With the advancement of technology, tires have evolved into expensive, innovative products. The brand is just one factor in determining the price of tires. Most times, tires are expensive if they are new and unique, or use ground-breaking technology. Good quality tires ensure superior road comfort and safety of utility vehicles and high performance cars.
Here is a list of the top 10 most expensive tires. Read on to find out what makes them special and how much do they cost.
- #10 Formula 1 (F1) tires – $1,500 each
- #9 Boeing 747 tires – $2,000 each
- #8 Monster Truck tires – $2,500 each
- #7 Space Shuttle tires – $5,500 each
- #6 Michelin Pilot Sport PAX tires (For Bugatti Veyron) – $10,000 each
- #5 Ziesel Wheelchair, Tank-Inspired tires
- #4 Caterpillar 797 Dump Truck tires – $42,500 each
- #3 LeTourneau L-2350 front-loader tires – $63.000 each
- #2 A380 Super Jumbo Jet Airplane tires – $90,000 each
- #1 Gold Plated Z tires. – $600,000
#10 Formula 1 (F1) tires – $1,500 each
Formula One tires are the hallmark of tire and vehicle technology. A Formula One car needs nearly 20 tires for one race. Because these tires have to support high speeds, they have rather low resistance capabilities for wear. However, new technology continues to be designed and used to enable them to go an extra mile.
The life cycle expected of the typical race car tires is only 200km of 30 minutes of the track, after which these tires are generally recycled. The cost of a Formula One tire is approximately $1500. Leading manufacturers of this niche market are Pirelli and Bridgestone and they are suppliers for drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
#9 Boeing 747 tires – $2,000 each
The tires used in wide bodied commercial airplanes such as the Boeing 747 are huge and very expensive. With a 2.1 m diameter and 110 kg weight, these tires are $2000 each. No wonder air travel is so expensive.
The Boeing 747 uses 18 tires altogether. The tires make certain that the weight is distributed evenly throughout the surface of the plane. The average lifespan of an airplane tire is 6 years with the retreading process.
#8 Monster Truck tires – $2,500 each
Monster truck tires are highly specialized tires with a specific height and weight. Firestone and Goodyear are the two companies that make Monster Truck tires. Each tire takes approximately 50 hours to build because it has to be hand cut.
These tires have to be built according to a particular size so that they can support the specific style of Monster Truck driving. The size of a tire is 1.7 m width and 2.6 m height. With all these specifications and requirements, it is no surprise that each of these Monster Truck tires costs $2500.
#7 Space Shuttle tires – $5,500 each
Space Shuttle tires are highly specialized and very expensive. Priced at $5500, these Michelin tires for space shuttles are single landing tires. Quite surprisingly, the front tire on a spaceship is quite similar in specifications to that on a standard or ordinary truck.
They are filled with nitrogen gas at a pressure of up to 340 psi and weigh approximately 56 tonnes. They can carry a weight of nearly 60 tons. These amazing tires can run at an amazing speed of 420km/hour.
#6 Michelin Pilot Sport PAX tires (For Bugatti Veyron) – $10,000 each
The Pilot Sport PAX tires are manufactured by Michelin for one of the most expensive cars ever, the Bugatti Veyron. This particular car model is one of the fastest ever cars that go at an amazing 400km/h speed. In under 14 seconds, the Bugatti can reach 0-300km/h.
The Michelin Pilot Sport tire provides accurate control, handling, traction, and grip. One of the most amazing qualities of these tires is that they keep going even after a puncture. This makes them very useful and convenient. One of these fantastic tires costs $10000 which may seem very high otherwise but not that much when you consider the price of this car, which is over $2.5 million.
#5 Ziesel Wheelchair, Tank-Inspired tires
The Ziesel Wheelchair is of course not the regular wheelchair. It is a machine with tires that look like a tank’s tires. This vehicle runs at a speed of 35 km/h because of its high-performance motors which use Lithium-Ion powered batteries.
Some brilliant Austrian engineers designed this heavy-duty equipment with a tubular steel frame with a 4-point safety harness. Because of the harness, the Ziesel Wheelchair offers rollover protection and maximum grip.
You are not likely to see the Ziesel Wheelchair on regular roads, but you can spot it on European ski slopes. It is very useful on such terrain because of its optional towbar for snowmobiles.
#4 Caterpillar 797 Dump Truck tires – $42,500 each
The Caterpillar 797 Dump Truck is a heavy-duty utility vehicle that can carry very heavy loads. This truck is known as the world’s largest dump truck. It is powered by super strong Michelin tires that are huge and very heavy.
These tires weigh a gigantic 5,300 kilograms, measure 400 cm in height, and come at an exorbitant $42,500 price each. This makes them some of the most expensive tires in the world and number 4 on our list. One of the reasons for the high price is their dimensions.
Rather interestingly, these tires come in a set of six tires as per the Caterpillar 797 Dump Truck requirements. They are made for this model specifically. One of these tires contains nearly 900 kilograms of steel and can carry 100 tons.
#3 LeTourneau L-2350 front-loader tires – $63.000 each
The LeTourneau L-2350 has the world’s third most expensive tires. According to the Guinness World Record, this gigantic front loader is the biggest earthmover in the world.
The tires are an amazing 6.8 tonnes in weight, 4 meters in diameter, and 1.8 inches in width. One of these giant tires costs a huge $63,000. These tires have a 12-month lifespan and are generally covered in chains for prolonged life.
A heavy-duty machine, the LeTourneau L-2350 is used for surface mining. The super truck is designed for center load-hauling trucks and can manage a capacity of 400 tons. With an 80 ton payload, this truck has an operational weight of 260 tons and 2,300 horsepower. Because of all these specifications, each tire on this truck is very expensive.
#2 A380 Super Jumbo Jet Airplane tires – $90,000 each
The A380 Super Jumbo Jet Airplane tires are the second on our list of 10 most expensive tires. As evident by the name, these tires are generally used on huge jumbo jet planes. The average lifespan of these tires is approximately 300 landings or 6 months of routine use.
Such tires are designed to manage the pressure of landing, extremely heavy loads for small durations, and the weight of the airplane. Additionally, the weight of the airplane has to be distributed throughout its surface evenly. No surprise at all that the price of these tires is $90,000 each.
#1 Gold Plated Z tires. – $600,000
The Gold Plated Z tires are at the top of our list of the ten most expensive tires. These tires are neither too rugged nor massive, yet very expensive.
Z tires have designed and developed these tires with some very unusual qualities. They are gold-plated and have diamonds and 24-carat gold embedded in them.
These tires were made as a collector’s item and a set of four tires were sold in Dubai at the REIFEN Trade Fair. The Guinness Book of World Records has listed them due to their unique design. Each of these tires was sold for an exorbitant amount of $150,000.
Made for collectors, the set of four tires was sold at the REIFEN Trade Fair in Dubai. Because of their unique design, they also found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records – each of them was sold at $150,000.
