World's First One-Piece Carbon Fiber Rim Revealed

After almost 10 years of work and development.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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As we explained before, the race to creating affordable, mass-produced carbon fiber is the race-to-the-moon equivalent of the auto industry. Well, that and building the ultimate carbon footprint-less vehicle. Kind of ironic, right? After almost 10 years of research and development, Carbon Revolution took a huge step forward in that battle, revealing the world's first one-piece carbon fiber rim, the CR9

Exotic car companies have been using carbon fiber for years, and are even making full carbon fiber structures these days, but one weight that has been hard to reduce has always been the wheel. This new rim provides a 40-50 percent reduction in weight while maintaining, and exceeding, OEM standards. 

“Creating a composite wheel that is made entirely in one piece from continuous fibers is particularly challenging given the significant geometric complexities”, Gass explained. “We have successfully developed an architecture that optimizes the outstanding properties of continuous carbon fibers through the complex range of operational loads that are seen on a vehicle.”

Initial available sizes, which were fitted for the Porsche 911, are 19x8.5 & 19x12.

Related: Ford is Working on Carbon Fiber at Everyman Prices

[via Car Scoop]

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