The Ford GT supercar, which Ford says will be available by late 2016, will be the second vehicle by the automaker to incorporate carbon fiber wheels. Last summer, Ford teamed up with Australian supplier Carbon Revolution to mass produce carbon fiber wheels for the Shelby GT350R Mustang – the first time that had ever been done by a major OEM.
Ford went back to Carbon Revolution for the carbon fiber wheels for the Ford GT. The wheels are what Ford Performance global director Dave Pericak calls “the next generation in carbon fiber wheels, with an advanced resin and fiber technology that gives [Ford] designers more freedom, while also showcasing the structure of the material’s weave.”
Carbon Revolution uses a “proprietary dry fiber manufacturing process that allows full control of fiber placement and material properties. It is also using next-generation carbon fiber materials to continue advancing its leading single-piece carbon fiber wheel technology.” To ensure the quality of each wheel, Carbon Revolution runs computer models that can simulate wheel durability and stiffness.
