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Where the (Silica-Polymer Compound) Rubber Meets the Road

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Look at any car rendering and you'll see the tires get the least attention. The treads are hidden by fancy fenders, and the thin black ellipses offering the barest suggestion of rubber are there only to provide an outline for a flashy rim design. Yet tires require design too, and Japanese manufacturer Falken has come up with a breakthrough by mucking around with them on the materials level.

Falken has struck upon a blend of silica/polymer/rubber to create a new compound that doesn't heat up as much, during rolling, as the conventional stuff. This means less rolling resistance and improved mileage. The properties of the material also cause it to provide a larger point of contact with the asphalt than a same-sized tire made of conventional material, which means Falken's offers better grip.

The designers have also redesigned the tread pattern to better evacuate water when driving in the rain, and added their "Special Eyes" feature to the treads: See those little dots in the pattern? As the tire wears away, the dots turn from round to square, letting you know it's time to rotate them. Eventually the square disappears altogether, meaning it's time for a new set.

The tire, called the ZIEX ZE914, is scheduled to be launched in Europe this Spring. They're mum on North American plans, with Falken's U.S./Canada website offering no mention of the tire, but more details on the tire are here.

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