The Wildest Tires and Wheels Around

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Bridgestone showed off its unusual Air Free concept tire at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. As the name suggests, you don't need to pump up this tire. The outer tread is just a thin band of rubber, while the shock-absorbing "spokes" are made from resin. Every part of the concept tire is recyclable.

Bridgestone isn't the only tire company with an airless tire. Michelin's Tweel airless radial tires are available for applications ranging from lawn mowers to golf carts. The spokes are made from a high-strength poly-resin and make the tires less "bouncy" than regular tires.

This might look like a weird basketball, but it's actually Goodyear's spherical Eagle 360 Urban concept tire from 2017. The 3D-printed tire uses a polymer that stretches like skin. Embedded sensors keep track of changing road conditions. It's a fascinating idea, but the round shape wouldn't fit with most current vehicles.

These tires flew into space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour's last mission in 2011. NASA says the tires aren't much larger than a truck tire, but are made with a minimum amount of tread to save on weight. The tires were designed to touch down at speeds of up to 250 mph (400 kph).

Electric cars still get a bad rap for their limited range between recharging stops. Goodyear's 2015 BH03 concept tire runs with the idea of taking heat generated while driving and turning it into electrical energy that can be used to recharge a vehicle on the go. It's a nifty concept, but don't expect to see these on Teslas anytime soon.

Hankook's eMembrane concept tire is a clever shape-changer that Hankook describes as having "optimal friction variable tread." That dip you see in the middle expands outward to create a fuller tread as the vehicle speeds up. This feature reduces friction and improves fuel efficiency at low speeds, but then increases grip at higher speeds to boost driving performance. Think of it as a mood-changing tire.