The new Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series has
received a set of in-house developed lightweight wheels, with braided carbon
fiber. Starting next year, they'll be available as an option for the new
supercar, costing € 15,232 (US$ 17,884) in Germany, tax included. They also come in
a single size: 9x20-inch for the front axle, and 11.5x20-inch for the rear
axle.
Made entirely from carbon fiber reinforced polymer
(CFRP), the wheels weight around 8.5 kg less than the standard alloy
ones, which is a reduction of 20 percent. At the same time, they are also 20
percent stronger.
Each wheel is manufactured from a total of 18 km of carbon fiber, or 8 square meters of carbon fiber
fabric. The rim has two components: the center, made from carbon fabric, and
the base, made from braided carbon fiber, by what Porsche claims to be
"the world's largest carbon fiber braiding machine, with a diameter of
approximately nine meters".
The construction process sees the wheel center
being braided into the rim base, and the entire assembly is then impregnated
with resin, and pre-hardened at high pressure and high temperatures. Moreover,
the finished wheel is hardened once again at high temperatures, and then cooled
for a long time. Finally, the central lock is inserted into the finished wheel,
before a clear lacquer gets applied, for additional protection.
