Such a Tweel…

Ok.. So most people who know me.. and so many of you think you do..

Hahahahahaha

.. you would know how much I LOOVE cars and car-bling and cruising and anything technological.. I am a gadget buyer.. and doohickey follower and sad to say .. but at times I am guilty of Version Chasing..

So here I am going to share the TWEEL with you.. I have added images and some tech garble..(feel free to only look at the piccies).. I think its cool and all that.. But I prefer my 17” low profiles.. Much sexier!!

I hereby introduce THE MICHELIN TWEEL …Tadaaaaaaa!

Michelin first announced the Tweel in 2005. The name is a combination of the words tire and wheel because the Tweel doesn’t use a traditional wheel hub assembly. A solid inner hub mounts to the axle. That’s surrounded by polyurethane spokes arrayed in a pattern of wedges. A shear band is stretched across the spokes, forming the outer edge of the tire (the part that comes in contact with the road). The tension of the shear band on the spokes and the strength of the spokes themselves replace the air pressure of a traditional tire. The tread is then attached to the shear band. The Tweel looks sort of like a very large, futuristic bicycle wheel.

When the Tweel is put to the road, the spokes absorb road impacts the same way air pressure does in pneumatic tires. The tread and shear bands deform temporarily as the spokes bend, then quickly spring back into shape. Tweels can be made with different spoke tensions, allowing for different handling characteristics.

More pliant spokes result in a more comfortable ride with improved handling. The lateral stiffness of the Tweel is also adjustable. However, you can’t adjust a Tweel once it has been manufactured. You’ll have to select a different Tweel. For testing, Michelin equipped an Audi A4 with Tweels made with five times as much lateral stiffness as a pneumatic tire, resulting in “very responsive handling”

Michelin reports that “the Tweel prototype… is within five percent of the rolling resistance and mass levels of current pneumatic tires. That translates to mean within one percent of the fuel economy” of the tires on your own car. Since the Tweel is very early in its development, Michelin could be expected to improve those numbers.

Source: Michelin

So there you have it guys/girls.. The airless tyre has arrived.. I cant call it eco-friendly cos .. uhm.. air being free… and natural .. and eco friendly.. and available..and all that

But think of how cool it would be never to have a flat tyre.. and that you can go around pissing people off without getting your tyres slashed!… Ha! … (you know who you are )

Not sure how much they will cost or when they will be available locally (if at all). If you do just let me know cos I would like to go inspect one up close and perhaps even test drive one to see whether it would be a smooth ride or not..