New tire design NO AIR!

[F_A_L_C_O_N]

a bit of wind, a fallen branch and clack clack clack you go.

and how long when kids realize this as well

Otherwise yeah it does look interesting, but I sure would wait for say a year or two before considering them, after they get out.
It takes this much for public to discover, for example, at 180km/h on a freeway, in the rain, driving on a "truck" lane where asphalt is not exactly level anymore, you go straight out

And honestly trusting company selling the product to test the product or "independent instute" to do that for them is about as smart as asking the the guy at the fruit stand if the fruit is fresh

Anyone remember Firestone incident.

[edhe62]

I agree with you that waiting would be a good idea. But, take a look at the photo of the car turning and take a close look at the front left tire and how it's flattened out (increasing the footprint). That increased contact area with the road would give greatly improved traction to the tires compared to todays standard construction! Conversely though, it would give greater lift area in wet conditions making hydroplaning a real threat.

[Martin_89]

I think if the price is right then it’s a good idea. It’s going to eliminate blow outs and flat tyres.

[krupted]

well no matter what, theyre gonna be a stiffer harder ride than rubber/pressureized air. Although maybe this technology is ok for today's much smoother suspensions. I doubt theyll be cheap, it doesnt look like you can just replace the tread, and that may very well be because the spokes wear out just as fast, as all spring steel does

[Bink]

Michelin Unveils Airless Fiberglass Tyre

Michelin have unveiled a series of new tyre developments for this years Paris Motor Show including an airless tyre laced with fibreglass...

...The Michelin Airless tyre is being promoted as a maintenance free and puncture-proof tyre, that does not require inflating, labelled by Michelin as a “fly trap*”, a radial structure made of high-performance composite materials on which a rubber tread is bonded.

The tyre is made from 115 rings of tough resin laced with glass fibre and remains roadworthy even when shot with a rifle. Tests show it will outlast the average car, Laurent said, leaving just the outer treads to be replaced periodically. No date has yet been set for its commercial launch...

...According to a Michelin, “when in due course the tread wears down, all you need do is have it re-treaded. The radial structure, on the other hand, is designed to last as long as your vehicle itself. Michelin Airless is very well adapted not only to passenger cars but also to two-wheel vehicles”...

...The tyre operates with a maximum safe speed of 270 kilometers per hour (170 miles per hour) with the prototype performing similarly to inflatable tires - with important differences.

[F_A_L_C_O_N]

... The radial structure, on the other hand, is designed to last as long as your vehicle itself ....

well as long as one does not try to race with it in Indianapolis

[krupted]

thanks bink, i was looking for a link, now it changes what i think

i thought it was spring steel, but fiberglass, wow. actually, its very practical, it must be one hell of a resin used in the glass but if that is all glass and rubber than its probably cheap to produce. fiberglass does not really wear out unless over extended, so by judging the way the designed it, it looks pretty ingenious.

but still, i wonder how it performs when snow gets packed in there, freeze the whole thing solid and then you drive off and hit a nice pothole haha, cold enough weather and i bet that thing shatters

[fire]

I want to see this tested in Winnipeg, Canada where I live. -30C with out the windchill, snow and so forth. Dont think so.

[krupted]

thats what im saying, fiberglass is extremely strong and extremely flexible, but still no comparison to vulcanized rubber for applications in cold weather. well maybe they can prove me wrong, it wont take too long to find out- if theyre really that great youll see them around. and i still doubt theyre as soft as rubber tires, fine for racing but 90% of drivers want the smoothest softest ride possible

[ThreeOnTheTree]

Looks pretty nice. I'd imagine they'd have a decent amount of lateral strength, maybe more than air tires, which depend entirely on sidewall strength in turns. What I wonder about is ride quality and long term durability, not to mention what what would happen if you drove through mud or over a gravel surface. They aren't a sealed unit like a "normal" tire. However, they could probably close in the sides so that it looks like a normal tire and to better protect the guts from accumulating junk. Not sure if heat would be an issue then, though.

[Martin_89]

the problem is though it looks crap imo. it takes the look off the wheels and makes them look tiny, well they are tiny.

[pcpal]

There are already some tires out like that but with air. If it goes flat you can drive on it up to fifty miles. There on the newer Mercedes and higher end cars. I saw it on the Discovery channel and I wish I had four of them. They don't blow out it just loses air. No more stuck in the middle of nowhere.

[ThreeOnTheTree]

Those are called run-flat tires. You can get them from goodyear, maybe others. Cars like the Corvette have them so they don't have to put a spare in the vehicle.

[Martin_89]

yep run-flats, they cost quite a bit through

[Hoyle]

Tests show it will outlast the average car, Laurent said, leaving just the outer treads to be replaced periodically.

This will be the real determining factor. I think the pros are simple:

1) No flats
2) They are saying that you can retread them - so they'll last a LONG time
3) They SHOULD corner well
4) They should withstand more abuse than air tires (You know what I mean if you have lived in the east coast of the US - where roads are frost-heaved anually and only paved every few decades. I've several times now driven over bumps or potholes and simply had my tires break the bead and fall off the rim.)

But... I do wonder. Composite is great stuff... but it's NOT forgiving. When you do over-stress it - running over a branch or something, it could very well take damage that won't show immediately, but which could become very hazardous 20-30,000 KM down the road.

Still, if they've designed enough extra strength into it, this might not be a real problem.

I do hope they put a protective side-wall on, though.