The "Tweel"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqRJ9GfIJtI

The heart of Michelin’s Tweel innovation is its deceptively simple looking hub and spoke design that replaces the need for air pressure while delivering performance previously only available from pneumatic tires. The flexible spokes are fused with a flexible wheel that deforms to absorb shock and rebound with unimaginable ease. Without the air needed by conventional tires, Tweel still delivers pneumatic-like performance in weight-carrying capacity, ride comfort, and the ability to “envelope” road hazards. Continue for images/video. Michelin has also found that it can tune Tweel performances independently of each other, which is a significant change from conventional tires. This means that vertical stiffness (which primarily affects ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering) can both be optimized, pushing the performance envelope in these applications and enabling new performances not possible for current inflated tires. The Tweel prototype, demonstrated on the Audi A4, is within five percent of the rolling resistance and mass levels of current pneumatic tires. That translates to within one percent of the fuel economy of the OE fitment. Additionally, Michelin has increased the lateral stiffness by a factor of five, making the prototype unusually responsive in its handling.

http://www.ministryoftech.com/2006/1...e-airless-tire




One of the coolest innovations i've seen in a long time. These were first rumored and shown off a few years ago (04-05 ish?) I just stumbled back across them and decided to show you guys. Take a look, very cool.

Why isn't this being mass produced yet?

I'm sure it may effect gas mileage as a tire low on air does. I'm not entirely positive though. They look cool as hell and seriously if they wanted to test it out on my car I'd be more than obliged to show it off for them and do thousands of testing miles.

I remember looking at the ''Tweel'' on discover channel, Pretty Awesome none-the-less.