Here’s one of those things that only gearheads would probably notice, but like … how? How does a super-wide high-performance tire end up in the gutter like this? This isn’t a donut spare tire on a wheel from a Toyota Camry or a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. It’s certainly not a blown-out carcass from an 18-wheeler. No, this looks like something off the back of a Porsche 911 or something; this is a wide high-performance tire. How does this even happen?
I was leaving Portland International Airport after returning from—ironically—a trip for tire testing with eBay Motors. While waiting at the stop light, I saw this big meat of a tire just sitting in the gutter. Now, I fully realize this is Portland, so you know, weird is our default. Maybe this super-wide high-performance tire fell off the back of a tire truck? Maybe someone stole it and realized a 275/30R20 wouldn’t fit their Mitsubishi Mirage G4 so they dumped it at the stop light? Maybe someone set a trap for me, Andy Lilienthal, to write a blog post about it. Frankly, I’m at a loss for an explanation.
What do you think happened here? Leave your best guess in the comments.
Andy Lilienthal is an award-winning writer and has written professionally since 1999. He has over 13 years in the automotive aftermarket working at companies including Warn Industries, Bushwacker, and Lund International. Editorial works include writing and photography for off-road print magazines, to new-car reviews online. He’s a photographer with images in multiple magazines, blog sites, and the New York Times.
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