Provided is a pneumatic tire. A profile line (PL1) of a center land portion (X) protrudes further outward in the tire radial direction than a standard profile line (PL0). Profile lines (PL2, PL3) of sub-center land portions (Y1, Y2) and shoulder land portions (Z1, Z2) defined outward of center main grooves (14a, 14b) in the tire width direction protrude outward in the tire radial direction further than the standard profile line (PL0). The shoulder land portions (Z1, Z2) are defined further outward than the sub-center land portions (Y1, Y2). Further, the profile lines (PL2, PL3) of the sub-center land portions (Y1, Y2) and the shoulder land portions (Z1, Z2) each include an outermost point (A2, A4) of the corresponding center main groove (14a, 14b) in the tire width direction and both end points (A5, A6, A7, A8) of the corresponding shoulder main groove (14c, 14d) in the tire width direction.

A center rib is formed by two circumferential main grooves. A main inclined groove and an auxiliary inclined groove are formed in the center rib. The main inclined groove is inclined with respect to the tire circumferential direction to become distanced from the tire equatorial plane from a leading side toward a trailing side in a tire rotational direction, a plurality of the main inclined grooves being juxtaposed in the tire circumferential direction and disposed alternately in the tire circumferential direction on both sides of the tire equatorial plane. The auxiliary inclined groove inclines with respect to the tire circumferential direction to become distanced from the tire equatorial plane from the leading side toward the trailing side in the tire rotational direction, a leading end and a trailing end terminating within the center rib while intersecting at least two of the main inclined grooves.

A tire includes a tread portion. The tread portion is provided with grooves each having a pair of groove walls. At least one of the groove walls is provided on a surface thereof with a pattern portion having a plurality of micro-protrusions. The pattern portion is provided with the micro-protrusions at a density of 1 to 5 per 1 mm.sup.2 of the groove wall area.

A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion 2 provided with shoulder axial grooves 10 extending from a shoulder main groove 3 to a tread edge Te while inclining to a first-side in the tire circumferential direction. The shoulder axial groove 10 has a first-side groove edge, a second-side groove edge, a first-side groove-sidewall 14 extending radially inward from the first-side groove edge 12, and a second-side groove-sidewall 15 extending radially inward from the second-side groove edge 13. The shoulder axial groove 10 has a part where the inclination angle β of the first-side groove-sidewall 14 with respect to a normal line passing through the first-side groove edge 12 perpendicularly to the tread surface 2s is more than the inclination angle α of the second-side groove-sidewall 15 with respect to a normal line passing through the second-side groove edge 13 perpendicularly to the tread surface 2s.

The molding element has a molding surface for forming a contact face of the contacting elements and a groove forming rib portion for forming the groove. The groove forming rib portion has opposed rib side faces for forming opposed groove side faces and a rib top face connecting the rib side faces for forming a groove bottom. The groove forming rib portion provides at least one space opening to at least one of the rib side faces and/or to the rib top face and an insert is received in the space. The insert is composed of a plurality of thin plates stacked in a direction along which the rib extends and comprises at least one notched plate of thickness t1 including at least one notch for forming a flexible fence of the closing device; and comprises at least one support plate of thickness t2 without notch.

A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion provided with circumferentially extending main grooves and lateral grooves. The main grooves include an inboard shoulder main groove, an outboard shoulder main groove, an inboard center main groove and an outboard center main groove. The lateral grooves includes a plurality of first outboard shoulder lateral grooves each having an axially inner end positioned between the outboard shoulder main groove and the outboard center main groove, and a plurality of first inboard shoulder lateral grooves each having an axially inner end positioned between the inboard shoulder main groove and the inboard center main groove, wherein the number of the first inboard shoulder lateral grooves is greater than the number of the first outboard shoulder lateral grooves.

A pneumatic tire is equipped with: a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove which are formed on a tread surface of a tread portion and extend along a tire circumferential direction while being arranged side by side in a tire width direction interposing an equatorial plane of the tire therebetween; a plurality of first auxiliary grooves which are arranged in the tire circumferential direction, disposed intersecting the tire circumferential direction, and communicate with the second circumferential groove by passing through the first circumferential groove, and a plurality of second auxiliary grooves which are arranged in the tire circumferential direction, disposed intersecting the tire circumferential direction so as to incline in the tire width direction, communicate with the second circumferential groove, and bend continuously with respect to the first auxiliary groove bounded at the second circumferential groove.

A pneumatic tire is provided in a tread portion 2 with shoulder main grooves 3 and 4 and a center main groove 5 and divided into shoulder land portions 6 and 7 and crown land portions 8 and 9. The total width of the shoulder main grooves 3 and 4 and the center main groove 5 is 24% to 28% of the tread width TW. The crown land portions 8 and 9 are not provided with a groove having a width of not less than 2 mm and extending across the entire width of the crown land portion, but provided with a plurality of crown sipes 10 having a width of less than 2 mm. The crown sipes 10 include first sipes 11 comprising a lateral direction part 11a extending parallel with the tire axial direction and an oblique part 11b inclined with respect to the lateral direction part 11a. The ratio ΣLy/ΣLs of the sum ΣLy of the lengths Ly of the lateral direction parts 11a and the sum ΣLs of the lengths Ls of the crown sipes 10 is not more than 0.15.

In a pneumatic tire, shoulder blocks are formed with one of two types of values for block width measured in the tire circumferential direction. A cross-sectional shape of a tread ground contact edge of the shoulder blocks with the smaller block width value when sectioned in a plan that includes a tire axial center is formed with a squared portion formed by a curved line having a radius of curvature of 10 mm or less, or is formed with a squared portion taper cut along a straight line having a length of 10 mm or less. A cross-sectional shape of a tread ground contact edge of the shoulder blocks with the larger block width value when sectioned in the plan that includes the tire axial center is formed with a rounded portion formed by a curved line having a radius of curvature of from 30 mm to 60 mm inclusive.

A vehicle tire (1), including a tread (2) which intended for rolling contact with a foundation, the tread 82) being formed with a tread pattern (20) which includes circumferential grooves (25) and transverse grooves (26) for removing water from a contact patch between the foundation and the tire (1). The circumferential groove (25) has its wall (251) formed with a flow deflector (259) reducing a width of the circumferential groove (25), commencing from the wall (251) of the circumferential groove (25), bypassing a reduced-width portion (250) of the circumferential groove (25), and continuing arcuately into the transverse groove (26) so as to turn into a wall (261) of the transverse groove (26).