Porsche has unveiled the first-ever braided carbon fiber wheels for series production, which will be available as an option for the new 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series.
While the wheels aren’t the world’s first carbon fiber wheels, they are the first to use Porsche’s highly complex braiding process. Other wheels use carbon fiber that is pre-impregnated with resin, whereas Porsche’s are made up of over 200 separately woven parts and impregnated with resin during the manufacturing process. Using braided carbon instead of pre-preg carbon allows for the material structure of the carbon to be more dense, resulting in a more rigid end product. Producing the wheels requires the world’s largest carbon braiding machine and 18 kilometers worth of carbon fiber.
SEE ALSO: Porsche Introduces the Most Powerful 911 Turbo S Ever
Porsche says its carbon wheels weigh 18.7 lbs less than standard alloy wheels, which is a reduction of about 20 percent, and are also 20 percent stronger. It might not sound like much, but when you’re talking about unsprung weight, every bit counts. Porsche says the wheels are also “perfectly optimized for absorbing longitudinal and lateral forces,” and the lower rotating masses result in in “more spontaneity both in acceleration and braking,” for “increased driving dynamics and driving pleasure.”
That might all sound very appealing, but you’d better be willing to pay up if you want to extract every ounce of performance from your 911 Exclusive Series. Porsche has priced the wheels from 15,232 euros, which is equivalent to $17,895. That’s a lot of money, but it’s still not as ridiculous as the optional $100,000 Porsche paint we shared earlier this week.
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