Simply put, a single layer of material on the inside of thetyre’s carcass.All the materials used in a tyre are about performance – abalance of grip, flexibility and durability. It may surprise you to hear thatthe ideal mix of rubber is actually porous, so will slowly leak air. In thepast, this was overcome by fitting a tube with a completely different rubbermix that would contain the air much bett...

In this photo we have a 180/55 ZR17 (73W) tyre, whichmeans it’s 180mm wide, and the profile height is 55% of that, so 99mm. The 17relates to the rim size – 17inches – while the 71W is the speed and loadrating; 365kg and 168mph (270kmh). Because that rating is in brackets, it meansthe tyre is capable of speeds above the figure, but if there were no brackets,it’d mean the rating was the maximum. The...