Racing car carbon fiber wheels represent the future of performance lightweight wheels. The cutting edge miracle material is now available for car wheels and the future is bright.
The Race for Lighter Wheels
By now everyone knows that lighter wheels are better. Handling improves, brake distances shorten and acceleration increases when you lighten up your rotational weight. The strength to weight ratios of some alloy wheels these days prove to what lengths manufacturers will go to reduce wheel weight.
At some point however, options for reducing weight on alloy wheels will diminish. In fact, that point is likely right now. While the current weight of high-end alloy wheels is at an all time low, the only way to go even lighter is to use other materials.
What’s the lightest, yet strongest manufacturing material right now? Carbon fiber of course! Making performance car wheels out of carbon fiber is most definitely not out of the question. Expensive? Yes. Out of the question? Absolutely not!
The Solution: Carbon Fiber Wheels
That’s where Carbon Revolution comes in. Carbon Revolution makes full carbon fiber wheels for performance and racing cars. They currently have a working relationship with Ford to produce the wheels for the Shelby GT350R.
The wheel featured here is the Carbon Revolution CR-9. 9 as in, 9-spoke and CR, well, Carbon Revolution of course! The wheels are nearly completely made of carbon fiber with the exception of the bolt seats and hub. Those are made out a very lightweight alloy.
The bolt seat and hub are very interesting and carefully engineered parts of Carbon Revolution wheels. The bolt seats use a retainer on the inner surface of the wheel hub. These float within the hub assembly and when tightened down they clamp the wheel center from either side to evenly spread the load. What’s more, if a bolt seat were to be damaged it can easily be replaced within a few minutes. These are all ways to help protect the most important part of the wheel – the carbon fiber itself.
Carbon Fiber Strength
Carbon fiber is super stiff and is actually stronger than many metals, including aluminum, which is most typically used on performance wheels. In fact, there are many types of carbon fiber layups. The type of carbon used for Carbon Revolution wheels is very similar to what you would find on the monocoque body of an F1 car. The body of these cars, the chassis itself, is extremely strong and designed to withstand extreme forces, load and impact. This is very different to the carbon fiber that is used for the F1 wings for example. That type of carbon layup is not designed for the same strength as the body, or in this case, wheels. That’s the reason wheels like this are so strong. It’s not the same carbon fiber you might probably have in mind.
Carbon Fiber Lightness
The wheels are extremely light and the look is stunning. They are very stiff and provide precision and control unlike any other wheel material on the market today. They are really like nothing else out there. As far as looks go, some people might mistake them for a carbon fiber wrap. However, in good photos or upon close inspection it’s obvious they are full carbon fiber – You can clearly see the deep carbon fiber finish. This look is impossible to achieve with just a wrap. Then again, what we are most interested in is performance.
The wheel pictured here is 20” x 10.5” and weighs 19.5 lbs. This specific wheel is a fitment for the R35 Nissan GT-R. That’s 2 pounds lighter than the equivalent high-end alloy wheel of the same size. Now, 2 pounds might not seem like much, but when racing, it makes a big difference. Not to mention, the comparable alloy wheel it’s not exactly inexpensive either.
Carbon Revolution CR-9 Wheels Video
Get Carbon Fiber Wheels for Your Car
Carbon Revolution carbon fiber racing wheels are now available through HG Performance. These are the wheels for a demanding driver who will go to great lengths to reduce weight and increase precision and for whom money is no object. Get in touch today to how we can install and modify your specialty wheels.