Australian Firm Debuts One-Piece Carbon-Fiber Wheels

Carbon Revolution says its pioneering one-piece carbon-fiber road wheels are stronger and weigh half as much as aluminum wheels of the same size.

The Australian company's first product, the CR-9, is designed specifically for Porsche 911 sports cars. The 19-inch wheels (8.5 inches wide for the front and 12 inches wide for the rear) weigh only 15.2 lbs and 17.8 lbs, respectively.

Lighter wheels reduce unsprung weight, which helps improve vehicle handling. The company claims a car fitted with CR-9 wheels will accelerate faster, brake better and deliver a "huge gain" in fuel economy, presumably because of the weight savings.

Carbon Revolution makes its one-piece wheels with continuous carbon fibers using an aerospace-inspired process it has been developing for more than seven years.

The technology doesn't come cheap: A set of the CR-9s retails for a breathtaking $15,000.

Carbon Revolution, which aims to make 3,000-6,000 of the wheels in the first year of production, says other sizes and fitments are being developed. The company plans to open a plant in Australia late next year with annual capacity to make 250,000 wheels.