Michelin
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Wooden tires don't have the best ring to them, but Michelin firmly believes they'll be a reality in 2020. The French tire maker told Motoring in a report published this month of its plans to introduce wood into tires, and it's all about moving away from oil. Cyrille Roget, Michelin's worldwide director of scientific and innovation communication, said the plan is to create more sustainable tires in the future, and experiments with wood waste have provided a solution. The tire maker will incorporate elastomers from wood chips to replace a tire's oil content. Today, 80 percent of materials found...
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Michelin working on tires rated to 300 MPHSupercars have become hypercars, and with that moniker upgrade we've seen a move to insane performance figures. The idea of a sub-2.0 seconds for the 0-60 mph run is being discussed while the other end of the speed spectrum has production vehicles knocking on the door of 280 mph and beyond. This is...
Jeff Glucker -
The Michelin Tweel airless tire is now available for UTVs
The Tweel (a portmanteau of tire and wheel) has been a concept in the tire industry for some time now. If you're not familiar with that term, it refers to an airless tire. Michelin has been developing its Tweel for over 10 years and first launched a commercial version six years ago for skid steer...
Jeff Glucker -
Has Michelin designed a better tire than its Pilot Super Sport?
If you have a vehicle that likes to perform, you'll do best to fit it with a set of Pilot Super Sport tires from Michelin. This is a seriously good set of rubber that will have you turning faster lap times, finding more aggressive turn-in from your car, and braking in less distance when compared to...
Jeff Glucker -
2017 Michelin Challenge Design imagines Le Mans in 2030
Michelin loves pushing the envelope when it comes to future automotive design. The tire company often holds design challenge contests that give gifted folks a topic and let them loose. For the 2017 challenge, which is so futuristic that it's taking place in 2016, the contestants were asked to...
Jeff Glucker -
Michelin to develop tires for Ford Performance fleet, including GT supercar
Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] is prepping for a global performance onslaught. The future lineup of the sporty side of the Blue Oval looks exciting thanks to the impending arrival of the new GT, Focus RS, Shelby GT350, and Raptor. If you like hooliganism behind the wheel, you're in luck. And now...
Jeff Glucker -
Combining a tire and wheel into a single airless object has proven to be a popular concept, although it still hasn't gone mainstream. Michelin recently announced a new production version of what it calls a 'tweel,' but not for any automotive applications—just yet. It will open a dedicated tweel-producing factory in Piedmont, South Carolina, this week. However these airless tires will be used on skid-steer loaders and certain models of John Deere lawnmower, not cars. MUST SEE: 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Packs New V-8, Serious Track Upgrades: Video Michelin's design uses a steel...
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Michelin EverGrip Tires Get Better With Age: Video
Tire tests, designed to explore the grip limits, traction, economy and noise of tires, are a vital consumer service. However capable your car is, it needs good tires to ensure it's as capable and safe in all conditions as possible. ALSO SEE: Polaris Airless Tires Go On Sale Testing has one major...
Antony Ingram -
DeltaWing May Race In ALMS After Le Mans
It might not be "one and done" for the Nissan DeltaWing, scheduled to take garage No. 56 at Le Mans that's reserved for technically innovative entries that aren't eligible to receive points in the 24 Heures du Mans on June 16-17. While the revolutionary Delta Wing debuts at The Sarthe circuit after...
Anne Proffit -
Guy Fieri To Drive Indianapolis 500 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Pace Car
Indianapolis Motor Speedway chose Guy Fieri, best-selling author and host of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" to be the honorary Pace Car driver for the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27. In this position, Fieri drives the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Pace Car to lead the field of 33...
Anne Proffit -
Nissan DeltaWing Tests In The Wet
The Nissan DeltaWing sports racer that occupies the 56th garage at this year's 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans began its European preparations with a wet test at the Snetterton circuit In Norfolk, UK on Tuesday, April 17. Scot Marino Franchitti and German Michael Krumm had the opportunity to acquaint...
Anne Proffit -
Nissan DeltaWing Heading To Europe
It's been a busy month of Nissan DeltaWing preparation for the 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans. First the revolutionary racecar had its first outing at Buttonwillow in central California, then it was trucked cross-country for a reveal and demonstration runs during the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. After...
Anne Proffit -
It doesn’t matter how much power you have under the hood, if you can’t get it to the ground sufficiently you won’t be going anywhere fast. Tires are one of the most overlooked features of a car, although they are arguably the single most important aspect in relation to performance, fuel economy, and--most importantly--safety of any car. Not surprisingly, automakers today work closely with tire manufacturers to ensure that optimal performance is guaranteed for their latest and greatest performance cars. Ferrari is one automaker that has close links with several tire...
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Michelin Ships DeltaWing Tires
Things are moving ahead for the DeltaWing Project, which occupies the 56th garage at this year's Le Mans 24 Hour race. That garage is reserved for cars outside the boundaries of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) rules that break new technological ground. Under construction at Dan Gurney's All...
Anne Proffit -
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 Tires Coming To A Supercar Near You
Michelin has launched the new Pilot Sport 3 to replace part of its Pilot Exalto and Pilot Sport 2 ranges, the latter being the tire of choice for the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 supercar and recently revealed Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. According to Michelin’s own test results, the new Pilot Sport 3...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Michelin's Active Wheel technology nears production
Michelin's Active Wheel technology has been 12 years in the making, and now there is finally a commercial application of the astonishing technology in a small city car named the 'Will'. The new car will be able to seat five passengers, and its electric drivetrain will offer a range of around 150km...
Jeremy Weber -
Michelin partners with China’s MGL to produce Active Wheel powertrains
Tire manufacturing giant Michelin is partnering with China's CITIC Guon Mengguli Corporation (MGL) to develop a new-generation electric powertrain systems based on its Active Wheel technology. The first commercial applications of Active Wheel are expected to be in production in China early next...
Jeremy Weber -
Michelin’s Active Wheel technology in detail
Michelin’s Active Wheel technology has been around for the past couple of years but actual applications of the electronic powertrain and handling management system are still hard to come by. Over the years the technology has been showcased in a number of concepts, and at this week’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Venturi is most widely recognized for its all-electric Fetish, a compact Roadster similar to the Tesla Roadster that is still in development and is due to hit the streets in June of next year. The company, which is based in Monaco, has now presented a new electric concept in the form of the Volage, which is on display at the Paris Motor Show this week. In building the concept, Venturi called upon Michelin to bestow its new ‘active wheel’ technology. The new feature utilizes two independent motors in each wheel - one to transmit power to the ground and the other to control the...
