trev0006

20% lighter Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series Braided carbon wheels Explained

worf928

Interesting. Always fun to see how the sausage is made.

Koenigsegg has been equipping their cars with CF wheels for years. But they are not considered a "producer."

I'm surprised to see that only a 20% weight reduction is in the offing.

Carbon Revolution (http://www.carbonrev.com/product/porsche/911-2011-991) has been offering CF wheels that are ~40% lighter (+/- based upon 31+# OE rear vs. 19# CR-9)

CR wheels are about $20k per set (IIRC) and I think we can be sure PAG's option price won't be less.

Jim M.

20% lighter and 100% stronger and 1,000% more expensive!

mr.rpm

Cool for sure but my experience tells me a good possibility that the clear starts to yellow or other issues at some point. Hopefully I'm wrong but I see problems in the finish later, no warranty, expensive problem.

worf928

GM developed a special clear coat for UV-exposed CF for the various bits on Corvettes. Can PAG afford the license fees?

pyramid

Standard TTS ES wheels are forged with already thin spokes. If the price is true in the link below, it is very cheap indeed.

https://www.motor1.com/news/177180/p...-fiber-wheels/

Detailed Designs

I could be wrong....I am no subject expert. But I believe one of the core differences is the use of the carbon fiber 3d loom for the actual structure of the wheel. Other manufacturers(IIRC), hand lay 100% of the carbon fiber. The 3d loom is far superior to hand laid.

If I had to strike a guess. I would say those few pieces we are shown being hand laid are just for aesthetic purposes as the outermost layer for a uniform look.

I am excited at the prospect of getting my hands on a set of these to work on. To actually handle one of these would be akin to holding a piece of art. Porsche's fit and finish is absolutely incredible and these are sure to be commensurate with their vision for excellence.

The first I recall seeing a 3d CF loom was when the LFA was being released. See more about it in this video:

SamboTT@ByDesign

Pretty cool. This tech will find it's way down the chain to more models and with more modest cost eventually!

ace37

I don't know, maybe I'm just not as impressed as I should be. These look to me like tech development show pieces rather than the ultimate in wheel performance with today's tech. Better aluminum alloys and closer examination of the design targets would produce a lighter weight wheel than this did. But I think my biggest issue is just the marketing fluff - most of this revolutionary new pioneering work and wonderful tooling is pretty old hat in the aerospace and defense industry. I suppose in fairness a lot of that is not public.

Need4S

Only 20% lighter? On a 20 lb wheel, that's a savings of 4 lbs. Tires of different manufacturers in the same size can differ by that much.

worf928

From the press release:

Thus, a 'standard alloy wheel' must weigh 42.5 kilos (93.7 pounds) in order for 8.5 kg to be a 20% reduction.

Clearly, accuracy was not a metric used to assess the translation of PAG's original release.

The German press release states that the wheels weigh 8.5 kg and are 20% lighter.

Thus, a 10.625 kg (23.4 pound) wheel suffices as the 'standard wheel' reference.

So, yeah, we're talking 5 pounds on (IMO) a front wheel and 6 on a rear. It's a significant savings, but not significant enough to get past <yawn> given the apparent CapEx PAG put into this.

oceancarrera

Those type rims are the only reason why the 'R' version of the GT350's higher cost. I think it's 4 grand a corner.

Detailed Designs

Advancements are expensive and developing CF wheels that can be mass produced is actually a pretty big deal. Like all things in life, once you begin approaching the pinnacle of a technology you get diminished returns on every dollar spent. But when advancements are pushed forward, eventually it becomes affordable and even may become standard(back up cameras and parking sensors come to mind as examples).

But 20% weigh savings per corner of unsprung weight kind is a big deal imho. If I had the coin to purchase a new 911 Turbo S I would definitely spring for these if they were available. If anyone in Atlanta scores a set, be sure to visit Caffeine and Exotics to let me see them in person!

stealthpilot

Same video without that horrible grating electronic voiceover.

This wheel is available for $15,000 per set from your local Porsche dealer. My dealer in Atlanta gave me the quote just yesterday.

oceancarrera

I hope all cars can become CF though out as much as possible bringing hyper speed to new heights.