Liverpool-based sports car manufacturer BAC has revealed all-new carbon-composite wheels, shown for the first time this past weekend at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The BAC team, led by BAC’s co-founder and design director Ian Briggs, has developed the wheels in collaboration with British wheel manufacturer Dymag as an upgrade to the looks of the Mono supercar.

Made of carbon composite to lower the rotational weight of the wheel, the 17-inch wheels feature soft curved corners to aid strength, while the spokes, where stiffness is a key requirement, are made from a solid billet of aluminium. Each wheel is also secured to the car with five pairs of titanium bolts, adding further strength and lightness; with each wheel bolt weighing 30.2 g, this amounts to a 212.5 g saving per wheel.

On a wheel with fewer spokes, the rim has to be heavier in order to take the increased load between the spokes. By using five pairs of spokes, BAC designers say they have managed to achieve the clean look of a five-spoke rim, but with the structural and weight-saving benefits of a 10-spoke wheel.

Overall, BAC claims the total weight saving on the front axle is 23.5%, where the 7.5-inch by 17-inch wheels weigh 5.7 kg each. The 9-inch-wide rear wheels each weigh 6.0 kg, despite being half an inch wider than the standard rims, amounting to an overall 22.9% reduction in weight on the axle.

“This new hybrid wheel is a world first, and typifies the bold approach that BAC embraces,” said Neill Briggs, BAC co-founder and director of product development.

“This is the first of a new generation of carbon wheels for Dymag and the first product to be developed with the National Composites Centre, Bristol, through the £7.1m Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) funding secured by Dymag to produce next generation durable, lightweight carbon composite automotive and motorcycle wheels,” added Chris Shelley, CEO of Dymag.

Source: BAC

Tags: 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, alloy wheel, aluminium, BAC, carbon fibre, carbonfibre wheels, Dymag, Ian Briggs, wheel design