Tire development today has come a long way from what it once was. Tires are now available with customized tread patterns, different colors, as run-flats or even with the ability to emit different colored smoke during burnouts. But German tire producer Continental has come up with possibly the most useful of all these developments, a self-healing tire that can repair itself during a puncture.

The tire contains a tacky, viscous coating on the inside of the tread which repairs any punctures as soon as they occur. The coating is also able to fill holes of up to 5mm in diameter if the puncturing object needs to be removed. The best part is however that the repair is permanent and not just a quick fix until youre able to replace it. And unlike run-flat tires the Continentals latest set of rubber can fit on all standard wheels and dont need pressure sensors to monitor tire pressures.

While some concerns exist over the strength of the tire structure after repair, Continental is set to start sales of its new ContiSeal tire from this summer.