BAC Finds Lightweighting Solution in Carbon-Hybrid Wheels

The four corners of the automotive world know that Ford has been working with Carbon Revolution to develop light yet robust wheels for the GT and Shelby GT350R. However, the American automaker is not the sole company to reinvent the wheel. Boutique British track-car company BAC has recently partnered with Dymag to develop carbon-hybrid wheels over 20 percent lighter than the standard units.

Aside from being visually attractive, the impressive performance of carbon-hybrid wheels is also a bonus. The wheel rim is made of top quality carbon fiber and comes with soft curved corners to make it stronger. BAC’s wheels are not entirely carbon unlike the one-piece wheels being utilized on Ford’s new sports and supercars. What makes them more interesting is that the team behind the wheels selected a 10-spoke design to share the load more effectively.

Though they are not 100 percent carbon, the new 17-inch wheels are considerably lighter than the standard units. On the front axle, the 7.5 x 17-in wheels weigh just 5.7 kg each, a saving of 23 percent which is replicated on the rear axle where the 9 x 17-in wheels weigh just 6.0 kg.

The wheels are firmly secured with titanium bolts, each of which weighs only 30.2g. The bolts save 212.5g on each wheel, which might not sound like much, but every bit of unsprung weight that can be cut from the car makes a huge difference in terms of handling and ride.

BAC co-founder Neil Briggs says that this new hybrid wheel is a world first, and characterizes the bold approach that BAC embraces, and demonstrates how they are able to take a lead in developing and demonstrating new technology. He notes that these new wheels embodies a genuine performance upgrade, further improving the car’s ride and handle in a tangible way.

Buying the carbon-hybrid wheels for a new car can cost £9,950 (US$13,750), while they are priced £12,500 when retrofitted on existing cars. The wheels are being unveiled at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, which kicks off today.