Shelby GT350R Carbon Fiber Wheels Wins 2016 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award

Jarstang · Oct 20, 2016

MUSTANG SHELBY GT350R WITH INNOVATIVE CARBON FIBER WHEELS WINS POPULAR SCIENCE BEST OF WHAT'S NEW AWARD

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 19, 2016 – Ford’s multi-award-winning Mustang Shelby GT350R has added another accolade to its collection – a 2016 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award in the Auto category.

Each year, Popular Science reviews thousands of new products and innovations and chooses the top 100 winners across 10 categories for inclusion in its annual Best of What’s New issue. To win, a product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category.

“The Best of What’s New awards honor innovations that shape the future,” said Kevin Gray, Popular Science executive editor. “From life-saving technology to incredible space engineering to gadgets that are just breathtakingly cool, this is the best of what’s new.”

The 2016 Shelby GT350R won the award thanks to its ultralight carbon-fiber wheels – the first of their kind on a production car.

The two front wheels are insulated with a ceramic thermal barrier coating adapted from technology that is similar to what NASA used on the space shuttle. Each 19-inch carbon-fiber wheel weighs about 15 pounds less than an equivalently sized aluminum wheel, improving the vehicle’s acceleration and handling.

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...th-innovative-carbon-fiber-wheels-wins-p.html

EcoVert · Oct 20, 2016

Jarstang said:
MUSTANG SHELBY GT350R WITH INNOVATIVE CARBON FIBER WHEELS WINS POPULAR SCIENCE BEST OF WHAT'S NEW AWARD

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 19, 2016 – Ford’s multi-award-winning Mustang Shelby GT350R has added another accolade to its collection – a 2016 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award in the Auto category.

Each year, Popular Science reviews thousands of new products and innovations and chooses the top 100 winners across 10 categories for inclusion in its annual Best of What’s New issue. To win, a product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category.

“The Best of What’s New awards honor innovations that shape the future,” said Kevin Gray, Popular Science executive editor. “From life-saving technology to incredible space engineering to gadgets that are just breathtakingly cool, this is the best of what’s new.”

The 2016 Shelby GT350R won the award thanks to its ultralight carbon-fiber wheels – the first of their kind on a production car.

The two front wheels are insulated with a ceramic thermal barrier coating adapted from technology that is similar to what NASA used on the space shuttle. Each 19-inch carbon-fiber wheel weighs about 15 pounds less than an equivalently sized aluminum wheel, improving the vehicle’s acceleration and handling.

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...th-innovative-carbon-fiber-wheels-wins-p.html

Nice to see the Mustang get some good press for a change and not the usual "but the camaro is better" crap. :thumbsup:

crazymayhem · Oct 20, 2016

Cant tell by the splitter at this angle.. but those calipers aint the R calipers... :lol:

FPCV8YO · Oct 20, 2016

crazymayhem said:
Cant tell by the splitter at this angle.. but those calipers aint the R calipers... :lol:

Because they're not red? The wheels aren't black either.

KS10 · Oct 20, 2016

FPCV8YO said:
Because they're not red? The wheels aren't black either.

This is a pic of the first car they introduced at the Detroit auto show. It had liquid blue paint, gray wheels, and the calipers you see in the pic.

crazymayhem · Oct 20, 2016

[MENTION=25094]KS10[/MENTION] didnt think of that one! Good call!

nastang87xx · Oct 20, 2016

And the calipers were gold.

Variance · Oct 20, 2016

This strikes me as somewhat odd, since Koenigsegg has been offering CF wheels since... 2012, I believe? I guess Popular Mechanics doesn't consider the Agera and Regera to be production automobiles?

stanglife · Oct 20, 2016

Variance said:
This strikes me as somewhat odd, since Koenigsegg has been offering CF wheels since... 2012, I believe? I guess Popular Mechanics doesn't consider the Agera and Regera to be production automobiles?

More hand-built supercars than anything.

Variance · Oct 20, 2016

stanglife said:
More hand-built supercars than anything.

I suppose it ultimately comes down to a subjective definition. I don't think that "supercar" and "production car" are mutually-exclusive categories, and I personally consider anything that is publicly-available and has production numbers greater than the single digits to be a "production automobile". By that definition, the Agera and Regera would be considered production automobiles, but the One:1 (of which there were only... 6, I think? made), would not be.

I wonder if there's any kind of "standard" for this? I'm kinda curious now, haha.

krt22 · Oct 20, 2016

stanglife said:
More hand-built supercars than anything.

I believe they are now "hypercars"

Genxer · Oct 21, 2016

Not just production numbers but overall price of the vehicle surely plays a part. While many of us still can't afford a GT350, it is far more attainable than a "no expense spared" supercar that few of us will ever see, much less be able to afford.

When things like this reach production by the big 3, the possibility of a technology trickle-down to lesser models is closer as mfg costs go down, processes are streamlined, long-term durability is proven out. We will probably never see a Camry with carbon wheels but maybe the tech will be used in part.

Friend of Dorothy · Oct 23, 2016

It is nice to see the efforts of a company in Australia get awarded for their technology in developing and making these wheels: http://www.themotorreport.com.au/61...r-to-wear-australian-made-carbon-fibre-wheels

Hack · Oct 24, 2016

Now all we need is for the price to come down so we can add these to our non-R GT350s.

J_Maher_AMG · Oct 24, 2016

Variance said:
I suppose it ultimately comes down to a subjective definition. I don't think that "supercar" and "production car" are mutually-exclusive categories, and I personally consider anything that is publicly-available and has production numbers greater than the single digits to be a "production automobile". By that definition, the Agera and Regera would be considered production automobiles, but the One:1 (of which there were only... 6, I think? made), would not be.

I wonder if there's any kind of "standard" for this? I'm kinda curious now, haha.

I imagine there has to be a certain number of vehicles produced per year to be considered a full blown "production car", not unlike the rules associated with certain class racing cars requiring X number of cars produced and sold to the general public for homologation purposes. I believe Koenigsegg only sells something like 12-20 cars per year, or possibly less, so I certainly wouldn't consider it a production car haha

Definitely would think of it as more in line with a hand-built hypercar, as opposed to a vehicle that is largely made on an assembly line by machines.

Shelby GT350R Carbon Fiber Wheels Wins 2016 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award

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