Are Carbon Fiber Wheels Worth It?

History Repeats Itself

Carbon Revolution isn’t the first manufacturer to offer performance lightweight wheels, but they are the first to do it in the mainstream aftermarket. Prior to this, glass-resin was used as experimental material in the world of rally racing in order to reduce a particular type of weight. It’s a super trick idea that has roots in real science, which all results in lowered lap times on the race track. So are they worth it for the average or even the serious enthusiast? Well, the answers are mixed.

Science of Unsprung Weight (Pro)

What’s the big deal about these lightweight super wheels? They result in major reductions in unsprung weight. In plain English, unsprung weight refers to anything that isn’t above the springs—think wheels, tires, brake rotors, calipers, pads, lug nuts, etc. The lighter these components are, the easier it is for the suspension to keep the tire from deforming, which increases grip and therefore improves handling. Race teams have proven this technology and even club level enthusiasts can vouch for the improved response and lowered numbers on the stopwatch. Lighter wheels make you go faster, it’s a cold hard fact.

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Lap Times (Pro)

From a lap time standpoint, these wheels are absolutely worth it for someone who is dead serious about performance. If your class allows factory carbon fiber wheels to be run, then you have an unfair advantage on everyone in the field. How much? According to data acquired by Dieter Heinz Kijora behind the wheel of a GT-R, the use of carbon fiber wheels dropped over 2 seconds on the stopwatch at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. Big race teams spend millions to find that kind of time.

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~$18,000 (pro / con)

Each second these wheels chop off the clock costs roughly $9,000, which is both expensive and inexpensive if you consider what other components contribute towards lap times. A turbo kit (or upgrade) to your Corvette can easily run into the tens of thousands in a hurry and that’s assuming everything goes right the first time around. When you’re deep in a build and searching for time, this is actually a bargain. There are also no tuning issues with carbon fiber wheels. Once they are mounted and balanced, they are simply ready to go. You won’t have to worry about managing air-fuel ratios or anything complex, so the money can be looked at in terms of simplicity and ease of use as well as performance.

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Adds up Quick (con)

Some manufacturers are producing wheels up to 20% lighter and 20% stronger than their alloy counterparts. But it doesn’t mean they’re indestructible. Accidents happen on the track when you start ripping through gears, which means any contact with the barriers or other obstacles won’t be cheap. And, just because you can afford a set of these gorgeous gems, doesn’t mean you can afford to buy 4 sets of them at their aforementioned asking price. So, are carbon fiber wheels worth it in summary?

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Catch-22

Reducing unsprung weight is noticeable on the street and the track, but it’s done in the name of ultimate performance at the end of the day. If you can afford these wheels, you may find it’s a better financial decision to race on lightweight aftermarket wheels. But you might not even be allowed to run them if they are banned from your class. So ultimately, carbon fiber wheels only truly make sense for very wealthy track day drivers. So if you're not on a budget, take advantage and enjoy the easily accessible on-track performance that these lightweight wheels provide.

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