BMW showcases runflat tyres technology

Automakers invest a great deal of time, effort and money to make modern cars safer and more comfortable than ever before, and none more so than BMW. The engineers at the German car manufacturer have incorporated various cutting-edge technologies into their vehicles over the years.

"One of the most dangerous situations motorists can find themselves in is a high-speed tyre puncture," explained Mr. Ayad A-Siaidi, Sales and Administration Manager.

"It usually causes the vehicle to go out of control, leaving the car and its occupants are at the mercy of the laws of physics. Even if the puncture does not occur at high speeds, the driver must change the tyre on the spot, resulting in severe inconvenience.

"And given Qatar's traffic situation, this could also turn out to be quite dangerous if you are parked at the roadside in busy traffic," he added.

To remedy the situation, BMW has developed the Runflat tyre. With heavily reinforced tyre sidewalls and specially engineered wheel rims, the Runflat tyre will remain completely functional even at zero tyre pressure. Mr. A-Siaidi elaborated, "Not only does this mean that the car will remain in the driver's control in an emergency, but dangerous and tedious roadside tyre changes are also eliminated."

Runflat tyres can comfortably travel up to 150 km at speeds of up to 80 km/h even when they're completely flat - more than enough range to get to the nearest workshop. The technology also incorporates a Tyre Pressure Indicator (TPI) to warn the driver of loss of tyre pressure, lest the puncture escapes his attention completely.

As for other fringe benefits, the elimination of the spare tyre means more boot space as well as reduced vehicle weight, resulting in enhanced performance. So there's every reason for BMW aficionados to celebrate the new BMW innovation.