Michelin invent new tyre!

Post by **Josh_PoloGTi** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:52 am

Clicky:

http://autoshow.msn.com/XML/as/autoshow ... chelin.asx

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:16 am

I'm lost for words. That's the weirdest tyre I've ever seen.

At first I thought it was a joke, until I saw that close-up of the Audi. Damn!

A Must See people.

sbp · Post by **sbp** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:42 am

Josh I couldn't resist posting this on another forum. Cool find

Polo-03 · Post by **Polo-03** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:24 pm

Wow that is amazing! Are they going to start producing this? If so I wonder how much they will start at! Also how safe are they? Would hate it if one off the spoke thingies broke

13twelve · Post by **13twelve** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:59 pm

gobsmacked

it doesnt look real

what will this do to the 22inch chrome brigade?

Steve_O · Post by **Steve_O** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 5:58 pm

Blimey!! - Why would Michelin want to design a road tyre which lasts forever?!!

That wheelchair thing is amazing - it allows disabled people to go up and down stairs!!

*If only the daleks had thought of that!!

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:03 pm

How strange

Sounds good in theory, although I don't believe that it'd last for ever.. start doing slides on any form of rubber and you're going to leave a trail of it behind, unless it's got seriously poor traction. That trail of rubber has to come from somewhere..
Got to wonder how comfortable it is too, although I'm sure if it's real that'll have been accounted for.
And yeah, what happens if a spoke breaks? Suddenly you have a very lumpy ride

It'll be interesting to find out if that's genuine or not..

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 6:08 pm

what the heck>?

M@Turner · Post by **M@Turner** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:45 pm

strange.

SpikeyG40 · Post by **SpikeyG40** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:02 pm

thats madness! brings a whole new meaning to low profile!

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:48 am

WHOA

that is 100% down-home well and truly nutzo bizzare

wonder who at the michelin R&D department dropped enough acid to okay the funding for this project?

wonder if it'll even make it to market.. I don't think it looks particularly safe either, there's far more possibility for something to penetrate into one of the holes and start damaging spokes where it might otherwise have just glanced off the sidewall of a regular tyre...

the lynchpin of this whole thing is the underlying "tweel" concept. the tyre-stuff is permanently bonded to the plastic hub thingamajig that replaces the standard metal wheel. michie are no longer just selling you a bit of precision engineered rubber that is then mounted onto a long-lasting metal rim and inflated / balanced by a bod down at the garage, but the whole rolling job that's attached to the brake assembly. think on that for a while. its an enormous and economically significant departure... not to mention social... once the tyre section wears out - and wear out it will (requiring prompt action - do you want to be the first person to test what happens when the outer band gives way leaving you with just spokes and a big flappy ribbon?) you can't just swap it for a stop gap budget model or a competitor's item to pop on the rim, but you will have to buy an entire new tweel from michelin if you want the designs (etc) to match.

they also claim the plasticky inner part is safer than a metal hub, particularly because it is more bendy... i dunno... who here will put their hand up to try that over some rough terrain? given that the test video shows a passat on a very smooth test track being put through some rather less-than-demanding exercises...

13twelve · Post by **13twelve** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:18 am

just a small point, theres nowt stopping them putting a tyre wall on these things - i assume there isnt one for the purpose of the demo vids simply to demonstrate the technology in use.