The paper describes the status achieved and potentials remaining for the near future, looking above all at major technological process in tyre design and mixtures of materials. Somewhat greater attention is given to current and new premises for the design and development of tyres with the focus on tyre, suspension, and vehicle development at BMW, all of these activities involving motoring comfort, noise levels, rolling resistance, mileage, weight, mobility in winter recycling, and last but not least the question of whether a spare tyre is still necessary these days. The paper concludes with some critical but stimulating comments as to where the European tyre industry is going to.