Michelin and their future tire

[ToyotaDoodz]

I saw a news article on the news last night about a new tire design that uses no air and has no sidewalls. Michelin calls it the Tweel. It's an integrated tire and wheel.

Here's the full article. be sure to click on the link to see all the pics. On the news, they showed one of these tires on a remote vehicle after a land mine detonated under it. It had a little damage but not much.

One drawback they demonstrated on the test drive is the increased noise these create above ~50 mph. The ribs on the side sound like a twin propeller plane with the props feathered. "Roll out" (pun intended) is a logistics issue and they're looking at 10 years or so before being major production.

Dang, how am I going to air down on the trail if we change to these??

 

[carina71]

Yeah, it has been all over the news programs this morning. Good idea, BUT I can just see the balance being thown off by snow (or dirt/rocks packing in the inside. Where I drive I can almost guarantee my teeth would be rattled by such a design.

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

Yeah, I can see problems for a lot of applications. It did not turn me on too much either.

You sure wouldn't need to worry about traction loss from flotation issues in water.

 

[SteveM]

To heck with all those other issues, they are FUGLY!! Who would ever willingly buy those things?

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

Awwwww, chrome them or gold anodize them and they'll fly off the shelves like "spinners."

I agree with you.

 

[SteveM]

Awwwww, chrome them or gold anodize them and they'll fly off the shelves like "spinners."

I agree with you.

It's all about the bling baby!

Another website I frequent posted a story about a new shop that is renting bling wheel and tire setups.....

 

[loudog2]

looks too much like a bicycle tire. I thing it would make most cars look like home made go-carts or box carts, like that hummer h2 commercial.

 

[sharp4runr]

I know this is an old thread, but I just found this video of the Tweel: http://www.lookatentertainment.com/v/v-1863.htm

 

[olliebear]

It's all in the marketing.

Just plate the spokes somehow to make it like polished chrome BLING and you'll have them breaking down the doors to get a set. Just think of them as Extreme (isn't that the buzz word of the decade???) rims. Add another set of spokes on roller bearinsg so they spin backwards. Embed the spokes with cheap synthetic costume jewelry and they will fly out of here.