Hankook displays roller-skate concept tire in Geneva
Neu-Isenburg, Germany – Hankook will unveil its new concept tire on the new Opel GT Concept at the Geneva Motor Show, 3-13 March.
The tire, which is at a prototype stage, and has a “futuristic roller skate design”. It sports a solid colour with red placed on the front axle and black on the rear axle.
The tire can be driven at speeds of up to 100 km/h.
“The tire sidewall and tread design follows the seamless curves and futuristic look of the GT body, reflecting the dynamic flowing shapes of the study,” said Hankook in a statement on 2 March.
When producing the concept tires, said Hankook, engineers faced challenges of preparing the sidewall and tread pattern alongside the creation of rubber colour samples according to Opel specifications.
The red front tires in particular are reminiscent of the Opel Motorbike Motoclub 500 unveiled in 1928 that are an essential visual component of the study forming the beginning of the striking red “signature line” which highlights the contour of the GT Concept and makes it distinctive, resembling that of a pictogram.
The colouring, according to Hankook, is made possible by a special tread and sidewall compound which contains alternative filler materials on a white colour basis rather than carbon black.
The design and structure of the concept tires are similar to regular road tires despite the red and black colour differences, said the tire-maker.
These visual aspects "provide car drivers with further customisation options for their vehicles,” said Hankook vice-president Klaus Krause, head of the company’s European technical centre in Hanover, Germany.
Krause, however, admitted that in technical terms, taking the coloured design further than the sidewall would lead to “significantly higher production costs.”
This article is only available to subscribers - subscribe today
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
- Every issue of European Rubber Journal (6 issues) including Special Reports & Maps.
- Unlimited access to ERJ articles online
- Daily email newsletter – the latest news direct to your inbox
- Access to the ERJ online archive