Carbon Fiber Wheels - Shelby GT350R

[fjabad]

I really wish these were ready for consumers and at a reasonable price. I'll keep dreaming I guess. Just thought I would share.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/carbon-...extra-awesome/

[HXS]

Meh... I'd rather get the BBS FI-R. Same weight and much much better looking. Probably costs a few thousand less also.

[DocWeatherington]

Its all fun in games until you curb rash or wreak a rim. I bet these are 1,500 a piece rim and then some.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by HXS

Meh... I'd rather get the BBS FI-R. Same weight and much much better looking. Probably costs a few thousand less also.

Does fi-r even come in 19x11 and 19x11.5?

GT350R 19x11 weighs 18lbs. BBS fi-r 19x10.5 weighs 18.15lbs. So they won't be the same weight in similar sizes.

[HXS]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Does fi-r even come in 19x11 and 19x11.5?

GT350R 19x11 weighs 18lbs. BBS fi-r 19x10.5 weighs 18.15lbs. So they won't be the same weight in similar sizes.

For the extra weight, a couple thousands cost savings, and the far greater neck-breaking factor, I'd still go for the FI-R's.

[HXS]

Originally Posted by DocWeatherington

Its all fun in games until you curb rash or wreak a rim. I bet these are 1,500 a piece rim and then some.

I'm guessing $2800-3000 per rim.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by HXS

For the extra weight, a couple thousands cost savings, and the far greater neck-breaking factor, I'd still go for the FI-R's.

Unless you can get BBS to make you some one-off custom 11 and 11.5 inch fi-r's, it isn't happening.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by HXS

I'm guessing $2800-3000 per rim.

They will end up in the Ford Racing catalog, so we will know the cost soon enough.

[valbmw]

Some members can remember, HRE have already tried carbon wheels in the 2012 by opening Carbon Series with the CF2. Target market was modestly described as Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini etc.:
http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...-line-wow.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/01/h.../#slide-175011

The CF2 weighed in at under 16 lbs=7kg.

However it seems like this product didn't work: http://www.hrewheels.com/carbon-series/ Who knows, maybe now Ford can make it.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by valbmw

Some members can remember, HRE have already tried carbon wheels in the 2012 by opening Carbon Series with the CF2. Target market was modestly described as Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini etc.:

Center section doesn't look like carbon fiber.

[valbmw]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Center section doesn't look like carbon fiber.

Right, the centers were of forged aluminum, as explained in the linked descriptions.

[j_marinelli]

Not sure if this is related in any way but I remember reading an article that Ford was teaming up with DowAksa to develop "high volume" automotive carbon fiber. I think one of the primary goals was to make a more cost effective carbon fiber that could be used in the masses. I too am curious to see the cost of these wheels.

FORD, DOWAKSA TO JOINTLY DEVELOP CARBON FIBER FOR HIGH-VOLUME AUTOMOTIVE LIGHT-WEIGHTING APPLICATIONS

[David70]

For me it would mostly come down to weight to cost. I also wouldn't be willing to pay thousands more to save a few pounds. Also not sure where Ford is getting this -

Ford says that the pieces weigh a mere 18 pounds each, compared to around 33 pounds for a comparable aluminum wheel.

[ShocknAwe]

Well. I would imagine if they got the manufacturing process down, the time of production for each wheel would be substantially less than that of a full forged process. Time = Money.

And, carbon fiber is incredibly strong. If I remember correctly one of the issues in the past was with the force vectors of road impacts not lining up properly and cracking the wheel. There is certainly a way to engineer your way around this, can Ford do it? Probably.

[Red Bread]

It's the future. I'm a cyclist and folks tried to resist lighter, stronger, more customizable carbon rims for years. Now they're coming standard on many main stream road bikes and quite a few mountain bikes.

Are they indestructible? Of course not. But they certainly take more abuse than alumin(i)um rims and win just about every race now days.

The same will happen for high performance cars. Ford's just on the bleeding edge here.

[valbmw]

This is another posh gadget to distinguish the owner's wallet. Actually why not, wheels are beautiful and would definitely improve drive and handling. However none of the F1 cars priced like $8-9 Mln. ever had carbon wheels. The F1 teams buy wheels from companies such as OZ Racing, BBS, Enkei, Rays and Fondmetal: http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/wheels.html

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by valbmw

This is another posh gadget to distinguish the owner's wallet. Actually why not, wheels are beautiful and would definitely improve drive and handling. However none of the F1 cars priced like $8-9 Mln. ever had carbon wheels. The F1 teams buy wheels from companies such as OZ Racing, BBS, Enkei, Rays and Fondmetal: http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/wheels.html

They're also limited to 15 inches and explode, rip the centers out and generally destruct faster than any of the carbon parts on F1 cars. F1 cars don't have onboard starters, have you considered removing yours?

[valbmw]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

They're also limited to 15 inches and explode, rip the centers out and generally destruct faster than any of the carbon parts on F1 cars. F1 cars don't have onboard starters, have you considered removing yours?

The point was, carbon wheel set for street cars is apparently a decorative element to show off wealth. There may be not enough practical value vs. complexity and strength, because even the richest F1 teams have never considered carbon for the wheels. This is my point of view, supported with reference to the known story with HRE CF2 when the luxury product line was eventually suspended.
I agree the wheels live in more impact and destruction than carbon or any other part of any car. Wheels are made for it. However I am missing a link to what rips the centers out (at 200 mph, ok) and to on-board starters that I might suddenly consider to remove

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by valbmw

The point was, carbon wheel set for street cars is apparently a decorative element to show off wealth. There may be not enough practical value vs. complexity and strength, because even the richest F1 teams have never considered carbon for the wheels. This is my point of view, supported with reference to the known story with HRE CF2 when the luxury product line was eventually suspended.
I agree the wheels live in more impact and destruction than carbon or any other part of any car. Wheels are made for it. However I am missing a link to why it rips the centers out (at 200 mph, ok) and to on-board starters that I might suddenly consider to remove

Uh, it's an FIA rule that wheels are a 'homogenous metal'. MotoGP allows carbon wheels and they've been used, but I think all current teams run magnesium now, which is heavier but last longer. But still not cheap.

[Cattivo]

I think those wheels are sick but the price would probably make me sick...I went by my INDY shop the other day to get a few of the OE chrome parts removed so they could use their water solution machine to turn them CF and retain the OE fitment...I may look into having them do my wheels CF as well

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

I think those wheels are sick but the price would probably make me sick...I went by my INDY shop the other day to get a few of the OE chrome parts removed so they could use their water solution machine to turn them CF and retain the OE fitment...I may look into having them do my wheels CF as well

What covering something with cf doesn't make it a cf part.

[drewnel22]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

I think those wheels are sick but the price would probably make me sick...I went by my INDY shop the other day to get a few of the OE chrome parts removed so they could use their water solution machine to turn them CF and retain the OE fitment...I may look into having them do my wheels CF as well

Lol thats hydrodipping. Not the same thing and looks fake and cheesy.