Bridgestone shows off world's biggest tire

TOKYO January 21, 2003; Japan Today reported that Bridgestone Corp. exhibited the biggest tire in the world at its factory in Kodaira, western Tokyo. The 5.1-ton tire is 4.02 meters in diameter and made specifically for 350-ton trucks used for carrying ore at mines in North America and Indonesia, according to Bridgestone.

The tire was developed by the top Japanese tire maker in November 2001 and made at its Shimonoseki factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The tires cost 3.5 million yen each, Bridgestone said. (Kyodo News)