http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/19/m...-fiber-wheels/


incredible, wonder if these are streetable or not. Don't even want to know the price of these things.

Hopefully this will filter down to us at some point.

 

Pretty neat looking, but surprisingly heavy considering.

My 18x9.5 Enkeis are 17lbs @$309, so (assuming the front wheels mentioned in the article, and of unknown width) these are 14 lbs... well I guess 3 lbs is something, but at what astronomical cost/lb?

 

My guess is that this car has a *much* wider tire/wheel than the 8. Especially since they say a forged alum wheel was 24 lbs.

 

Weight isn't the only performance metric of a wheel, especially in a supercar. Toughness and rigidity are also extremely important when you are traveling 180+ mph. If the 14 lb CF wheel is a rigid and strong as the 24 lb forged aluminum wheel it replaces, then that is quite an accomplishment.

 

On their site, in the specs for the car mentioned, they state 10"x18 for the front... so all of .5" wider than the 17lb Enkeis .

Not trying to diminish the accomplishment of CF wheels, but still, it's not as amazing (other than the technology) from a performance viewpoint as one might hope.

 

And I assert that it is impossible for you to say this without understanding the rigidity, toughness, and fatigue requirements of a supercar wheel. Note that the aluminum wheels the Moser used to use is quite a bit heavier than the RP-F1. Do you think the desingers of the car were unaware that sub-20 lb aluminum wheels exist? I could be wrong, but I'd bet that the reason they don't use ultra-light aluminum wheels is that they prove unsuitable for a super-high performance car. If true, then a 14 lb 18x10 wheel is an amazing performance accomplishment, at least when viewed in the context of a supercar.

I agree, however, that it would be overkill as a performance wheel for an autocrossed RX-8.

 

The Mosler MT900 is a street legal race car built in Riviera Beach Florida. The rims would also be street legal. The car sell for about $200,000. They use corvette engine and suspension components. The car impressive.

John

 

but if it has to be imported to the US (by Corvette Mike's in CA), then how is it built in Florida??

 

CF wheels have been out for a long time, but I've never seen one entirely made of one material, they're always half and half. I wonder if it's even possible to have a full cf wheel, not a hybrid like everything I've seen for the last 2 years.

 

I don't know, but I have been to their shop in FL. It used to be called the consoleer. It is a much improved car as the Mosler.


John