When the new 1 Series went on UK sale in October, BMW reaffirmed its market-leading stance on the fitment of run-flat tyres to volume-selling vehicles - a position that could change the face of both the tyre and motoring industries in time.

Continental's Self Supporting Runflat Tyres (SSR) were selected by BMW as Original Equipment (OE) on the 1 Series. A decision which was made following eight years of intensive product testing by the Bavarian Motor Works and involved investigations into the various alternative solutions to the run-flat conundrum.

Commenting on Continental's involvement, Key Account Manager for (OE) business, Richard Durance said: "Throughout the product testing we were committed to developing a product that performed at least as well as traditional pneumatic tyres. In the ContiPremiumContact SSR we have succeeded. Braking, cornering and even rolling resistance in both wet and dry conditions are as good as a conventional tyre."

The advantages of Continental's SSR technology are numerous but key to its adoption by BMW was its ability to be applied universally. No special wheel rims or unique fitting equipment is required, avoiding problems in the aftermarket.

Run-flat tyres are also standard fitment on BMW's 5 series, 6 Series, Z4 roadster and MINI and Continental's SSR technology is scheduled to appear on the forthcoming 3 Series, which goes on sale early in 2005.

"At present run-flat tyres are more expensive than conventional tyres and around 10% heavier. However, with heavyweight manufacturers such as BMW recognising the benefits of technologies like SSR these costs are likely to come down as sales volumes increase and economies of scale come into play."

For the automotive industry, the implications of removing the spare wheel - even a space saver - from a vehicle should not be underestimated. Not only will weight savings contribute towards the continuing search for fuel efficiencies but also valuable space can be reclaimed.

With engineers and car designers alike already talking about how this additional space could allow the greater use of on-board technology, such as driver aids and safety devices, the greater use of run-flat tyres has the potential to shape the future of driving itself.