Tire with silica-reinforced tread comprised of trans 1,4-polybutadiene, solution, SBR polyisoprene and defined amount of carbon black and amorphous silica

A tire having a tread of a cap/base construction;

• wherein said tread cap is of a rubber composition wherein said rubber composition is prepared by a process which comprises, based upon parts by weight per 100 parts by weight rubber (phr);
• blending rubbers consisting essentially of about 10 to about 30 phr of trans 1,4-polybutadiene rubber having a trans 1,4-content in a range of about 80 to about 90 percent, about 40 to about 60 phr of solution polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene rubber and about 20 to about 40 phr of natural cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, together with about 40 to about 95 phr of reinforcing filler consisting of about 5 to about 30 phr of carbon black and about 35 to about 90 phr of amorphous precipitated silica;
• together with a silica coupler having a moiety reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on said precipitated silica and another moiety interactive with said rubber(s), in an internal rubber mixer,
• wherein said rubbers are blended in the presence of said reinforcing filler and exclusive of pre-blending said rubbers in the absence of said reinforcing fillers;
• wherein said trans 1,4-polybutadiene has a Tg in a range of about −70° C. to about −80° C., a molecular weight (Mn) in a range of about 150,000 to about 210,000, a heterogeneity index in a range of about 2 to about 2.5 and a microstructure comprised of a trans 1,4-content of about 80 to 90 percent, a vinyl 1,2-content of about 10 to 15 percent and a cis 1,4-content of about 1 to 5 percent;
• wherein content of units derived from styrene of said solution SBR is in a range of from about 25 to about 40 weight percent, and
• wherein said silica coupling agent is a bis(3-trialkoxysilylalkyl)polysulfide having an average of from 2.2 to 2.6 connecting sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge.