it only for all-road use or hard-packed gravel racing on dry days.Hutchinson's Caracal Race gravel tyre uses a flexible casing and the brand's fastest tread compound. - Hutchinson / Diedre DesignHutchinsons Caracal Race tyre is available now and costs 54.99 / 59.99 per tyre.Handmade at Hutchinsons factory in France, the Caracal Race is only available in a size 700x40c and with tan sidewalls. A single tyre is claimed to weigh 475g.Hutchinson Caracal gravel tyreHutchinson's new Caracal gravel tyre uses a Hardskin bead-to-bead protection layer underneath the tread. - Hutchinson / Diedre DesignBecause the Caracal Race is intended only for racing, Hutchinson has also developed a version of the Caracal tyre with improved puncture protection and durability.Compared to the Caracal Race, the Caracal tyre uses a thicker, 3x127 TPI casing combined with a bead-to-bead Hardskin puncture protection layer.The Caracal gravel tyre gets added puncture protection for 'everyday' gravel riding. - Hutchinson / Widen ProdCasing aside, the Caracal uses the same tread pattern as the Caracal Race, but swaps the Mach Tread 3.0 compound for the bi-compound found on Hutchinsons existing range of gravel tyres.This compound is said to combine a harder central portion, for improved durability and reduced rolling resistance, along witha softer compound on the tread shoulders for improved grip.Hutchinson's Caracal gravel tyre uses the same tread pattern as the faster Caracal Race, but has a different casing and compound. - HutchinsonHutchinson says this results in a tyre that is still incredibly fast rolling but is more suitable for everyday riding thanks to its added puncture protection.The brand doesnt specify an exact performance differential between the Caracal and Caracal Race, however.Like the Carcal Race, Hutchinsons Caracal tyre is only available in a size 700x40c, with a claimed weight of 475g per tyre.It is slightly cheaper, though, at 49.99 / 54.99 per tyre.