C3M technology is what makes the color treads possible. Without discussing details, BF Goodrich folks say the system adds a new dimension of flexibility to tire production by allowing quick changeovers for low-volume specialty tires.

Ultimately, C3M is not expected to replace conventional tire manufacturing by Michelin or BF Goodrich. But the new process is being applied at a plant in Greenville - which produces Scorcher T/A - as well as a new facility in Reno, NV.

Why color tires, you ask? It all started with a pair of running shoes, Nike TN Airs, which rank among the most expensive running shoes on the market at $133. BF Good-rich engineers spotted the shoes, which feature black soles highlighted by distinctive blue inserts visible only from the bottom, and decided a color tire tread could do for a car what the TN Air does for the foot.

Through consumer research, BF Goodrich discovered serious interest on the part of "young and sporty" car enthusiasts, most of them male, who spend disproportionate amounts of money on aftermarket gadgets to customize their production vehicles with special wheels, neon-lit underbodies and superchargers.

BF Goodrich executives admit that most car buyers want simple black tires, but that car buffs find the product exciting. Color accents, they say, are the most common modification applied by car buffs.