Carbon fibre is a material that has - and this is without exaggeration - transformed the automotive industry ever since it transitioned from its formative era of revolutionising the construction of vehicles motorsport. But its use has not strayed far.
CFRP, or Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer, is derivative of this weave type, blending in synthetic polymers (or plastics, though that’s a much less glamorous name) to both reduce cost and to tighten the bonds between the weaves, has increasingly been adopted in more mainstream automotive applications.
Porsche’s new wheel technology, though, uses CFRP not in part but rather for the entire wheel. And it’s not at all mainstream, costing roughly $23,000 AUD just for a set (15,232 Euros). These unique rollers have a 20-inch diameter and will be offered as an optional extra for its 911 Exclusive Series starting in 2018.
Over the usual forged alloy wheels, which were already considered quite lightweight in the grand scheme, these CFRPs boast some impressive plusses. Each weigh around 8.5kg less than the standard ones fitted to the 911 Exclusive, or around 20 percent lighter. But as is the case with carbon fibre, it’s much stronger, as Porsche claim it to be 20 percent more so than the alloy equivalents.
This, just like carbon ceramic brakes, reduce unsprung weight which improves agility due to the lower rotating mass during acceleration and braking. Less internal forces are acting against the tyre’s contact points as well, resulting in more accurate trailing of the road surface.
Of course, this isn’t the first time an automaker has taken a crack at carbon fibre wheels. After all, the benefits almost seem self-evident, but manufacturing it in volume has been the major hurdle, therefore relegating it to ultra high-end machines such as those from Pagani, Koenigsegg, and most recently on the 2017 Ford GT which were also made available as an option for the Shelby GT350R Mustang.
However, what sets these new Porsche wheels apart are the way in which they are constructed. It uses both a carbon-fibre fabric (for thee wheel centre) and braided carbon fibre. The former involves cutting and assembling over 200 individual components while the braid is derived from what is currently the world’s largest carbon fibre braiding machine at 9 metres in diameter. It’s actually quite a spectacle to see this come together.
Porsche says that this method is superior to the more established construction method, called pre-impregnation, as this technique results in a considerably denser and more compact arrangement of fabric while resulting far less wastage. In total, there’s a staggering 18km of carbon fibre weave that goes into each wheel.
For now, it’s availability is limited to the most expensive 911 the company produces. However, it’s not inconceivable that it will soon be offered for the 911 GT3 and GT2 as well, which arguably is a much better fit for the technology.
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