THE THEORY OF REVOLUTION

Clever tech being pioneered by Pirelli and other tyre makers promises to put a car’s four contact patches right at the heart of the driving experience

- Jesse Crosse

When talk turns to tyres, the questions uppermost in the minds of most drivers are 'how much is it?' and 'how long before it wears out?'.

Keen drivers will want to know more, like how quickly it will stop in the wet, how much cornering grip there is and, for the really savvy, its effect on the steering and rolling resistance. Those are some of the traditional characteristics by which tyres are judged, but before too much longer they are likely to be involved in some far more advanced roles, like controlling the car and communications.

Pirelli is one of those manufacturers looking to the future and exploring what else the tyre can do for the driver. Last year it developed what it calls "the first tyre in the world that talks to your car", which made its debut on McLaren's 671bhp Artura hybrid supercar. The Cyber Tyre is based on a Pirelli P Zero, but the same technology could be applied to any Pirelli tyres. It consists of a tiny chip that senses minute details of the tyre's behaviour, then transmits it back to the car, which can respond accordingly.

For all the sophisticated work that lies behind a car's chassis and suspension, those four contact patches are crucial and it makes sense to get the most out of them, as Pierangelo Misani, executive vice-president of research and development and cyber, explains.