Hyundai teams up with Dymag for N carbon wheels
Carbon hybrid rims coming for N flagships soon - get practising your parallel parking now...
Despite having only launched its first model in 2017, Hyundai’s N performance division has shown in six short years that it really gets the fast car thing. Specifically, it understands that the experience is at least as important as the numbers, if not more so, and has therefore focused on cars that make you smile, from how they sound to how they steer, how they change gear to how they look. The upcoming Ioniq 5 N will demonstrate whether or not the well-established N attributes can make it to an EV, but all the signs so far are good.
Those paying close attention to Hyundai at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - it had a lot going on, granted - will have noticed its latest N division innovation, too - it’s going to make carbon wheels. Today it has confirmed a collaboration with Dymag and Hankuk Carbon to make carbon hybrid wheels for upcoming N Performance products. Which sounds like great news, again from the driving experience perspective. Lighter wheels won’t make a car faster, sure, but unsprung mass has benefits for ride, handling, steering - it’s a worthwhile investment, in other words.
Which brings us to the next important point - these will be carbon hybrid wheels, not full carbon items. Hyundai N has established a reputation for value already, and crazy expensive optional rims wouldn’t sit comfortably with that. Instead the wheels will feature a carbon fibre outer rim with what’s being called a ‘precision-machined forged metallic centrepiece’, and is a Dymag proprietary design. The claim is for the best of both worlds, saving between 40 and 50 per cent of the weight of a cast aluminium wheel as well as offering better strength and durability. There are said to be NVH benefits, too, and for the manufacturer greater design flexibility than a one-piece carbon wheel (because that forged centrepiece can be switched out more easily). All sounds pretty good, right? Certainly still wouldn’t want to kerb them, but what a talking point carbon hybrid wheels on a Hyundai would be.
Dymag CEO Tom de Lange said: “We are delighted we are working with Hyundai on the development of advanced, lightweight carbon hybrid wheels for its N Performance products. The first result of the collaboration between Dymag and Hankuk Carbon, the new wheel technology further cements Dymag’s position as a leading OEM partner for the global automotive industry.” So hopefully this might be the first of many part-carbon wheels available on vehicles that aren’t supercars or crazy track specials, which is encouraging. Even for those of us not in the rim refurb business…
Anyone buying for our roads in the UK will be at the peril of the next huge pothole their council has deemed not yet needing attention and then the process of repairing a carbon wheel is more expensive than buying a new one...
The performance advantage is not going to be noticeable on the heavier modern cars N are producing as they really aren't at the heights of the fastest McLarens/Koenigseggs/Ferraris that would potentially see a tangible benefit from the perks of composite wheels.
Maybe as a second set for track work like some of the RenaultSport hot stuff of recent years would make sense - but realistically who is going to be tracking an Ioniq, no matter how many electric horses it has?
Anyone buying for our roads in the UK
I've been slightly researching the effects of wheel weight in the quest for different wheels for my car and people feel the difference in, for example, turn in. With a lot less weight difference than these wheels will be.
For example: https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/realistical...
Anyone buying for our roads in the UK will be at the peril of the next huge pothole their council has deemed not yet needing attention and then the process of repairing a carbon wheel is more expensive than buying a new one...
The performance advantage is not going to be noticeable on the heavier modern cars N are producing as they really aren't at the heights of the fastest McLarens/Koenigseggs/Ferraris that would potentially see a tangible benefit from the perks of composite wheels.
Maybe as a second set for track work like some of the RenaultSport hot stuff of recent years would make sense - but realistically who is going to be tracking an Ioniq, no matter how many electric horses it has?
Anyone buying for our roads in the UK will be at the peril of the next huge pothole their council has deemed not yet needing attention and then the process of repairing a carbon wheel is more expensive than buying a new one...
The performance advantage is not going to be noticeable on the heavier modern cars N are producing as they really aren't at the heights of the fastest McLarens/Koenigseggs/Ferraris that would potentially see a tangible benefit from the perks of composite wheels.
Maybe as a second set for track work like some of the RenaultSport hot stuff of recent years would make sense - but realistically who is going to be tracking an Ioniq, no matter how many electric horses it has?
for the 3 people will track their family SUV, good luck to them but this is just a PR stunt for me, giving cred to Hyundai's N brand but not much else
Anyone buying for our roads in the UK will be at the peril of the next huge pothole their council has deemed not yet needing attention and then the process of repairing a carbon wheel is more expensive than buying a new one...
The performance advantage is not going to be noticeable on the heavier modern cars N are producing as they really aren't at the heights of the fastest McLarens/Koenigseggs/Ferraris that would potentially see a tangible benefit from the perks of composite wheels.
Maybe as a second set for track work like some of the RenaultSport hot stuff of recent years would make sense - but realistically who is going to be tracking an Ioniq, no matter how many electric horses it has?
Secondly, the council (in the UK), don't give twio S***ts about damage incurred to your vehicle, then theirs the frustration and anguish of seeking the deserved compensation. What I will say though, is the majority and most especially large potholes, can ALL be avoided if your eyes remain firmly on whats in front of you, your within the speed limit and not tail gating i.e. giving sufficient space to see comfortably ahead for any possible dangers. Sorry to say, Many on here (not all) are likely hotheads behind the wheel, so you get what comes your way. To close., whilst one stretch of road maybe better than the other etc, etc., I casnot believe the quality of the roads globally is much better than the UK; Probably worse!
Secondly, the council (in the UK), don't give twio S***ts about damage incurred to your vehicle, then theirs the frustration and anguish of seeking the deserved compensation. What I will say though, is the majority and most especially large potholes, can ALL be avoided if your eyes remain firmly on whats in front of you, your within the speed limit and not tail gating i.e. giving sufficient space to see comfortably ahead for any possible dangers. Sorry to say, Many on here (not all) are likely hotheads behind the wheel, so you get what comes your way. To close., whilst one stretch of road maybe better than the other etc, etc., I casnot believe the quality of the roads globally is much better than the UK; Probably worse!
) people are looking 100m up the road, rather than peering over their bonnet looking for potholes.They will sell of course as it's just another thing to show your friends how well off you are, or maybe how much credit you can get. That said, they really won't last long on a daily road car.
for the 3 people will track their family SUV, good luck to them but this is just a PR stunt for me, giving cred to Hyundai's N brand but not much else
for the 3 people will track their family SUV, good luck to them but this is just a PR stunt for me, giving cred to Hyundai's N brand but not much else
The other thing is that true carbon fibre wheels, which admittedly isn't the ones the article, would not just buckle or dent like a conventional alloy wheel. It is far more likely that they'll either be fine or fail in a fairly catastrophic way which might cause damage elsewhere on that corner or in a worst case cause a genuine accident. It always seems a daft option for a road car and they're rarely used on race cars either.
There might be a slightly stronger argument for the hybrid type shown in this article but I'm still pretty cynical. By making the rim in carbon, I can't help thinking that the most vulnerable part of the wheel is also the material that has the least appropriate failure modes and is the least repairable.
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