Check out these Tires

[Road Dog]

The next generation of tire design from Michelin.......See Thru Tires.

[Hemidog]

Why? It looks horrible! Performance gain?
Looks like Run-Flat tires.

[tan top]

     ...........

[elacruze]

It's simple, really-

1. Lower tire material and production costs
2. Lower rim material costs
3. No blowouts-safety discount 
4. 100% recycleable

Any time something makes no sense, follow the $$.

[Mike DC]

          
I first saw a pic of those things years ago.  



Seems like a possible performance gain if they can use the spokes to limit the lateral sideweall flex more than on stock inflated tires.  But you give up the tunability of changing tire pressures.  Which means they can permanently set the tire pressures, which means potential MPG increases.  Which also means if you wanna change tire pressures, you have to buy a whole new set of those things.  

I also don't see how any springing method on those things could match the characteristics of pneumatic tires, where the spring pressure ramps up dramatically with increased compression of the tire.  Seems like you'd have to just live with a flat spring rate for the "inflation."  (Bottom line - the rim is much less protected from pothole damage.)

So the OEMs have no reason not to implement it if it's cheaper.  The benefits are their gains, and the downsides aren't their problems.


----------------------------------------------



My question is, why can't they just put those sidewall-flex-limiting spokes inside an inflated tire?  

At a quick glance that seems like a better option all around.  The spokes don't need to be as heavy and the sidewall might not have to be so thick, so the weight gains might not be such an issue.  And the spokes could maybe serve as a backup redundancy for flats.  The OEMS are always trying to find ways of eliminating the spare tire, and this seems as good of an option as any.  



   

[flyinlow]

I think they are an option on the 2011 Pelosi SI SRT 1-1/2.

[troy.70R/T]

OMG those are ugly. I thought putting up with the big rims and low profile tires on old cars was bad enough.

[stevekarlo]

So what happens when they get clogged with ice and slush in the winter?

[Mike DC]

Good question. 

I wouldn't worry much about snow or mud because the vehicle weight would just squish it out.  But gravel rocks would get jammed up in there pretty easily. 

[Darkman]

Looks like Run-Flat tires.

That's exactly what they are! Not for performance gain, but purely for the lazy ones that couldn't be bothered changing a tyre!

[oldschool]

I think they are an option on the 2011 Pelosi SI SRT 1-1/2.

[THE STIG]

So what happens when they get clogged with ice and slush in the winter?

Global warming will take care of that.