Way back in January, we wrote about the awesomeness that is the Ford GT. Ford really did impress with the specs, design, and style of the Ford GT, and now they’ve gone and announced another surprise.
According to an overseas source, the Ford GT is said to receive the same carbon-fibre wheels that the Ford Mustang GT350R will have. An Australian outfit named Carbon Revolution will be producing the wheels for both models, which are said to weigh in at a super-lightweight 8kg a corner. For a wheel of that size, it works out to be around 7kg lighter than an alloy equivalent.
What this will mean for the Ford GT is that unsprung weight will be dramatically reduced. This will aid in overall performance, but will come to light in the handling and braking side of things. After extensive shock and load testing, the carbon wheels have proven their worth, with the reduced weight making the suspension in the GT350R react much faster than expected, and greatly diminishing the impact. So, the same will apply to the Ford GT.
Ford opted for a thermal coating to protect the carbon against failure. The thin coating layer, which is almost as hard as glass, has been used to protect the carbon’s resin to well over 900 degrees, which is well past where aluminium would melt. This technology is commonly used with space shuttles.