Modern aerodynamic advancements are starting to make cars look like flying saucers. Seriously, massive rear spoilers, jaunting front splitters, side-skirts, sculpted door mirrors, you name it. What about tires?
Tires present an aerodynamic challenge; they spin perpendicular to airflow creating friction and therefore drag. Yokohama has begun experimenting with aerodynamic tires, more specifically, tires with spoilers. The idea is that the spoilers sticking to the tire sidewall will “help to reduce vehicle aerodynamic drag when on the upper part of the tire during its rotation, while suppressing vehicle aerodynamic lift when on the lower part of the tire”.
It’s not the first time Yokohama has experimented with the concept of putting spoilers on tires; they did so in 2012, placing spoilers on the inner sidewall to reduce drag inside of the wheel wells. These concept tires will be found on display at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month.