Want to spend about P 920,000 (EUR 15,232) for a set of wheels? Well, Porsche may just have the answer for you. It’s something that combines form and function (and exclusivity, of course) because it’s the world’s first braided carbon fiber wheel.

Though Porsche isn’t the first one to offer carbon fiber wheels in a production car, they are the first to employ complex braiding technology in its manufacture. Compared to the conventional method of manufacturing carbon fiber wheels which use pre-impregnated carbon fiber fabric, braiding makes the material structure of the carbon fiber considerably denser and more compact. This increases rigidity. Plus, it produces less waste too. Porsche says that each wheel uses around 18 kilometers of carbon fiber or 8 square meters of carbon fiber fabric.


This special set of carbon fiber wheels are manufactured entirely from Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). Its comprised of two components. The first is the wheel center which is made from carbon fiber fabric. It involves cutting and assembling 200 individual components. The second component is the rim base made from braided carbon fiber from what’s currently the world’s largest carbon fiber braiding machine. The wheel center is then braided into the rim base. The assembled wheel is then impregnated with resin and pre-hardened at high pressure and high temperatures. The finished wheel is hardened at high temperatures followed by a long cooling process. The central lock is then inserted into the finished wheel and the wheel is protected with clear lacquer.

The end result is a wheel that weighs 20 percent less (8.5 kilograms) than the already light alloy wheel while offering a strength that’s greater by 20 percent.


Now, if you do want a set, there’s a catch. Apart from the prohibitive price, this carbon fiber wheel set (20 x 9 J and 20 x 11.5 J) is exclusively available as an option to the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, which is in itself, limited to a run of just 500 units.