Is The Tweel Wheel For Real?
Thursday, 10:28 AM
San Diego
Howdy…
I just came across this Michelin concept wheel which looks interesting though the looks might take a few years to get used to. Personally, I think it detracts significantly to the cars appearance….. especially a BMW.
This is an airless constructed puncture proof tire. Kind of like a tire without the insides. Ugly. Michelin states that mounting and removal operations will be simpler.
Who cares? It is way to ugly to save a couple of seconds.
Ok, for the performance enthusiast in me, there does appear to be the benefit that the Tweel wheel can be tuned independently of each other. Thus ride comfort (vertical stiffness) and handling and cornering (lateral stiffness) can be optimized for superior performance not possible in inflatable tires.
Who knows…. I’m always for trying new things. This one I think will take a few years for market acceptance. This would be nothing new for Michelin. Their radial tire was invented in 1946 and was not widely accepted in the U.S. until the 1970’s. Click on the You-tube video below for a demo.
See you on the road.
Sammyg