Photo: Car and Driver
We’ve mentioned winter tires a few times already, and with the chilly season winding down, you might wonder why we’re bringing them up again. Well when a company like Nokian designs a tire this cool, we would probably write about it even on the hottest day of summer.
If you’re not aware, Nokian was the first name in winter tires, all the way back in 1934. Based in Finland, it’s an understatement to say they deal with snowy roads a lot. Their renowned Hakkapeliitta tires are considered some of the best in the world, and they come in plain winter tread and a studded version.
Of course the big issue with studded tires is that they aren’t good for snowless roads. Whenever the snow melts, you have to switch back to another pair of tires, and who wants to be bothered with that?
Nokian asked this question, too, and this is what they came up as a solution:
These new Hakkapeliitta concept tires (or tyres, as that side of the Atlantic would spell it) have retractable studs that can be deployed or withdrawn with the push of a button. Not only will you have easily controlled additional traffic, but you can feel like James Bond every time you activate those studs. No word yet on a company that’s working on an ejector seat, unfortunately.
Nokian hasn’t given any clues about how these tires work, but it sure would be awesome if they went into production sometime before next Winter. Leith is all about anything that makes the road a safer place.