Carbon Fiber Wheels Road Test - Jay Leno's Garage

[@darxtar369]

I've not yet experienced carbon fiber wheels but, I did swap wheels a while back on a non-stock VW GTI. The factory 14 x 6 cast alloys weighed 22.4lbs per wheel. They were replaced with a set of 15 x 7 hammer forged and milled wheels that weighed 12.3 lbs per wheel. The difference was incredible with improved handling and braking but, the biggest difference to me was the improved acceleration. The lighter weight in the rotational mass of the driveline made it much easier for my 2.0 liter motor to spin up. Great presentation - Love your work.

[@robbhendrickson]

It's amazing how far this company has come since Jay posted this video. They're now an OEM supplier to Renault, Ferrari, Ford, and GM. The C8 Z06 with the Carbon Revolution rims is amazing; the rims shave 2 seconds off of a 2-minute lap time! But what's even more amazing from the business POV is where this company is headed not due to lap times, but due to the fact that CF rims extend EV range by up to 10% and due to the radical lead Carbon Revolution has over its competition as a result of having over a decade of experience as a supplier to OEMs for high-performance track weapons! While their stock has taken a beating due almost entirely to COVID impacts on OEM supply chains, the company is about to change from being listed on the Australian Stock Exchange to being listed here in the U.S. While their balance sheet isn't great at the moment due to the cashflow lags from GM's delays on the Z06 last year, Carbon Revolution is supposed to close a bridge loan round in late April and hopefully the de-SPAC process is complete by late June, which will put another $60+ million on their balance sheet and give them access to another $60 million via a committed equity facility (which will come with some dilution, but will help them replicate the new fully automated Mega-Line production they've constructed down in Geelong Australia somewhere in Mexico close to the US border to further increase logistics efficiencies.

[@taofledermaus]

I'd like one set of each color for my solid gold rocket car.

[@marcd7332]

wow taofledermaus!

[@taofledermaus]

Who's that? :P

[@marcd7332]

***** hahaha i love your videos dude

[@taofledermaus]

Thanks Marc!

[@yunclehead]

But, they're carbon fiber. Using them would mean your rocket car isn't solid gold anymore. FAIL! ;)

[@andreas.abrahamsson]

What a sympathetic gentleman Brett Grass is. It's difficult to be informative and clear on camera. He does it nicely. And the examples he uses for describing moving mass, rotational forces etc. are also great. Thank you for a very interesting video!

[@pac6010]

That guy must be an engineer huh. Hes got the personality of a wooden chair lol.

[@karigreyd2808]

Hes defiantly not an engineer. Hes a buisness and salesman. He didnt describe any of the technology that went into then wheels.

[@Nayr747]

Krevin Grard I'm pretty sure it's just hand-laid wet carbon fiber and epoxy resin in a vacuum mold. You can see each spoke is a separate piece that's joined to the central hub piece. The complicated part is probably the mold which has to be multiple pieces because of the shape of the wheel.

[@davybeee]

Nayr747 its will be injected molding done at high temp and pressure same as the tubs on the mclaren

[@Nayr747]

davybeee That's the technique used for "dry" carbon that's pre-impregnated with epoxy resin. In the video, that's what Jay is asking him about with the autoclave, and he says they don't use that method because of the expense. It's just normal wet carbon. You lay the pieces of carbon fiber fabric in a mold and then brush on epoxy resin. Then you vacuum out the air and let it harden. He must be using a multi-piece mold though since there's no way to remove the wheel based on its shape.

[@Shift4g]

Krevin Grard Eh, he sounds like an engineer turned businessman/salesman. I have a lot of experience with this type of person.

[@PS3Cooooooool]

loved the footage where JL showed his drving made the GT3 went out of the turn, most people would not show these footages. i respect him even more cus he was transparent.

[@tubeengineer]

Most of the weight saving comes from lightening your wallet

[@armadillotoe]

Rotational force is not your friend.

[@jaeheich2240]

lmfao

[@JuanVargas-yq1rz]

The OEM Manufacture that bought into his design was ford with the new ford gt.

[@ClutchFirst]

One of my favorite cars on the planet! I love Porsche!!! Great vid.

[@Rearmostbean]

This is great. Very thorough, way better than looking through car forums and listening to people bs and troll. Thanks for these great videos.

[@MrUltraworld]

My Shelby GT350R came with a set of these Carbon Revolution wheels. I didn't appreciate what they do until I bought a set of forged aluminum HRE's for my track day tires. The steering is so much sharper, it. I really felt a big difference in tight S turns. The right to left movements are crisper, faster The car on the street tires and carbon fiber wheels felt almost as good as Aluminum wheels with slicks. I am now trying to purchase another set of CF wheels from Ford. I'm told it will be a few months before they're available as a replacement part, but they are getting a lot of requests for them. Lord knows what they'll cost.

[@JoJoJoker]

Bernard is keeping it cool with the ponytail! Miss him in the videos. He was like Jay's early sidekick.

[@DOWNwithDICTATORS2]

Yeah, Bernard is the Vic Morrow of Jay Leno shop. He should have his own show!

[@jeremyhearn8941]

Jay, not only were you an incredible host on TV, but your KZbin channel is impressive and entertaining as well. Thanks for the great episodes and improving with each one.

[@williamgrand9724]

Jay in a helmet gets me every time lmfao!!

[@carnuttt]

I'm not sure Jay can actually feel a wheel flex as he describes. The most noticeable thing anyone driving the car would be feeling is the dropping of 42 pounds of unsprung weight. That will make the car turn in crisper and smother and the suspension is able to react quicker and more accurately in all aspects with the less weight attached. He will also feel less of a gyro effect as well. I think its really cool that he test this stuff for everyone to see even if his explanation are a little off you can still read between the lines and tell there was clearly detectable difference.

[@SilverToolRacing]

Love the show! Highly informative and much better depth than any other car show!. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@thesneakertifosi]

Love the wheel and the fact that it is actually functional rather than just for show and looks but the manufacture is as interesting to hear as a fly on a loud speaker.

[@AmritGrewal31]

5:33 notice the guy's expressions He like "oh come on, Jay!"

[@KBDProductionsTV]

Hey Jay, that is one good looking car :D Thanks for sharing this info!

[@Prof.Farnsworth]

What is the life span of the rims because carbon fiber breaks down in sunlight, and can you change tires with regular tire irons or do you need special tools.

[@briantruck2284]

Probably two sets of tires

[@WayneB27]

Surprised Jay didnt mention the Citroen SM Optional Michelin Resin (carbon fibre) wheels that were offered in 1971

[@sufficetosay]

Mr Leno I really enjoyed the video and I agree this is the beginning of future, standard wheel technology. You recognized it's potential and demonstrated it; thank you for sharing!

[@atomicninja1]

Excellent episode Jay. Authentic and believable are rare commodities on the Net. You own them right now.

[@ParadoxdesignsOrg]

I like Jays justification of having a bigger lunch whilst saving weight in your wheels. Game on!

[@xevious2501]

That Oem car they're eluding to was the ford Shelby gt350. Check out their site

[@TheBlackWaltz]

The ford mustang GT350R was the OEM deal I bet. That's pretty awesome.

[@W4TRI_Ronny]

Great show and Good start on CNBC today. Thanks for not overlooking the Concour de Lemons!

[@ArthurSperotto]

"I commute in my P-1 McLaren" lmao gotta love f*cking Jay, man... Only guy in the world who can say that (I doubt the other owners have put in as many miles as he has)

[@Wheelnut78]

Changing to lightweight wheels is definitely noticeable even for street driving. Make sure you also go for the best quality tyre you can while u r at it.

[@TheRoggan123]

The deal he was talking about must have been the Ford GT350 race version just launched! Awesome car and im sure these wheels will help it accelerate and brake faster!

[@SchneiderStudios]

Koenigsegg makes the same kind of one-piece CF wheel as well.

[@madshartmann3684]

Funny AND superhuman strength! What a package! Keep up the good work mr. Leno!

[@twhite5978]

Screw all you guys! Keep up the good vids. Jay is a true at heart car guy and that's all that matters 2 me. Everyone hating on here would die 2 have your garage. We love you man.

[@doccyber]

Well, I commute in my 98 Civic and I have solid steel wheels with plastic hub caps to save unsprung weight.

[@briantruck2284]

Same

[@johnshaft5613]

That wheel dude has a very soothing voice. I found myself wanting to doze off listening to him. I'm not saying he's boring....just a soothing voice.

[@luisroig104]

I love J because he is a real with his car's and his opinion s. Your the man if you even read this Thanks Luis

[@chikisorozco4297]

Jay you forgot to ask him what kind of tire machine to used to change the tires on the wheels or is it the same one for the aluminum wheels too ?

[@chasemer6]

Thank you Jay for not trying to make these wheels out to be a miracle product!

[@betherealdeal]

Wow Jay that is one huge head

[@juhakivekas2175]

I wonder what happens when you have to use a lot of brakes and the wheel gets hot. Resins don't usually keep their stiffness to very high temperatures. And then the heat cycles - will they age the wheels? And - before Koenigsegg Dymag actually has done carbon wheels. I have an acquaintant who had those on a 997 Turbo and he complained that they did not keep air in. My guess is they were sort of 1st generation wheels made of prepreg. Of course now we know that Porsche is actually winding carbon wheels with one monster winder. I wonder if that is related to Carbon Revs?

[@robbhendrickson]

Check out Carbon Revolution's solution to that braking heat issue; it's similar conceptually to how the Space Shuttle's tiles worked as a heat shield. Fortunately, Carbon Rev's thermal barrier coating is applied through a plasma deposition process so, unlike Space Shuttle tiles, it won't ever fall off.

[@videomaniac108]

I got a set of forged magnesium monoblock wheels from Litespeed Racing that shaved about 9 lbs off of each corner of my car, compared to what the aluminum wheels weighed. The handling difference was very noticeable, with the steering response and suspension compliance being significantly improved. The wheels were about $12k in price

[@goldpony]

They're definitely not meant to be put on a civic with that price. However, if these wheels can make supercars even faster I'm in. Regarding the price, a set of Bugatti wheels cost $75,000/set so the $15,000 is reasonable. Also, they look great on the Porsche!

[@Speed00007]

Jay Leno is da man!

[@cheddyrod]

Thanks guys

[@Chrisarequipa80]

You are back yes!!!

[@Viralityoflife]

I knew it was Koenigsegg before he said it.. Im pretty proud of myself lol Jays videos are awesome. Really enjoy the videos

[@peted.7237]

Taking the phrase "Reinventing the wheel" to a whole new level...

[@pfflyers1]

This is the 1st time I've ever fast forward a J Garage video, but I just couldn't take listening to this guy any more and just wanted to get to Willow Springs for the failed (sorry Jay) attempt at Jay's Chris Harris driving prowess

[@nccrawford]

I love Bernard Juchli. Such a cool guy. Always great when he goes on Adam Carolla's CarCast.

[@alizebartolone]

The 19x8.5 wheel weighs just over 15lbs, the 19x12 weighs just over 17lbs. But the weight reduction isn't the most important aspect, it's the stiffness. Carbon Revolution wheels at the minimum retain OEM levels of stiffness to retain suspension and tire performance. These wheels have been tested against every OEM wheel standard in Germany and have passed or exceeded each test. These wheels are stronger, stiffer, and lighter than any wheel on the market. Some of these people commenting need to do more research to understand carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is built how you want it to be built. Front wing cascade elements on an F1 car are meant to break away. The carbon fiber monocoque F1 chassis is meant to save a drivers life in a high speed crash, and they typically re-use the chassis when they rebuild the car. These wheels are built like the monocoque chassis, they will not shatter or crack as some people are implying.

[@floridabmw3150]

GT3 RS is an absolutely awesome kit. Those carbon wheels look great, @ $15k you have to wonder if they r worth it compared to alternative options. I imagine if budget is of no concern and its a dedicated track car. Thanks once again for the great vid!

[@anssijaakkola9280]

Great video! I was really waiting for a comparison just like this between a normal and a carbon wheel. I was just disappointed that the weight difference isn't that big so Jay couldn't tell the difference for example in acceleration.

[@AustrianAnarchy]

Opening burnout AWESOME!

[@schwanzelstock1071]

Lightest suspension calipers , carbon fiber disks these rims and P-zero tires would make such a difference per lap. 6:10 is actually a great explanation. Want the tires to touch the tarmac as much as possible. Most people know this ( I assume ).

[@Gochsener]

when you buy your F12 or 650S, you can get these rims and use your regular ones for the winter tyres ^^

[@tonytypes]

Nice aerials!

[@pjfonline]

Actually that part was a bit dissapointing... Too much shake in the (GoPro?) footage, For example, the flyover @0:25 looks ugly specially when the camera moves to the left. Not very pro...

[@pjfonline]

***** I would not respond like this if that is the case yes. ;-) vimeo.com/84300845

[@tonytypes]

Pj F not bad considering how fast the quad was flying. Not too many setups can fly fast enough to keep up with the Porsche

[@tonytypes]

Pj F nice shots, but let see that in real time and no editing :) your work is top notch though

[@TheCamaro5]

Looks like a Discovery pro.

[@linglingjr]

Really fancy shots with the drones.

[@1musicsearcher]

Very cool! Sure, you won't see them on the wall at the Walmart service area, but I'm certain there's some viewers that have made contact already. Good job Jay.

[@maryanthony270]

Thanks Jay, your segs are great!!

[@johnnyhirt8903]

"This car handles nicely, doesnt it?" Aaaand into the dirt lol

[@psk1w1]

Michelin made carbon fibre wheels for the Citroen SM in the early '70s. It was an optional extra as OEM part

[@alpmaster]

"Right.... Right.... Right...." Good god could you imagine working with this guy

[@zagyex]

Citroen SM had the firs carbon wheels in the seventies. Jay owns an example of it.

[@100vasiliy]

this is really good! in the day of taking out the stero system to save like 5pounds, taking 40 pounds off is very impressive! new tech is expensive but it will get cheaper soon. i remember when traction control was only used by F1 and was all new, now very cheap new cars have it.

[@KennySolos]

The only garage in the world to have over 1 million subscribers!

[@alexspizman2136]

I love his sinn 140!

[@90189waller]

It's a shame Dymag didn't continue with the development of the Carbon wheel they started. That was originally a two piece with a magnesium alloy centre, but I worked on the full carbon design for my Masters research project back in 2010. The final design ended up pretty similar to the CR9, (we went for a metallic hub too for heat dissipation) but the final weight saving was determined to not be worth it for the additional cost over the best metallic alloys. Even without using pre-preg

[@delona6485]

Ah ah ,good one Jay! Average person like me....funniest line in a long time buddy!

[@kyongslist]

Its absolutely amazing to consider that the rims composition was literally at one point in time just simple carbon "fabric" and liquid resin.... just the fact that in this day and age we have the technology to create something as dynamic, versatile, and incredibly strong as a automobile rim from said materials is utterly incredible. Its unfortunate that he understandably cant discuss the actual production process, because the fact that its one piece and does not use an autoclave, RTM or prepegged fabrics blows me away, im awfully curious.

[@Clesarie]

This is the future. This is amazing.

[@A.JayWeber]

This guy is like "F%&# your JOKES JAY!!!" "LAUGHING IS FOR THE WEAK!" hahaha "well its not your daily commuter" haha

[@Isotope1213]

Jay please make more content similar to this one, where you bring a car to the track and ride it.

[@Edison73100]

Good job Jay.

[@shamwow70]

i don't know much about cars (I do love and adore them however) but to me it seems like the extra flex might be an advantage compared to the stiff carbon wheels, especially when there's elevation change on a corner, they don't "give" as much and the steering is like a knife edge.

[@Settings_YouTube-1]

Hey that's the track from the Top Gear Super car's VS Fighter planes episode.

[@SteezyOtis]

The one thing I hate about these videos, is seeing how old Jay is now. Over the past few years you can really see his mind going.

[@joshuachun9213]

Drinking Game #1: Take a shot of Vodka every time Jay or the Engineer tries to interrupt each other (NOT SAFE) Drinking Game #2: Take a shot of Vodka every time the Engineer smiles (VERY SAFE) Have Fun. =p

[@blvk_sky]

I presume that car @4:15 is the gt350

[@patrickpelletier6315]

i believe so but i think you meant the GT350R because the GT350 does not come with carbon wheels unless it is an option as i do not own or have seen the options list for that car. however i doupt it would be as they seemed to say it was a 350R unique feature. is it worth 15 grand for these wheels which im guessing would shatter quite easily if you got a pothole at moderate speeds? unless you are very wealthy i dont see the real point for it.

[@blvk_sky]

Patrick Pelletier Yep, not sure why I left the R part off, but yeah, 15k for wheels is pretty much insane.

[@patrickpelletier6315]

Jared Moore totally but if all you're doing is going on track with it im sure the advantages are worthwhile. However if you daily it on the streets where i live im sure the tires will outlast the wheels themselves. Our roads arent shot to the point youll fall to the earth's core but the roads are just constantly redone (brand new and gets torn up within the week because they fucked up) aswell as having the surfaces go from relatively even to some 6 inch drop for 10 feet then 6 inch rise pretty much right away.

[@joshwood44]

+Jared Moore 3 years ago they cost nearly 200k $... so. you should be thanking Ford. Seriously, they have helped bring the tech to the peasants!

[@blvk_sky]

Josh Ford lol true there

[@ColtonBlumhagen]

Jay Leno wrecks a Porsche on cold tyres!

[@clovismcpony]

I agree, Jay should have an all denim racing suit.

[@iTzOJ]

I think Jay needs to go for a ride in an Underground Racing Twin Turbo Gallardo!

[@andreso340]

15:07 nice freakin shot

[@seinundzeiten]

Mustang 350 rs has carbon fiber rims now...lol this was filmed in 2014....so it took Mustang 5 years.

[@robbhendrickson]

Yeah, it's crazy that when this video originally aired, only Koenigsegg had carbon fiber rims and now, not only has Carbon Revolution supplied the Ford GT, Shelby GT500 & GT350 (and now the Dark Horse), but also several models of Ferrari and both the Z06/Z07 and E-Ray C8s (as well as Renault's Mégane RS Trophy-R). And now Carbon Rev is starting the process of taking CF rims mainstream with these upcoming EV SUVs they're adding up to 10% range on. Jay nailed it in this video 8 yrs ago when he said that carbon fiber rims would eventually become as "everyday" as aluminum rims had become...I can remember when "alloy rims" were really "exotic". LOL

[@elijahhankins1762]

Cool thanks Jay

[@Mikolaj_u]

Ideally, they should NOT tell the testers which wheels are on the car. It would make the test even more interesting and credible. Great video anyway though!

[@hyperlogos]

It seems like the biggest improvement would come from reducing the suspension inertia, keeping the tires on the ground and in contact more of the time, and not as much from reducing the rotational inertia of the wheel.

[@artma333]

I'd love to see an actual double blind control test. I understand the concept of less rotational mass, but it's difficult to imagine that it would make any noticeable difference in feeling. I'm sure it would shave milliseconds off lap times, which is obviously a good thing, but it would be interesting to see if a larger group of drivers would report a statistically significant result without knowing which wheels they were using.

[@jeffbarnard348]

Carbon bst wheels are popluar on sport bikes these days, however the weight as a percentage and the affect on handling is much more pronounced.

[@SIMKINETICS]

How much extra for curb-proximity detectors? Imagine how expensive scraping a curb in a parking space would be!

[@bryanmurphy26]

Nice to see this technology coming down in price. It's too bad they are so expensive because they could really help on cars that don't make a ton of power. Gains in acceleration can be pretty dramatic with lighter wheels on a car such a a Miata or a Civic. I noticed a big difference even on my maxima when installing lighter wheels. I'm currently planning to buy a set of Rpf1's to replace the konig wheels on my miata. They will go from 13lbs to about 9.5lbs. Can't wait to see what the butt dyno has to say.

[@pikeywyatt]

cant wait to get some on my Kangoo,it will treble the value of it.

[@themk7805]

That drift :O

[@davidhinson0369]

Lighter stronger more fuel efficient for the street , Name of the game in racing and the street . I can only imagine having this on Simi tractor's, pick up trucks .

[@joeallen2286]

David Hinson how much would you have to drive to offset the cost of the wheel you think?

[@joeallen2286]

David Hinson how much would you have to drive to offset the cost of the wheel you think?

[@juiceski30]

At 16K a wheel you might be able to find that 911 used for the same price as a news set of carbon wheels!

[@briantruck2284]

True

[@TerenceY]

Would be interesting to hear the comparison between the two types of wheels on a motorbike. The difference should be a lot more noticeable.

[@jaasonbee]

What I took from this video is that the only thing that changed was how one corner felt to Jay on the cf wheels and that the wheels generate less feedback from the gyro effect. Where's the real benefit? I like what jay said about watching what you eat would basically give you the same weight saving if you're 50 lbs overweight.

[@Mikey-ug7nj]

+Jay Leno's Garage Great video! Is this the new direction for your show?

[@Augustus222]

So it's not pre-preg and not really Resin transfer moulding, then how do they make it? The weave looks just as good as the one on the pre-preg Koenigsegg wheels. Their website doesn't say this either. But anyway great stuff. Light wheels really is the best thing you can do when aiming for better performance and at the same time they also improve the right quality.

[@fartfarmer4951]

Lol after that spin out you'll probably have more people saying no when you ask for a ride in your garage. 😂

[@0611930024838]

thats a sick GTRS jay