These New Carbon Wheels Are The Strongest You Can Get

Over the past few years, we've seen a number of manufacturers develop and produce carbon fiber wheels for roadgoing cars. This thing is typically the reserve of the hypercar elite, with the likes of the Koenigsegg Regera being among those to showcase the lightweight technology. However, carbon fiber has become more cost-effective, so blue-collar heroes like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 are able to utilize it on their wheels too. The Dearborn-based automaker has even suggested using it on trucks, so the applications of carbon fiber wheels are expanding. The aftermarket scene is also seeing increased demand for this sort of thing, and famed wheel producer HRE has now revealed its take. Meet the HRE CRBN series, "the highest strength-to-weight ratio wheel on the market."

HRE says that, initially, its CRBN line of wheels will consist of carbon fiber barrels and rims with all-new forged aluminum centers and titanium fasteners. Series HX1 will consist of four styles: HX100 Mesh, HX101 Y-Spoke, HX104 V-Spoke, and HX107 Split 5-Spoke. These will be offered in 20, 21, and 22-inch diameters for the launch, with more fitment options to follow in time.

While carbon wheel use is becoming more prevalent at the (relatively) lower end of the price spectrum, that won't be the case here. These HRE wheels are "designed for supercars and hyper-exotics."

People who can afford such vehicles are big fans of customization, so the new wheels are available with a "Frozen" Satin or Gloss clear coat on the carbon fiber element, along with any of HRE's custom finishes for the forged center. Since each wheel will be built to order, the wheels offer "nearly infinite fitment, color, and finish options."

Best of all, you get these wheels with a visibly seamless rim and the option of a center-lock design. The wheels are also made to accept OEM tire pressure monitoring sensors and lug hardware. An RFID chip is embedded inside the barrel "for quality assurance traceability and improved customer support."

"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."

Pricing has not been revealed, but considering that HRE is showcasing these wheels on a 992 Porsche 911 GT3 and a Ferrari SF90 Spider, we suspect that each built-to-order wheel will carry an alarming price tag worthy of its custom construction.