Ford has placed its faith in a small company located in Geelong to manufacture the exotic carbon-fibre wheels for the Shelby Mustang GT350R – a car that evokes chills just from the mention of its name.
While the Mustang's name may recall the original pony-car era of the 1960s, the car itself is as modern as today. And the Australian-made carbon-fibre wheels on which it rides are a pointer to the future.
Carbon Revolution's involvement with Ford as a production partner for the Shelby project was foreshadowed in the Detroit unveiling of the show car. Our account of the company's involvement in this year's Targa Tasmania indicated Ford and Carbon Revolution would shortly join forces for the production car.
Now it's official, the Shelby Mustang GT350R will be fitted as standard with Carbon Revolution's CR-9 wheels, which have been approved by Germany's TUV – overcoming a major hurdle on the path to gaining acceptance from original equipment manufacturers.
Ford itself is clearly pleased with the outcome, issuing a global press release citing the Shelby as the first ex-factory car to be offered as standard with carbon-fibre wheels. And the blue oval has put in a particular good word for the wheels, noting that the ceramic plasma arc spray on the front wheels is the same process used to protect the space shuttle's main engine turbine blades from high heat.
The lower unsprung weight improves "suspension response times, chassis dynamics, steering feel and ride quality", according to a Ford press release. Carbon Revolution has delivered Ford wheels resistant to kerb strikes, UV/chemical exposure and extreme heat, such as might occur from heavy braking on a race track. The Ford press release reveals that the wheels are designed to meet a specification more appropriate for the track than for the road, but the wheels will not buckle (or split, fracture, break, bend or melt!) under the load of 900° Celsius heat from the car's brake package.
During the sophisticated production process, each wheel has its own RFID chip embedded within it to monitor quality control. Rather than being cast or forged, the carbon-fibre wheel is cured. While the resin used cures, 61 separate checks and over 246,000 data points are logged and the finished product is scanned using computerised tomography (CT). Provided they pass muster, the wheels are shipped from Geelong to Ford's Flat Rock assembly plant in the USA, where they're fitted to the Shelby Mustang on the production line.
"The GT350R wheels and tyres were developed to be the most track-capable parts we've ever produced," said Adam Wirth, chassis supervisor, Ford Performance.
"The carbon-fibre wheels reduce vehicle weight by 60 pounds compared to aluminum, yet are stiffer for better steering response.
"We believe this is a game changer for the industry," he added, "a great example of improved performance through innovation."
Carbon Revolution was partly funded in developing the CR-9 by the $24.5 million Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund, to which Ford Australia contributed $10 million after it announced it would closing its vehicle assembly and engine production plants in Campbellfield and Geelong, respectively.