Smoke Signals: Making A Statement With Coloured Smoke Tyres

In recent years, gender reveal celebrations have skyrocketed in popularity. Expectant parents now have endless options to announce the gender of their baby, from colourful balloons to confetti-filled piñatas and everything in between, with entire websites dedicated to the trend.

But what about car enthusiasts? Surely there's a creative way for them to reveal the gender of their little petrolhead in a uniquely automotive style.

This week, a video went viral showcasing a rather creative—and controversial—gender reveal. The highlight? A burnout stunt where the tyres released blue smoke, announcing the arrival of a baby boy. While undeniably eye-catching, the stunt took a dangerous turn when the driver pushed the tyres too far, causing the vehicle to catch fire.

At AutoGuru, we certainly don’t endorse such risky behaviour, but it’s hard to deny the spectacle of it all. Unfortunately, the excitement came at a high cost—significant damage to the vehicle, not to mention the serious safety risks posed to the driver and nearby spectators. Unsurprisingly, the police were quick to take an interest in the incident.

This brings us to the topic of coloured tyres, which you may not be familiar with unless you're part of the burnout scene. These tyres, designed to emit vibrant smoke in shades like blue, pink, or even green, have been around for over a decade. They're often used in competitive burnout events, where the smoke colour is sometimes matched to the car's paintwork for dramatic effect.

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that coloured tyre smoke creates a striking visual. But as this viral stunt reminds us, some things are better left to controlled environments rather than public roads.

How Do Tyres Create Coloured Smoke?

To understand how tyres produce coloured smoke, we first need to take a closer look at their properties and what happens when they heat up enough to create smoke.

Modern tyres are made from a combination of synthetic and natural rubber, reinforced with wire and fabric, all carefully moulded into the shape of a tyre. They also include various chemical compounds, including ‘carbon black,’ which gives tyres their familiar black colour.

But why is the tyre smoke white, not black?

When performing a burnout with regular tyres, the white smoke is caused by the oxidation of specific rubber compounds. As the tyres spin against the road surface, friction generates intense heat, vaporising these compounds and creating white smoke.

For coloured smoke, this principle is slightly altered. During the manufacturing process, a special dye is added to the tread surface of the tyres. Once the tyres reach high temperatures—such as during a burnout—the dye vaporises along with the rubber, creating a vibrant plume of coloured smoke. However, since the dye is only applied to the tread, the smoke will return to white once the tread wears away.

It’s worth noting that these coloured-smoke tyres are not designed for regular street use. They are labelled for off-road purposes to discourage everyday wear and to ensure safety.

Of course, the idea of coloured burnout smoke appeals to the "hidden hoon" in all of us. Picture a dramatic reveal: slapping these tyres onto a roaring V8, hitting the throttle, and announcing a gender reveal in clouds of pink or blue smoke. It's a laughable yet strangely tempting image—complete with mates like Dazza and Shazza cheering from the sidelines.

But while the idea might sound fun in theory, the reality might not be as appealing. After all, who wants their car—or worse, their licence—to go ‘up in smoke’?