Burnin' rubber: Track testing Bridgestone's all-new Potenza S007A at Phillip Island

Enthusiasts may obsess over them, but for the average motorist the black rubber rings under each corner of their car probably don’t occupy much thought until it comes time to replace them, and then it’s just another out-of-pocket inconvenience. Bridgestone is aware of this. The company’s marketing campaigns attempt to connect consumers with the stark reality that the couple of tonnes of fast-moving metal they’re strapped into rests on four hand-sized blocks of tread in contact with the ground.