The 2016 Ford Mustang GT350R launched with a very cool new feature – carbon fiber wheels – which not only look great but also save a decent amount of unsprung weight when compared to more traditional wheels, though they’re considerably more expensive, too. Carbon fiber wheels have also made their way onto the Ford Mustang GT500 and Ford GT in recent years as well. But while carbon fiber wheels have thus far been reserved for only high-performance Ford cars, they might also soon make their way to Ford SUVs and pickups, Ford vehicle program director for icons and Ford Performance, Ali Jammoul, told CarExpert in a recent interview.
“You can actually migrate that technology to trucks…pickup trucks, SUVs, for sure. And I think we need to experiment with [it], I really like that technology,” Jammoul said. “It’s weight savings. It looks great. And customers love it. They’re willing to pay. And you know, every time I looked at carbon fiber wheels, even though the volume is low, it made a lot of sense…so I’m very excited about it. And I think it’s gonna be great.”
Jammoul didn’t expound upon which Ford SUVs and pickups might one day be available with carbon fiber wheels, but that particular part would make sense on performance-oriented models like the Ford Explorer ST, as well as electric vehicles like the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Mach-E GT, which would benefit greatly from any potential weight loss. Off-road-oriented vehicles like the Ford Ranger Raptor, Ford F-150 Raptor, and Ford Bronco/Ford Bronco Raptor might be too susceptible to damage for customers to feel comfortable shelling out thousands for a set, however.
Regardless, Ford was one of the first automotive manufacturers to begin offering carbon fiber wheels on its production vehicles, so it would make a lot of sense to expand those offerings to other models in the future as well.
Source: Ford Authority
