Prepare For A Carbonfibre Wheel Revolution At The Hands Of BMW

BMW has been showing the fruits of its carbonfibre labour, in the form of these functionally beautiful wheels. The German firm has been forging ahead with its development of the lightweight material, which underpins its i3 and i8 projects.

BMW reckons it is about one or two years away from introducing the wheels across its range. There are two wheels in production, with the first and lightest being a fully carbonfibre rim that's 35 per cent lighter than a standard alloy wheel. There's also a carbonfibre/aluminium hybrid option, which has an alloy centre with a carbon surround. While obviously heavier, it will no doubt be cheaper, and still comes in at an impressive 25 per cent lighter than the standard wheel.

But it's not just wheels they're working on. Recent M models have taken advantage of the improved performance characteristics that come with light weight and a low centre of gravity, but it could also be useful for improved efficiency in non-performance models.

The Bavarians are specifically working in carbonfibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), which they say is "around 30 per cent lighter than aluminium and 50 per cent lighter than steel." Its implementation in rotating-mass components is of particular interest to BMW, as lower rotating masses means improved foot-to-the-floor responsiveness. An example of this ethos in practice is in the M3 and M4, which have a single-piece CFRP propeller shaft. Without the centre bearing, the shaft is 40 per cent lighter than on the previous model.

Further weight savings across the range, including future Minis, could come in the form of CFRP seat frames and steering wheels. We can imagine the hot hatch game taking a huge leap with a carbonfibre-clad Mini JCW.