If you live in the area, Tokyo Families Magazine has directions to the park, which looks like this from space:

You can see more photos of the place on Flickr.

Photo Credit: WrightFlyer/Panoramio

It's all there: Tires for Volkswagens! Bias-ply tires! Glass-belted tires! Rated at 125 MPH! Non-metric size designations!
[Los Angeles Times Blogs, thanks to West-Coaster for the tip]

'When did they make 2009 a year of 28 months?' you ask. They didn't, but Pirelli, bless their hearts, threw a lot of the images that didn't make the final cut onto their website. The things they do to sell tires. Speaking of which, we were thinking just now about how Pirelli's are a superior tire in every way, and a brand that adds not only performance, but style to automobiles. Wait, what the...? The marketing! It works! Nooooooo! [Pirelli (NSFW)]

Kumho describes its tires as having “semi-run-flat capability," though we're pretty sure since there's basically no air in them anyway, they're running semi-flat all the time. Judge for yourself: The actual press release, on which we can find no signs of cocaine, follows.

KUMHO LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST 15 SERIES TYRE

Ever the innovator, Kumho is launching the world’s first ultra low profile 15 Series tyre at the 2008 SEMA (Speciality Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas this week (November 4-7).

The 385/15ZR22 size ECSTA SPT KU31 has been developed as a conversion option for such exotic sports cars as the Ferrari F430, Dodge Viper, and Corvette Z06.

The company has used cutting-edge computer simulation technology to optimise the sidewall structure, thereby preventing the formation of standing waves or ripples in the contact patch – a problem that can occur with the build up of heat at high speeds.

The new tyre also benefits from a semi run flat capability, ensuring it remains firmly fixed to the rim even after a puncture or general loss of pressure.

“The world’s first 15 Series tyre is a perfect example of what we have achieved through our ongoing commitment to research and development,” said Sae-chul Oh, Kumho’s President and CEO. “This is one of many innovations by our company which include aroma, coloured smoke and X-speed tyres. We will maintain our position at the cutting edge of tyre technology as we race towards our goal of becoming one of the world’s top five tyre makers.”

[source: Kumho]

5.) They're Damaged
So... you're telling us damage is bad? Wow. Guess we'll have to stop carving "Jalopnik was here" with a knife into people's tires and calling it a PR stunt. Actually, a careful inspection for missing chunks of rubber, bulges (unsightly or otherwise) and evidence of curb or debris damage can keep you from having to call a tow truck when you're miles from home.

4.) They're Deteriorated
Not to be confused with damage, deterioration happens over time due to atmospheric conditions — mainly ozone in the air acting on the rubber to produce dry rot. Deterioration can be sneaky, resulting in weak spots that can lead to a blowout. Look for spiderweb cracks in the sidewall and a dull, dusty appearance to the rubber.

3.) They're Overinflated
Contrary to what your friend Jeff told you, inflating your tires well beyond the suggested pressure will not increase your fuel economy to 95 MPG.

2.) They're Underinflated
The corollary to overinflated, this condition is not to be confused with a "flat" tire (which is also bad). An underinflated tire doesn't just decrease your MPG, it can also lead to irregular wear. Want to know what the right inflation pressure for your tires is? Don't use the number on the tires — that's just the tire manufacturer's suggested maximum inflation pressure. Instead, check the sticker on the driver's door frame or inside the glovebox for the right pressure. Also, check the owner's manual.

1.) And the number one reason your tires fail is... (it's almost too obvious, but place your bets and check it out here.)

In all seriousness, the points themselves may seem obvious, but PopMech does a good job of explaining the hows and whys behind their top five failure modes, and they might just clue you in on something you've forgotten.

Specific to the ZR1, the 285/30-19 front and 335/25-20 rear tires use a different compound from that of the normal PS2s (which can also be found on the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V), designed to deliver ultimate track performance while retaining the ability to last for 20,000 miles of road use. We’re guessing burnouts may reduce their life expectancy substantially.

Unlike earlier versions of run-flat technology, which we weren’t big fans of thanks to increased unsprung weight and a harsher ride, these latest Pilot Sports’ reinforced sidewalls actually contribute to handling while inflated, helping to transfer braking and cornering loads in a more direct fashion.

Additionally, the tires make use of a two-part tread design with large, stable blocks on the outside for maximum grip (the ZR1 can pull 1.05 Gs on the skidpad) and a more grooved tread in the middle for better water dispersion and lower tire noise. The sections are joined by a special “lightning bolt” decoupling channel, which allows each section to movie slightly, independently of the other.

We drove the ZR1 on both the road and track — in dry conditions only — and never found the tires to be lacking. On the track, they deliver considerably more grip than expected, while on the road they ride surprisingly compliantly, at least for such a big tire. Michelin hasn’t finalized prices for the PS2 ZP yet, but expect replacements to cost “$300 to $400 a corner.” [Michelin]

Pair the Sweetskinz with some LCD rims and get ready to prove to the world that your tires are more gaudy than the incorrect body kit-equipped 1999 Honda Civic CRX that sits on said tires. [Sweetskinz via Crave]

How will you know when your tires' pressure is low? You're never able to see the tires when driving. We'd guess you would just have to get lucky and have the LED light blink at the right moment at night when it is visual and you are out of the car coming to or fro. It' available is a couple different models—the P-Eye UKP20 is the standard model and the UKP22 is the anti-theft model. [Via Gizmag]

The original LRV tires were woven out of piano wire and capable of supporting 60lbs for up to 75 miles. These new version adopt a denser weave and more advanced materials, with the goal of being able to support up to 600lbs over 100 miles. These concepts will be one of several designs strenuously tested across the remainder of the year, with a final version scheduled for released next winter. [via Carscoop]

When you flip a switch inside the car a wireless signal is sent to the tires that will inflate a pocket of air within each tire that makes the little studs protrude from the tire's tread. Like most specialty tires, the Q Celsius is about 30 percent more expensive than traditional tires, but the manufacturer is hoping the lazy factor sets in and people will pay more to not have to put on chains or swap out for winter tires. [Detroit News]

This trailer also shows Speed Racer as a kid, depicts heartfelt chats with his mom (Susan Sarandon!) and even includes a scene of Speed and Trixie parked on a hilltop, likely getting ready to get it on and make little big-eyed anime racer children. By the way, is anybody else having trouble seeing Matthew Fox of "Lost" fame as Racer X? [Gizmodo]

It's quite simple.

Using a special mixing technology to blend the synthetic oils that provide the fragrant scent into the rubber compound, these heat-resistant oils are said to enhance the bonding of rubber chains and maximize the viscoelasticity of the rubber compound, which helps reduce braking distances on wet or dry roads. The Ecsta DX Aroma compound also features silica to improve all-weather performance and wet traction.

Dana 60's front and rear, air lockers, hydraulic steering dampers, air suspension, and an Atlas transfer case
that goes from 2.7:1 all the way down to 20.68:1. In case you weren't counting, that's enough reduction to allow the 6.6L Duramax to drag Iceland south if he could find a good towing point. While Kristjan's dually fendered 'Burb is the baddest in the land, we're pretty interested in the T-Rex-like 6x6 Dodge Ram in one of the pics.

The TPMS-201 includes four tire valve caps that communicate wirelessly with a central unit located inside the vehicle. You can check your tire pressure whenever you want and, if you're low, dispatch Jeeves to the icy wastes of a gas station parking lot to re-inflate your treads. [CG]

How Purdue is reinventing this bit of wheel technology is by inventing a way to turn the entire tire into one big, rolling sensor, rather than having a single sensor in each tire. Having a layer of sensing material allows for anything from "cuts, punctures, manufacturing defects, imbalance, degradation and improper mounting" to be always analyzed and addressed if necessary.

Gary Krutz of Purdue's Electrohydraulic Center compared the tire to doughnut (because that has never been done before...) says that "if you poke it anywhere, like with a nail, we can tell you where it is at and that you poked it." How that relates to a doughnut still confuses me, though.

The target audience for the tires initially would be race cars, due to the nature of the tire use and how expensive those tires can be, but I'm sure truckers, AutoX drivers and drifters are listening as well.

If it reaches the consumer level, the estimated cost would be and additional $50 per tire. [Reuters]

(Image via plaxo)