Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. committed to the same inside-out philosophy as Lexus when it created concept tires for the Lexus UX concept car: blend internal elements with exterior ones.
The Goodyear Urban Crossover concept tires, on the concept car, debuted at the Paris Motor Show 2016. Goodyear says Lexus asked the tire maker to do two things: explore new frontiers of tire design and apply state-of-the-art technology.
The inside-out philosophy is obvious at first glance. The spokes of the rim flow into the sidewall design of the tire, creating one unique feature consistent with the rest of the car.
The sections of the sidewall are integrated into the wheel, giving the tire its urban crossover look, while the tread pattern gives the tire a dynamic appearance. The tire’s design is created using Goodyear’s hi-tech laser carving technique.
The tire incorporates state-of-the-art features including Goodyear’s Sound Comfort Technology, which uses an open-cell polyurethane foam element attached to the inner surface of the tire. This technology dampens the tire cavity resonance sound peak that is generated when the tire rolls over a surface, enabling the vehicle’s cabin to be extremely quiet.
With this concept, Goodyear has combined its Sound Comfort Technology with the chip-in-tire technology, showcased for the first time at Geneva in 2014. The chip sends vital information to the car’s on-board computer, enhancing the stability and performance of the car when cornering and braking. This system transmits information on tire pressure, temperature, and the tire identification details to the vehicle’s computer, which is then able to automatically refine the car’s longitudinal and lateral control algorithms, delivering driving performance.
Furthermore, the new concept tire is equipped with Goodyear’s RunOnFlat Technology, which incorporates reinforced sidewalls that can properly carry the weight of a car for up to 80 km (about 50 miles) after a puncture with complete loss of air pressure.
David Anckaert, general director of OE product development in Europe, the Middle East and Africaat Goodyear, says, "We are proud to present this innovative concept tire for the Lexus UX concept, which confirms once again Goodyear’s experience in providing OEMs with tailor-made solutions.
"Our designers succeeded in developing a tire that is consistent with the car’s design philosophy, and at the same time we managed to answer the Lexus drivers’ needs for comfort, driving pleasure and safety by building on technologies currently available to consumers in our product portfolio such as Sound Comfort Technology and the RunOnFlat Technology."
