Carbon fiber wheels aren’t really anything new. Koenigsegg was the first manufacturer to really push carbon wheels, even if it didn’t invent such things, Ford offered a carbon fiber wheel option for the Shelby GT500, and the Corvette Z06 will get carbon wheels, too. There are even some aftermarket options, if you prefer. However, now HRE Wheels is in the game, with its new CRBN program.
At first, the CRBN program will create wheels that feature carbon fiber barrels and forged aluminum centers, to create an ultra lightweight wheel that’s also strong enough to handle the rigors of track-duty.
“With carbon fiber wheels becoming more readily available through several OEMs, we knew the materials and technologies were finally ready for us to achieve our goals with carbon fiber,” said Alan Peltier, CEO of HRE Wheels. “The exciting thing for us is that the CRBN rim is just the start of HRE’s use of exotic materials and advanced manufacturing methods. Our goal is to keep pushing the envelope so that we continue to surpass the demanding expectations of our customers who own the world’s most sophisticated supercars and hypercars.”
To start, the CRBN Series HX1 wheel will consist of four styles–the HX100 Mesh, HX101 Y-Spoke, HX104 V-Spoke, and HX107 Split 5-Spoke, all of which will be offered in 20, 21, and 22-inch diameters. HRE also went to great lengths to make sure no seam lines were visible, by creating a perfectly seamless outer layer of carbon. Looking at the carbon barrels up close, in these new press photos, they look stunning.
As always with HRE, each wheel is made to order, so any number of custom finishes are available. The carbon barrel with bronze aluminum centers, seen in some of the photos, is a breathtaking bit of wheel design and one that I’d be willing to sell some of my internal organs to own.
