Carbon fiber wheels... $15K per set!

[Harry P.]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/12/27/are-cabon-fiber-wheels-price-performance/?intcmp=features

[martinfan5]

Cant say I am shocked, welcome to the future

[Joe Handley]

Wonder if those will go as far as the Fiberglas wheels on the Shelby CSX-VNT did.

[mikemodeler]

Is that what Gregg is getting for your Mustang for all of your dedicated work Harry????

[Joe Handley]

Is that what Gregg is getting for your Mustang for all of your dedicated work Harry????

Wonder how well Carbon Fiber wheels would tolerate a Chicago winter

[Erik Smith]

Considerably cheaper in 1/25 scale.

[Joe Handley]

Could always get normal rims decaled instead

[Harry P.]

Is that what Gregg is getting for your Mustang for all of your dedicated work Harry????

[A.R.C.]

A buddy of mine put a set of BST Carbon wheels on his Ducati 999 a few years ago. Cost him $8000. They were amazingly light, even compared to Magnesium wheels and made an incredible handling bike that much better. It was an absolute dream to ride, but $8000!!!!!!!!!!!

[Harry P.]

Isn't carbon fiber made of carbon fibers?

Isn't carbon one of the most abundant materials on earth?

So why the sky-high prices?

[A.R.C.]

I`ve made a lot of Fiberglass bodyparts for bikes and vehicles in the past and when I ventured into Carbon my research floored me as to how pricey it is even for raw Carbon Sheet. I found this which explains it all. In a nutshell.......... its a pita to make

http://ca.gizmodo.com/5843276/why-is-carbon-fiber-so-expensive

[Harry P.]

I`ve made a lot of Fiberglass bodyparts for bikes and vehicles in the past and when I ventured into Carbon my research floored me as to how pricey it is even for raw Carbon Sheet. I found this which explains it all. In a nutshell.......... its a pita to make

http://ca.gizmodo.com/5843276/why-is-carbon-fiber-so-expensive

Thanks for the link... yeah, that puts it into perspective.

[Marcus M. Jones]

$15K? oh um. i think the painted on carbon looks so much better... and cheaper!

[CAL]

Isn't carbon fiber made of carbon fibers?

Isn't carbon one of the most abundant materials on earth?

So why the sky-high prices?

actually aluminum is the most abundant.

Still not as stupid expensive as a 996 GT3 R engine rebuild which can virtually only be done at Porsche Motorsports for a small fee of $45K, and there is only about 100 floating around in the world.

1 valve is $350.00 and there is 24 of them.

Edited December 28, 2012 by CAL

[Roncla]

I wonder if these wheels could be repaired if you were careless enough cosmetically damage one ?

I guess the cost of them would be enough to ensure you brushed up on your parking skills.

[Nick Notarangelo]

First speed bump or pot hole on a real road and there done.

[Danno]

I think that's pretty expensive for a set of aftermarket model car wheels. I'll stick to Modelhaus.

[Guest G Holding]

I wonder if these wheels could be repaired if you were careless enough cosmetically damage one ?

I guess the cost of them would be enough to ensure you brushed up on your parking skills.

First speed bump or pot hole on a real road and there done.

I'm not sure.....here :

Australian manufacturer Carbon Revolution claims they're responsible for the world's first one-piece carbon fiber wheels, and the weight specs are nothing short of breathtaking: their 19 x 8.5 CR9 wheel tips the scales at only 15.2 lbs, while a 19 x 12 rear comes in at a featherweight 17.8 lbs. The hitch? Equally breathtaking is the CR9's price-- about $15,000 per set.

Carbon Revolution says their wheels were developed at Opel's Dudenhofen proving grounds in Germany using an "extended durability program to OEM procedures" involving impact strips, potholes, and cobblestone. But the real question inevitably circles back to two eternally conflicting values: form and function.

Read more: $15,000 Carbon Fiber Wheels Beg the Question: Form or Function? - Popular Mechanics

[crazyjim]

They're unshiny so I don't like them.

[Harry P.]

They're unshiny so I don't like them.

???

Did you look at the picture?

[crazyjim]

???

Did you look at the picture?

Yeah. OK. They have a sheen to them. I should have said they're NOT SHINY :) chrome.

[Harry P.]

No, they're not shiny chrome. They're shiny carbon fiber!

BTW... what is it with you and shiny? Were you a crow in a past life?

[crazyjim]

Crow? I don't get it. No past life. I made some good tips at the Last Supper, though. I just like SHINY :) car/trucks/bikes. What's wrong with SHINY :) ? Back in West Chicago & Aurora, I had a black 4 wheel drive Dodge pickup. In the winter I'd get home from work, let the garage warm up (they were heated), and I'd wash that puppy. The next day I was the only person on the road with a SHINY :) truck. People used to ask if I had a car wash set up in my garage at home.

And as Fatkidd would say, if you're not SHINY :) , you're just dull!

[Harry P.]

Crow? I don't get it.

For some reason, crows love shiny stuff. They gather up shiny things they find and take them back to their nest. Nobody knows why.

[crazyjim]

There's plenty of crows around here. They're noisy! Call me Crazy - many already do - I just like SHINY :) . And you what else? It's Friday, and time go heat up the pizza, make some popcorn, and watch WWE Friday Night Smackdown. I'll check back in tomorrow morning (I hope).

Before you ask. Yes, I live in my own small world.

Edited December 28, 2012 by crazyjim