DETROIT (Jan. 6, 2004) — Goodyear appears to have a monopoly on big at this year's North American International Auto Show, supplying concept tires on three of the show's largest concept vehicles.
Of the bunch, those fitted to Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.'s FTX full-size pickup are the biggest, on/off-road tread designs in size P335/55R22.
Also grabbing attention is a set of off-road run-flat tires, size LT315/80R18, fitted to the Jeep Rescue, an extreme off-road concept vehicle dubbed a “Hummer-beater” by some media, and a set of LT265/70R18 block-tread radials on the Ford Bronco concept.
At nearly 19 feet in length, seven feet in width, and six-and-one-half feet in height, the Toyota FTX is a full-fledged"Super-C-Cab" 4x4 pickup truck concept that provides styling and engineering clues as to what Toyota's next generation full-size pickup could incorporate, the company said. It is powered by a large-displacement V8 hybrid gas-electric engine.
DaimlerChrysler's five-passenger Jeep Rescue “is the supreme trail search and research vehicle,” featuring 37-inch tall run-flat tires for extra ground clearance and an onboard tire pressure control system that can “tune” tire pressures for maximum traction on all surfaces.
The massive Rescue—123-inch wheelbase, 80-inches wide—can be configured to run almost totally “open,” with a folding front windshield, a sliding glass sunroof in front, a fold-forward canvas roof in the rear and removable doors, Jeep said.
The onboard tire pressure system and run-flat tires negate the need for a spare tire, Jeep said. The hydropneumatic suspension adjustable ride height and an additional four-inch lift are available for extra clearance, for fording streams, for example. It is powered by a Cummins diesel.
The hand-carved concept tires feature a wrap-around tread on the shoulders and have a rugged off-road, directional tread pattern, Goodyear said.
“The Jeep Rescue is Jeep capability taken to maximum extreme and that, being Jeep, is unmatchable,” said Trevor Creed, senior vice president of Chrysler Group Design. “It is everything the Jeep brand represents—in a vehicle equipped for unequalled search and rescue service.”
The Bronco concept unveiled Sunday is a two-door sport-utility vehicle based on the Brazilian-built Ford EcoSport.