New Tire Technology

[ccap41]

Yokohama working on tires designed to move the air

 

 

Tire design is typically focused on how the rubber interacts with the road, but what about the atmosphere?

Yokohama has been developing a new concept tire that can improve both a car’s efficiency and handling by redirecting the air around it. The design involves small fin-like protuberances built into the outside of the tire near its shoulder, where the sidewall meets the tread.

 

(Yokohama)

 

Mounted at alternating angles, when they reach the top of the tire’s rotation they help to reduce aerodynamic drag, which improves high speed fuel economy and, potentially, the top speed of the vehicle. At the bottom, aerodynamic lift is reduced. That keeps the vehicle better planted to the road, a particularly important characteristic for high performance sports cars.

 

The technology was made possible by recent advances in computational fluid dynamics. It builds on earlier research that found that radial fins positioned perpendicularly to the tread on the inside of the tire could also reduce the overall drag of a vehicle by changing the air pressure within the wheel wells.

 

Production applications have not yet been announced, but the concept tires are being introduced at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/10/26/yokohama-working-on-tires-designed-to-move-air/?intcmp=hpff

 

That's pretty crazy what they're trying to do. It's nuts to even think how a tire can benefit you in VERY unconventional ways.

[Drew Dowdell]

One wonders how much benefit this really is at the average 50 mph though.... not enough to be worth paying more for I'm sure. 

[ccap41]

I doubt it would be worth paying more for but people are willing to pay more for LRR tires now and that realistically you're only getting 1mpg better. But if it is a tire that will hold up for 80,000 miles it may be worth it. But 50,000? Doubt it. I agree that it is probably minimal at best but you have to start somewhere and plus, if you can gain..3%(random guess but that's just a tad under 1mpg highway for my car) for "free", car manufacturers will do it.

 

Also, is this the kind of benefit that will increase as speed increased? So at 50mph maybe 3% but at 80mph 5%? Because that could be a selling point to travelers or anybody putting 25,000+miles on a car a year. At least then as their mpg decreases from all of the other factors at least one thing will help maintain it..a litle.. Every little bit counts in the long run.

[Drew Dowdell]

1mpg over the 80,000 miles is actually pretty huge.  It ends up being around 200 - 215 gallons of gas over the life of the tires. 

[ccap41]

1mpg over the 80,000 miles is actually pretty huge.  It ends up being around 200 - 215 gallons of gas over the life of the tires. 

Exactly, and would you pay a premium for them? Me? Depends what that premium is and if they are actually a good tire.

 

I would have to imagine manufacturers would be lined up for these if they are any good. LRR plus whatever this tech is called.. CAFE is hanging over everybody's head.

[G. David Felt]

 

1mpg over the 80,000 miles is actually pretty huge.  It ends up being around 200 - 215 gallons of gas over the life of the tires. 

Exactly, and would you pay a premium for them? Me? Depends what that premium is and if they are actually a good tire.

 

I would have to imagine manufacturers would be lined up for these if they are any good. LRR plus whatever this tech is called.. CAFE is hanging over everybody's head.

 

Yet these fins on the the side wall , so with most people hitting curbs so it scrapes the tire wall down roughing up the tire, I see this benefit being gone fast and all you have is an over priced tire that does nothing really. Lets get them into real world testing and see if they hold up.

 

Right now the low resistant rolling tires suck in wet weather. Great if you live south where mostly dry, but up north they are terrible tires.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

1% efficiency is nothing compared to the advancements in traction and comfort.  Triple tread designs are the rage.

[G. David Felt]

1% efficiency is nothing compared to the advancements in traction and comfort.  Triple tread designs are the rage.

Triple Tread design might be the Rage, but the Jury is still out on whether you truly get better traction, comfort and tire life.

 

Some auto's seem to eat these types of tires up.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

 

1% efficiency is nothing compared to the advancements in traction and comfort.  Triple tread designs are the rage.

Triple Tread design might be the Rage, but the Jury is still out on whether you truly get better traction, comfort and tire life.

 

Some auto's seem to eat these types of tires up.

 

 

 

the jury I trust, is my own.

I currently own 5 vehicles that need tires often, and through the years I have owned over 30.  I have been through a lot of tires in my days, and I am here to tell you that a good triple tread design is awesome.  Go to tirerack.com and read their tests and reviews. There is no question.  My Fusion was transformed with tires.

[Drew Dowdell]

How good are they as a snow tire?

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

I forgot which Conti tire I put on, but I was hesitant because I don't like the brand.  But they were cheap and reviewed excellent.  And snow and ice is where they shine.  I even had low profile tires in my Fusion sport (18") and they were a rare size.  The Goodyear RS-A's I had were crap to begin with, but as soon as the tread depth took a marginal hit, they were pathetic. And that was with AWD.  

 

Here were the tires I had (link below) I am pretty sure, just from memory. Highly recommend them.  Car drove incredible too.  Looked up reviews on RS-A, and they were a joke. But I still recognized a tire that was far better in rain, dry comfort and snow.  Nothing could out accelerate me in the snow.  And by nothing, I mean nothing...trucks, SUV's, NOTHING.  And that was on relatively cheap performance tires.  I heard that there are much better tires for more money.  But you don't need them is my point.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ExtremeContact+DWS&partnum=55WR9ECDWSXL&GCID=C13674x012-tire&KEYWORD=tires.jsp_Continental_ExtremeContact_DWS_Tire&code=yes&src=17540115&ci_sku=55WR9ECDWSXL&ci_sku=55WR9ECDWSXL&ci_src=17588969&ef_id=VEK5YwAAAd8MwC2Y:20151031010820:s

Edited October 31, 2015 by Wings4Life

[ccap41]

How good are they as a snow tire?

My LRR Continental ProContacts(OEM) suck in the winter. I feel like I can't feel my front end grip or slide. I'm not sure if that's more tires or car though. Either way they still have an extremely low giving point in the snow.

As for the rain..they aren't bad in any way. I've never hydroplanes. But they kindof give off a little numb feeling. Again, I'm not sure if that's the car or tires.

Now I've had the Continental ExtremeContact DWS and absolutely loved them. They weren't a LRR but they were a great tire.

[Drew Dowdell]

Not available for my Buick :-(

 

The only triple tread type tire available for the Encore is the Goodyear.

[ccap41]

1% efficiency is nothing compared to the advancements in traction and comfort. Triple tread designs are the rage.

That's why I said it would still have to be a great all around tire to even consider. I agree that the tire itself needs to be very good THEN if this aero tech was added to it it would be a bonus.

Plus, if this tech is as simply applied to a tire it can be added to the stickiest of tires and cheapest of junk tires for improvement across the board. Something like this(if it really does give a legitimate benefit) is amazing and can be used on everything to increase efficiency on every vehicle.

Not available for my Buick :-(

The only triple tread type tire available for the Encore is the Goodyear.

Check the Continental PureContact. It's similar to that DWS but it is a LRR but it's made for a more common tire size. Or I should say a less sporty size. The DWS is more of a sporty tire as I don't think they have anything taller than a 55 aspect ratio. Edited October 31, 2015 by ccap41

[Drew Dowdell]

The only Continental available is the OEM ContiProContact

[ccap41]

The only Continental available is the OEM ContiProContact

Yeah that's what's on my Escape. No thanks. Not bad. But not worth the money either.

[Drew Dowdell]

I usually run 2 sets of tires, winter and all-seasons.  However, we got through a pretty snowy winter last year with the AWD doing fine.  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to get a set of winter tires now and a new set of all-seasons in the spring, or just go with the triple treads.

 

I put snow tires on the CR-V and it's like a mountain goat in the snow. 

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Conti is a low end brand, imo.  But the technology implemented is very good.

[ccap41]

Conti is a low end brand, imo.  But the technology implemented is very good.

Really? Weird. I see them a quarter tick below Michelin and side by side with Pirelli. They don't make anything cheap.

To each their own. Plus, they're US owned, I believe. Well at least there is one plant in central IL.

[ccap41]

Drew, what part of the country are you in? Here in southern IL we don't get enough snow to need a winter tire but enough that I couldn't get by on a summer tire. So when I look for an all season the winter traction is a top priority because I still need it when it snows..but we don't get it often enough to require it. I actually REALLY want to drive a RWD car with snow tires in the snow to really grasp how awesome they are. I only hear amazing things about winter tires. But at the same time I'm glad we don't get enough snow because the cheapest snow tire for my Escape is like 250/tire.

[Drew Dowdell]

Drew, what part of the country are you in? Here in southern IL we don't get enough snow to need a winter tire but enough that I couldn't get by on a summer tire. So when I look for an all season the winter traction is a top priority because I still need it when it snows..but we don't get it often enough to require it. I actually REALLY want to drive a RWD car with snow tires in the snow to really grasp how awesome they are. I only hear amazing things about winter tires. But at the same time I'm glad we don't get enough snow because the cheapest snow tire for my Escape is like 250/tire.

 

I'm in Pittsburgh PA, but I have a very steep driveway and every road home is uphill. I live at the top of a ridge that is the tallest spot for a few miles around me.   We call it our snow bump. There is some strange climate pattern here where in our little part of town, we'll get snow when the surrounding area gets rain, or we get a bit more snow than everyone around us.   It's really a very very minor change in altitude, but I've been laughed at by people at work when I say I have to shovel my drive yet they only got a dusting.  This disparity is pretty frequent.

[G. David Felt]

I usually run 2 sets of tires, winter and all-seasons.  However, we got through a pretty snowy winter last year with the AWD doing fine.  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to get a set of winter tires now and a new set of all-seasons in the spring, or just go with the triple treads.

 

I put snow tires on the CR-V and it's like a mountain goat in the snow. 

I will say that the OEM tires that came on my Trailblazer were just OK, but for my AWD SS beast, the Bridgestone Duelers are awesome. Rain, Snow, hot sun, they just grip and wear very well.

[ccap41]

Drew, what part of the country are you in? Here in southern IL we don't get enough snow to need a winter tire but enough that I couldn't get by on a summer tire. So when I look for an all season the winter traction is a top priority because I still need it when it snows..but we don't get it often enough to require it. I actually REALLY want to drive a RWD car with snow tires in the snow to really grasp how awesome they are. I only hear amazing things about winter tires. But at the same time I'm glad we don't get enough snow because the cheapest snow tire for my Escape is like 250/tire.

 

I'm in Pittsburgh PA, but I have a very steep driveway and every road home is uphill. I live at the top of a ridge that is the tallest spot for a few miles around me.   We call it our snow bump. There is some strange climate pattern here where in our little part of town, we'll get snow when the surrounding area gets rain, or we get a bit more snow than everyone around us.   It's really a very very minor change in altitude, but I've been laughed at by people at work when I say I have to shovel my drive yet they only got a dusting.  This disparity is pretty frequent.

Ahhh I think I knew that!

Yeah it sounds like you definitely need something at least snow/winter oriented if you're going to encounter it that often. I know they don't make your size but those DWSs worked wonderfully on my C350 being RWD. I read probably a couple hundred different reviews before I bought a set because I knew I was going to need a superb all season tire.

Are you in need for tires for this coming winter?

[daves87rs]

Wonder how they would handle pot holes?

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

 

Conti is a low end brand, imo.  But the technology implemented is very good.

Really? Weird. I see them a quarter tick below Michelin and side by side with Pirelli. They don't make anything cheap.

To each their own. Plus, they're US owned, I believe. Well at least there is one plant in central IL.

 

 

 

Had two sets that were horrid in the snow about a decade ago.  Comes down to design and material. But Michelin makes a much better tire.

[Drew Dowdell]

So the snow tire choice for the Buick seems to be between the Blizzack WS80 or the Michelin XICE X13

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Looked up the tires I put on my Fusion, and I mis-spoke. They were the PureContact line.  Great in snow and wet.

[G. David Felt]

So the snow tire choice for the Buick seems to be between the Blizzack WS80 or the Michelin XICE X13

Blizzack does a great job but very poor wear, two seasons at most and they are shot. The Michelin is an awesome tire that not only handles well but lasts down side is they are more expensive.

[Drew Dowdell]

So the snow tire choice for the Buick seems to be between the Blizzack WS80 or the Michelin XICE X13

Blizzack does a great job but very poor wear, two seasons at most and they are shot. The Michelin is an awesome tire that not only handles well but lasts down side is they are more expensive.

Actually with the deals and rebates the way they are at the moment, the XIce are about $75 cheaper right now.

[ccap41]

Looked up the tires I put on my Fusion, and I mis-spoke. They were the PureContact line.  Great in snow and wet.

That's what I tried to talk my parents into on their 12 Fusion but my dad was too lazy to either trust I did the research or do his own research and just bought the OEM Michelins. Michelin makes good tires I just cannot justify the additional price over..EVERYTHING ELSE.

[daves87rs]

 

So the snow tire choice for the Buick seems to be between the Blizzack WS80 or the Michelin XICE X13

Blizzack does a great job but very poor wear, two seasons at most and they are shot. The Michelin is an awesome tire that not only handles well but lasts down side is they are more expensive.

 

 

 

Interesting, as I have heard the XICE has  issues with the slick, but does fine in the snow. Wondering if much of that has to do with the type of car....