Rubber composition containing a thermoplastic polymer and tire sidewall component or tire support ring comprised of such rubber composition

A pneumatic tire having at least one component composed of at least one of:

• (A) a sidewall insert within its sidewall, wherein said sidewall insert is in a shape of an annular ring positioned within its sidewall;
• and
• (B) a tread supportable ring positioned within a cavity of a tire/wheel assembly wherein said tire/wheel assembly is comprised of said tire mounted on a rigid metal rim to form said cavity and wherein said rim contains said tread supportable ring mounted thereon and within said cavity;
• wherein said component is a rubber composition comprised of at least one diene-based elastomer which contains an inclusion therein of a particulate thermoplastic polymer, based upon parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said elastomer (phr):
• (A) 100 phr of a diene-based elastomer(s), and
• (B) about 5 to about 20 phr of said particulate thermoplastic polymer dispersed therein selected from at least one of polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene sulfide and syndiotactic polystyrene or mixtures thereof,
• (C) about 20 to about 100 phr of at least one reinforcing particulate filler selected from the group consisting of carbon black, aggregates of synthetic amorphous silica and silica-containing carbon having domains of silica on its surface, and
• (D) a coupling agent having a moiety reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on the surface of said aggregates of synthetic amorphous silica and said silica domains on the surface of said silica-containing carbon black and another moiety interactive with at least one of said elastomers.