Ford GT Supercar Gets Next-Gen Carbon Fiber Wheel Option

Ford Motor Co. will offer lightweight carbon fiber wheels as an option on its 2017 GT supercar.

Each wheel is more than 2 lbs lighter than the GT's standard forged aluminum alloy, although Ford doesn’t provide the actual weight of either wheel. The carbon fiber wheels are supplied by Australia’s Carbon Revolution Ltd., which also makes the carbon fiber wheels for Ford’s high-performance 2016 Shelby GT350 R Mustang.

The GT’s carbon fiber wheels use a next-generation chemistry with an advanced resin and fiber technology, which Ford says allows for greater design flexibility with more intricate spokes. The carbon fiber design also enhances stiffness.

The lightweight wheels reduce the vehicle’s unsprung mass, which benefits suspension response. Performance also is enhanced by a 25% reduction in the rotational inertia of each wheel.

Another purported benefit: The dense, inert nature of carbon fiber allows the wheels to absorb shocks better than metal ones and reduce noise, vibration and harshness.

The GT’s carbon fiber wheels will be offered in a glossy clearcoat or a matte finish.

Ford describes the 2017 GT coupe, which also features carbon body panels, as its most technically advanced car ever. With a starting price of about $450,000, the 600-hp supercar is due later this year. Production will be limited to 250 vehicles per year.