Update: Tire Lights Actually Still Exist, Are Completely Absurd

After reading our post on dumb inventions from the last century, many commenters declared that lighted tires were actually a great idea and wondered why they haven’t caught on (especially among rappers). So we did some more research.

We assume that the illuminated tire of the 1960s didn’t catch on because someone at Goodyear realized that inflatable tubes and lots of glass are not a good recipe for road safety. As LEDs and fiber optics have become more common, we thought someone might have taken another crack at it. Alas, we couldn’t find a modern day illuminated tire.

We did find some motion-sensitive LEDs that attach to the inflation stem and create a ring around the wheel when the car is moving. These are pretty cool, but we were expecting something even more ridiculous.

Luckily, we weren’t disappointed. Behold the Dub Custom PimpStar, which is a set of programmable LEDs that attach to a car’s wheels and can display pictures and messages. Some example images on the PimpStar’s site include an American flag, a dollar sign, the Air Jordan logo, or a naked lady mud flap silhouette.

But the PimpStar is even better because it has wireless connectivity, allowing you to “create your own images and send them to each wheel individually or all wheels at the same time as you drive!”

Not impressed? Check out this video:

A 22-inch tire and wheel set starts at $12,050.

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