Is there a consensus about whether CF wheels are a good choice?
If you plan on a garage queen, get the CF wheels. They are super cool looking. If you plan on using it, CF is very fragile.
Just me, I had CF wheels on my previous F8, it was my favorite option, looks amazing as well. I daily drove it for 3 years, zero issues. Standard wheels are 120lbs for a set of 4, Forged wheels are 94lbs for a set of 4, carbon fiber wheels are 72lbs for a set of 4. They are very light. On Z06, they were able to trim a few seconds off lap time in official track test with carbon fiber wheels vs normal wheels. As far as worry about need to buy a set of 4 at $50k in case of needing to replace the wheels. These are same wheels on 488, Pista, 296, 812, SF90. Brand new set can be had for $31k to $36k, used ones around $5k to $6k each. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not sure about compatibility, 488 / Pista / F8 do definitely have the same wheels but there are different part codes for the 296; they are the same size but I assume the offsets may be different.
Thanks for providing info on the performance gain using CF wheels.I have been trying to understand this difference. In terms of the performance difference, which track was it on? Thanks.
As mention was made of those carbon wheels for the Z06; there is something else to consider. When the wheels are installed as a factory option the Z06 suspension is set up differently to take advantage of the less unsprung weight. I don't know if Ferrari changes the suspension for their carbon wheels when installed at the factory. Ferrari may keep it simple as there are already two different suspension options available.
I am guessing VIR. The weight saving is significant and at where it counts the most, rotating innertia/unsprung mass, each lb saved is equivalent to 5 to 10lbs of static weight. They are all made by Carbon Revolution, oem carbon fiber wheel maker for Ferrari, GM, Ford (Z06, Ford GT, GT350, etc). I see a lot of Ferrari at the meets with carbon fiber wheels, never heard of single person had issue with them. I daily drove the F8 for 3 years with these wheels and wasn't even that careful, no issue what so ever. "Chevrolet engineers have previously stated that switching to carbon fibre wheels can improve lap times by up to 1.5-2.0 seconds over a two-minute lap, all other factors being equal." "The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with optional carbon fiber wheels has demonstrated lap time improvements. GM engineers and Car & Driver testing suggest a potential 1.0 to 1.5 second reduction in lap time over a 2-minute lap due to the lighter carbon fiber wheels. The C8 Z06 with carbon fiber wheels recorded a Lightning Lap time of 2:38.6, the fastest naturally aspirated vehicle tested, and the fastest in its price category in Lightning Lap history"
For those wanting just the look for the carbon fiber wheels but averse to the damage and high replacement & upfront cost, I have seen monoblock forged wheels in the same carbon design, dipped in carbon fiber that look identical and available as a set of 4 for approx $5k. You get the look of CF wheels to complete the design but the cost and strength of Forged wheels.
Timed laps by magazines are typically set with cars (provided by Ferrari) fitted with carbon wheels since they provide better performance. So the wheels are definitely usable in fast track driving; the use case of magazine testing is a "money no object" one so how long the wheels last with such use is difficult to assess from the outside. Hopefully some owners have real life experience.
I totally agree on the performance gains of the CF wheels- similar to what gains one gets with stickier tires.CF is actually quite tough when made well but curb the wheel and you will be in pain forever more looking at the cosmetic damage which is difficult and expensive to repair let alone replace. I’ve had them on several of my Ducati bikes- the responsiveness and performance is unreal- loss of unsprung weight and rotational inertia makes that much of a difference
Absolutely worth getting for all the boxes they check off, things like better resale , better performance, and better looks. Its one of the most complemented parts on my 296. Don't worry about the performacne they provide unless you are looking specifically at tracking, because the car is nuts and you wont be able to race it around as much as you think unless you live in a rural area, and I still have to keep the reigns on it in the twisties since going from 60 to well over 100 is within seconds if you choose. So regular wheel are better if you plan on just driving it around town and don't care about the looks or resale and just want to get one.
I have a brand new set if needed. I am in Houston, TX. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
driving these wheels is an experience like no other. i had this car nearly airborne over a little hill at 60 mph. i winced for the suspension crash at the bottom but the multimatic shocks and the wheels rebounded with nary a foible. like nothing happened. almost like i had landed on a cloud, and what is more, the grip was there like nothing happened. no way this would have worked well with the regular wheels. have had similar experiences with my range rover cf wheels. also- no brake dust at all whatsoever, so keeping them clean on both cars is a cinch. and finally- practically no disc wear. they just dissipate heat so effectively when coupled with the CF brakes on both cars.
I never had the type of experience you mention but I love my carbon fibers for my 296. Just pray I don't ever hit a curb.
On my Pista, I switch back and forth as I have a set of factory metal wheels I use for winters. To me, the car seems to "breathe" with the road better with the CF. It surely drives great with the metal wheels, but, even better ability to move quickly over the constant little bumps and dips in my roads. I have nearly 10k miles on my Pista, Id say about 7000+ are on the CF wheels. While not a daily driver, and not a track car, I have driven it on some trips and quite hard. I've never had a problem, aside from one pothole, which I am confident would have bent a metal wheel. The CF wheel only showed the slightest bit of a tiny bit of cracking/tearing of the clear coat on one of the wheel spokes, right about where it meets the wheel rim. Had I not gone looking for it, I would have not noticed. The wheel never lost any air. Considering that I really drive my cars, I decided to not take a chance and replace the wheel. I did keep it as an emergency spare, with the tire that was on it, this way just in case I ever need to put something on the car, I have it. I really think the wheel is fine, but I wouldn't want to push my luck. Another place the wheels are superior is that they won't go slightly out of round over time, which metal wheels will do if your roads aren't pristine. This is easy enough to deal with, but it's still nice to know it will remain as round as it was to begin with. My conclusion: CF wheels are not to be feared, but, just like metal wheels, you have to watch out for potholes, and if you are prone to curbing wheels, then the metal is easier to get refinished. But for a fun sporty street car experience, it's really a nice performance upgrade. After all, thats why we are drawn to a car thats a little lighter, a little more performing.
There are three main downsides, in no particular order: 1) Cost to option and replace (already discussed above) 2) Difficulty and cost to repair cosmetic blemishes (already discussed above) 3) Failure model (see below) There is a safety risk with carbon wheels when it comes to their mode of failure. With a metal wheel, evidence of stress or damage is much easier to see visibly, up to and including a bent rim. And even with a bent/cracked rim you can drive the car to the shop (if it is still holding air) or hobble into the pit (in both cases slowly and carefully of course). If it is not holding air you'd have to get a tow to the shop of course. Damage to the structure of a carbon wheel is much more difficult to see and can be invisible to the naked eye. And when a carbon wheel fails, it can shatter. For this reason, I have heard many people advise against tracking them, particularly if you are taking the curbs. If you are staying off every single curb then the risk is going to be lower but still possible. Let's say you hit a street pothole here and there, the wheel could accumulate stress fractures, and then when you track the car and put more stress on the wheel it could fail catastrophically. This is extremely unlikely to happen with a metal wheel (invisible damage and then catastrophic failure). Also, I don't think any sanctioned race car series use carbon wheels (I think some use magnesium). For both cost and safety reasons. So I would advise against them for track use. But for street use if you like the aesthetic and are ok with the associated costs/risks then go for it. But always err on the side of caution if you think you might have damaged the wheel structurally (as Caeruleus11 above wisely did).
