a lightning strike, though rare, is incredibly powerful

found on http://b1gr1gs.tumblr.com/image/63675908581 happened in the Pilbara of Australia

innovation in tires to improve on a typical tire's life expectancy of only 2000 miles had some creative results

from the wonderful site The Old Motor and it's frequent look at the historical innovations and evolving vehicles and auto technology http://theoldmotor.com/?p=108611

By Ariejan Bos:

In the early days of the automobile, the pneumatic tire suffered from punctures, rapid wear and blowouts that could cause serious accidents. At that point in time, the future of this type of tire was not at all certain. In 1906, pneumatic tires would last for around two thousand miles if fitted to a standard sized touring car. However, if fitted to a heavy limousine or sedan which could weigh more than 2 tons, the life span of the tires might decrease to only about two hundred miles. Moreover, the price of tires in the early days was considerable and formed a large part of the yearly operating expenses of a car. Consequently, other solutions were sought to secure comfortable and safe driving without the worries of regular tire repairs and replacements.

below is from a forgotten source, possibly the Steampunk sites

the Michelin railroad tire and custom railcars (found on the Old Motor)

The pneumatic railroad tire developed by Michelin offered a number of advantages over the traditional wheel type in this relatively lightweight application. Passengers experienced a smoother, quieter ride. Better traction resulted in faster acceleration, shorter braking distances and improved climbing ability on grades. Greatly reduced rail wear likewise resulted in reduced track maintenance costs. Downside factors included higher fuel consumption caused by increased drag and the possibility of flats.  http://theoldmotor.com/?p=107711

just a reminder that, though I don't find time often enough, there is frequently terrific new content at http://theoldmotor.com

Off road tires? Or just for dry country, as you sure don't want these filling with mud

the big deal is that they are the first airless tires in a long time, about a hundred years, and probably no one alive was around the first time these were invented: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/07/draper-tire-salemans-dodge-with.html

thanks to Steve who found them on Gizmodo, who found them on Autoblog http://gizmodo.com/the-first-airless-tire-vehicle-you-can-own-is-a-wicked-1466598045/@zacestrada

this is the most focus on tires I've ever seen... and it's necessary too, autocross seems to rely more on traction than anything else

oddball colored tires and rims

things I never knew about tires, another good reason to read car magazines

Seriously, read the captions on the right... the Lotus tire built by Yokohama is a pound lighter than the version they sell to tire buyers!

The Mustang has the same tires as the Mercedes, a Pirelli P Zero

Coolest thing you'll see today, thermal camera monitoring of F1 racecars front tires

Thanks to Dan (DTM racing http://dtmracing.us/ )

"Shop around" so said the Capt and Tenille, and they were right... tire comparison 2013, this time Tire Depot on Adams Ave beats all the rest

With a classic Coke bottle vending machine and a 60's juke box in the customer service area, you gotta love a place like this. They even have a koi pond!

The tires on the Veloster were good for 40 thousand miles, now they're near bald

215/45r17 Nexen Cp671came from Hyundai on it, and stangely, can still be bought from places but not at the Hyundai dealership

So, the prices and tires from the places in order of  best price to worst, with out the door prices, and extras that impressed me

Tire Depot http://www.tiredepotinc.com/  and I doubt any company can beat the reviews on Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz/tire-depot-san-diego-2

376 out the door

SD tire and wheel
430 out the door

Kearny Mesa Hyundai
same brand etc, but part number CP672
520 out the door

Discount Tire
normally my go to for buying but the prices were way too high this time
440 plus extra costs for install and road hazard which is something I value from them, but can't afford this time. 610 out the door with the road hazard

Evans Tire
420 out the door with some nonsense about buy 2 get 2 free

EXP Tires
buy 4 Cooper tires, and get 4 MLB tickets to the Padres
I don't need to waste that much time talking to people at a ball game. They bore me as I wait for the next ball to be thrown and only to see a strike. Yippee. Hooray. 15 bucks a beer.
550 for Cooper Zeon RS3a

Walmart
Very cool, the nice guy behind the counter insisted on looking at the tire and verifying he would be getting the right tire for me. Wow. I am impressed with that from the place I expected to be the worst
575 Eagle Authority tires

Costco
They impressed me by looking up the car to see what it should get. Yes, they were the only ones!
They only had Bridgestone Euopa. Fine tire, but 300 more than Tire Depot. 65k mileage warranty
671 out the door

Good stuff found on Go Away Garage

spare spark plugs mounted next to the gauge and clock... and in inclinometer... very cool

and this is one BIG fire engine!

All from http://goawaygarage.blogspot.com/

Imagine having a grand opening for your tire store and Goodyear arranging for the land speed record holding car to be there!

coolest thing I've ever heard Goodyear doing

Found on  http://carrosantigos.wordpress.com 

Now not even a shadow of it's former reputation and business size, JC Penny once catered to muscle cars

image from http://megadeluxe.com

In spring of 2012, they were busted overinflating prices just to have a sales price http://business.time.com/2013/05/02/jc-penney-reintroduces-fake-prices-and-lots-of-coupons-too-of-course/

Winter tires... work better at cold temps below 45 degrees F than summer tires due to the rubber staying pliable

they also have tread designs that are better at tracking through snow and slush, but its the supple rubber that doesn't get rigid like the summer tires rubber compound when cold

Michelin (very expensive) claims (!) 25% better traction than their competitions tires for winter tires

have an older vehicle that doesn't have the computer telling you the tire pressures, and want to know fast and easy if the tires are still correctly aired up?

TPMS sensors are pricey. A couple hundred each last time I saw one sold. And without a cars computer to interact with the sensor, the next best thing are these! Cool idea!

Found at SEMA. Best place to look though new gizmos, gadgets, and products fro vehicles

The Mickey Thompson tire booth had a big variety to display, and Kenny Youngblood doing art too!

 You get to choose which car you like from the above, and Kenny colors it up the way you prefer, and then adds your name to it. A donation is a nice thing though... just saying. Artists starve for their art too often

the Bead Bazooka, a new way to get that damn tire to pop onto the rim. Yup, I've had some that weren't co-operative

good use of old tires, cut them up and use them to hold your pens!

clever use of your company waste by-products as SEMA schwag

beverage coasters made of recycled tires. That is brilliant

the Myers Tire Supply tabletop display at SEMA 2012