Tires are a critical component of any vehicle. When selecting tires, discussions often center on personal preference; some enthusiasts prefer switching between summer and winter tires, while others value the convenience of all-season tires for year-round use. Regardless of preference, most vehicle owners benefit from a variety of choices, as there are usually several options available at different price points.
However, when highly specialized tires become necessary for exceptional tasks, such as landing supersonic navy jets or transporting hundreds of tons of rock, only select tires are suitable for the job, and they come at a hefty price. In fact, these tires are so expensive that one could purchase a new car for the price of just one of them. Today, we will discuss tires that cost more than a brand-new car, and in some cases, are equivalent in price to several new cars combined, making them among the most expensive tires in the world.
Expensive tires required for mining duties and aviation
Kicking off the list are Michelin XDR 59/80R63 tires, used by the Caterpillar 797F mining truck. At 13 feet tall, these massive tires are as tall as two Chevrolet Suburbans and longer than a Mini Cooper two-door. Beyond their size similarities to a new car, these tires are also priced comparably. At up to $59,000 per tire, for the same amount, one could buy three brand-new Nissan Versas, two Chevy Trax, or one BMW i4 eDrive40. So why do these tires cost so much?
Composed of heat-resistant rubber, the robustly constructed Michelin XDR 59/80R63 tire allows the Caterpillar 797F mining truck to transport 400 tons of rock and dirt while navigating through knee-deep mud, rocky terrain, and other obstacles to fulfill its mining duties. As a six-wheeled vehicle, the Caterpillar 797B requires six tires, totaling $354,000. However, considering the 797B is priced at $5 million, the tires represent 7% of the vehicle’s price, and, according to Michelin, these tires can handle loads that are 10% heavier than those of competing tires.
On the aviation front, the tires of the F/A-18 Super Hornet Navy fighter jet cost $100,000 each. They allow the jet to land at speeds of 172 mph. For the same price as one tire, you could buy four new Honda Civics, two Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Roads, or one Audi A8 luxury sedan.
One tire for form and another tire for function
Another workhorse tire is the Firestone 70/70-57 Super Rock Grip, which boasts remarkable capability. Used on the largest front-end loaders, these tires can support a 250,000-pound loader while it carries 160,000 pounds. Weighing almost 8 tons, a Super Rock Grip tire stands 13 feet tall and 6 feet wide. By leveraging both innovative construction methods and handcrafting, it takes 40 workers 88 hours to construct just one of these tires. Reported prices range from $120,000 to $167,000 per tire.
However, prices may vary depending on the dealer. At $120,000 per tire, it costs nearly as much as a new Porsche 911 Carrera or two new BMW 530is. With four tires required per loader, an operator is looking at spending $480,000 on tires alone.
Sure, $120,000 is a lot for a single tire, but what about $150,000 per tire? That’s what Z Tire achieved with a very special set of their high-performance Z1 tires. Adorned with diamonds set in 3D-printed white gold and 24-karat gold leaf, these tires stand out more for their form than for their function. At this price, you could buy a new Mercedes-AMG SL 55 or a new Mercedes G 550 SUV. While some of these tires, like the Z tire, are more for show, others enable fighter jets to support the Navy’s needs or enable mining trucks and front-end loaders to haul rock and dirt. Thus, one could say their unique capabilities justify their remarkable price tags.
