These Hankook concept tyres are completely bad-ass

The motoring press tends to spend an inordinate amount of time writing about concept cars. What tends to be forgotten in all the hype surrounding the latest dream beast from Audi, or Porsche, or Nissan, are the four strips of rubber keeping said car on the road. South Korean tyre company Hankook is looking to change that.

The company this week released the results of its Design Innovation 2014 ’initiative, a bi-annual initiative that looks to provide a glimpse into what the future of tyres might look like. And if the results of this year’s initiative, held in partnership with the University of Design, Engineering and Business in Pforzheim, Germany, then the future looks pretty damn awesome.

This year, the theme was ‘A Great Challenge for a Great Change’: to develop concept tyres that address alterations in the terrain as a result of climate change. As such, the Boostrac, Alpike and HyBlade were born tackle desertification, heavy snow and heavy rain.

Read more: Fancy a drive in the snow? Check out these push-button studded tyres

Here’s how the company describes the three concept tyres:

Boostrac boasts hexagonal tread blocks that can transform into an expanded mode for intensified traction – especially on steep and rough conditions such as desert and mountain roads.

Alpike, along with the studs and gaps, is designed with a tyre circumferential expansion mode, which increases vehicle ground clearance, making it optimal for heavy snow.

HyBlade is designed to provide the ideal solution for heavy rain. It’s equipped with ‘waterwheel’ tread and side spokes that create driving and steering force in heavy rain.

Hankook has also released a video showing off the new concepts and if it’s anything to by then our future includes some mind-blowing Mario Kart-meets-Mad Max style racing.