Hyundai will quickly be a part of the small membership of OEMs providing carbon hybrid wheels. The South Korean automaker labored with UK firm Dymag and South Korean composites firm Hankuk Carbon on a prototype racy, dual-material, 21-inch hoop the companions debuted on the Goodwood Competition of Velocity. The English fields additionally noticed the debut of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The events are being coy about particulars for now, saying solely that the hybrid construct consists of a carbon fiber rim and a “precision-forged metallic centerpiece” that we’ll guess is aluminum alloy. They seem like barely much less ornate variations of the SL-102 wheel from MV Cast’s Dymag Assortment.
Anytime we learn the phrase “solid,” we predict “costly.” The hybrid construct will probably make these much less dear (fingers crossed!) than the five-figure sums required for all-carbon wheel choices on vehicles just like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 — talking of which, Australian firm Carbon Revolution supplies the wheels for each these vehicles and can do the identical for the approaching Mustang Darkish Horse.
There’ll nonetheless be noteworthy advantages, although. Dymag’s website says its typical carbon hybrid wheel weighs 19.8 kilos in comparison with a solid aluminum wheel weighing 26.5 kilos and a forged aluminum wheel weighing 33.1 kilos. That is weight financial savings of as a lot as 40% in one of the crucial vital spots on a automotive, plus the advantage of improved energy. Dymag’s world security certifications additionally embody Germany’s notoriously finicky TUV company.
Nothing within the Dymag press launch made the connection, however the launch did say the wheels mark the “begin of a relationship with Hyundai which can see carbon hybrid wheels change into accessible on N Efficiency merchandise.” Our guess is that we’ll see the Dymag wheels on the Ioniq 5 N configurator shortly. The corporate says different OEM collaborations are coming quickly. For those who do not need to wait, Dymag will work with you to create a set of customized automotive wheels sized from 18 to 23 inches in the mean time, rising to 25-inchers by the top of the yr.
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