PAX Tires On Audi Pikes Peak Model

DETROIT, Jan. 7, 2003; Tire designers at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company received a daunting -- and puzzling -- challenge recently.

They were asked to design a tire that wouldn't go flat if it lost air pressure, yet it was to have a "flat design." Puzzled? Think again.

The tire is a Goodyear PAX concept tire, and it appears on the Audi Pikes Peak, a new sport utility vehicle concept design introduced here this week. Even with no air in the tire, the vehicle retains its mobility, with a capability of traveling 124 miles at 50 miles per hour.

However, as the tire was designed to keep it from going flat, Goodyear engineers also were challenged to make it flat.

"Audi officials asked that our tire design not be too organic -- round and flowing. Instead, they wanted the tread design theme and elements to be planer -- plane as in relation to flat surfaces," said Bill Ratliff, an advanced design engineer at Goodyear.

"They felt a flat plane design would match the styling cues of the vehicle, so that's where we concentrated. The look of this Goodyear PAX tire is plane-like and very faceted. All of the little details, angles and surfaces catch and reflect a great amount of light and shadows in a way that is unique compared to other tread designs."

Seven initial tire designs were submitted by Goodyear to Audi. One was selected, and some changes were made to ready it for the new vehicle.

Design on the tire was a cooperative effort between Goodyear's engineers at the company's Akron, Ohio and Luxembourg technical centers. The concept tires for the vehicle on display in Detroit were laser-cut in Luxembourg. Although it is a concept design, the tire had to be somewhat driveable for photography and display purposes.

The tire size is 295/770R560, with measurements in millimeters. The rim diameter is 22 inches.

Tread design features include a center-faceted groove, minimal blading to keep the design as clean as possible, and an overall intent of providing an aggressive, biting-type of appearance.

"This design turned out to be a perfect match for the vehicle. It's very aggressive, yet well-suited for on-road driving," said Ratliff. Such credentials fit well with the vehicle, which is intended for the luxury sport 4x4 market as a touring vehicle first, with off-roading capabilities as secondary.

This also marks the initial North American showing of a Goodyear PAX tire, which comes as a result of the company's joint efforts with Michelin in PAX run-flat technology. Goodyear also continues working on its exclusive EMT (Extended Mobility Technology) run-flat tires, which have been commercially available since the mid-'90s. More than 1 million Goodyear EMT tires have been used on vehicles, and Goodyear has more than 100 run-flat projects ongoing with auto makers worldwide.