Just How Good Are the GT350R’s Carbon Fiber Wheels?
We’ve already spoken about the wonders within the GT350R’s wheel arches, but just how good are those exotic wheels? It turns out those carbon fiber beauties are pretty impressive in their respective performance gains. Even the folks over at Corvette Forum have taken notice, with a recent Car and Driver article garnering attention among those enthusiasts. For the C&D test, a GT350R was fitted with standard GT350 aluminum wheels, and then run with the standard carbon fiber lightweights. The results were incredibly impressive.
To factor out grip as a variable (different sticky rubber comes on the R, of course) the tests were done in a rolling start style. Most impressively, a 4th gear sprint from 30 mph to 130 mph is over a second quicker just from the wheels. That’s the benefit of lighter, un-sprung weight — which is everything not directly held up by the suspension itself. As we know, lighter weight makes everything faster and better, but reducing un-sprung weight has a higher yield than just removing some interior bits and pieces.
There’s only one downfall for the carbon fiber wheels, and that comes down to cost. Close to $4,000 each! It doesn’t come off as the best bang for buck, but as the technology improves and prices drop, it will be the must-have wheel for any performance car.
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
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