When you think of the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, one word comes to mind: edgy.
Edgy, dazzling designs...concept cars that may only be a few miles away from actually rolling off an assembly line somewhere. Or far-out concepts that may never, ever see the light of day.
But it doesn't hurt to dream, right?
And dreams are what the auto show is all about. For real dyed-in-the-wool tire guys and gals, the vehicles just have to take a backseat to those big, black, round beauties they roll on. At the show, which ran from Jan. 11 to 19, Goodyear displayed tires ranging in diameter from 17 to 22 inches, with some tread sections more than a foot wide. Michelin North America Inc. used the venue to, among other things, tout the fitment of its PAX run-flat tire/wheel system on the spankin'-new Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Some concept tires-actually carved by hand-are as outlandish as the vehicles they grace. Others could very well be rolling into a tire dealership some time in the not-too-distant future.
We've captured some of the sights of the Motown extravaganza on this page. Now it's up to you to imagine the rubbery smells. Hot wheels indeed.