'Discolor Tyre' Turns Orange When Tread is Gone
Gimmickry drapes over the auto industry these days like Snuggies on impulsive Christmas shoppers. Sometimes they’re useful, but in other cases, it’s too much bull to bear.
Nissan marketed its 2013 Altima last year with an ad campaign suggesting how much easier life would be if there were a horn to toot just before you went too far with something. Of course, that was meant to promote the car’s feature which does just that as you refill your tire pressure — useful, no? Enter the latest in idiot-proof tire technology.
It’s called the “Discolor Tyre” and it does exactly what you’ve already guessed. As drivers wear their rubber to the nub, a differently-colored material shows through. You know it’s time to change them once the color is showing.
The tires are estimated to last about 12,400 miles before the orange tread begins to show, and while most drivers will probably balk at the notion that this is necessary technology, it does have other merits. For example, having differently-colored core rubber makes finding leaks easier.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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Does it have to be orange ;(