Mercedes has developed a way to upcycle used GT3 race car tyres and turn them into a luxurious leather alternative, taking the idea of motorsport DNA running through its road cars to another level.
The cowhide replacement, which has been given the catchy name ‘Labfiber Biotech Leather Alternative’, was developed by Mercedes and American start-up, Modern Meadow. It was one of many innovations featured in the AMG GT XX concept, but the two companies are working together to put it into production cars soon.
The process starts by recycling the spent tyres, breaking them down into granules, then combining those with biomethane from agricultural waste to create pyrolysis oil. This is then turned into plastic microfibres used to create the new textile.
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