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Jay Leno Gives Carbon Fiber Wheels A Try-Out On A Porsche 911 GT3 RS: Video

In this installment of Jay Leno’s Garage, Jay visits wheel manufacturer Carbon Revolution, to find out (and show us) just how reducing wheel weight can improve the feel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Pay special close attention to the gyroscope demonstration given by Carbon Revolution Executive Director Brett Gass, because it’s very effective at demonstrating one of the benefits of lighter, carbon fiber wheels.

The other big benefit of carbon fiber wheels- reducing unsprung weight – is also mentioned. Unsprung weight is any mass that is not supported by the vehicle’s suspension. Reducing it means more immediate wheel travel over bumps and, as a result, more constant grip.

Of course, none of this is new to wheel makers; lightweight wheels for performance applications – even carbon fiber wheels – have been around for years. What Carbon Revolution promises is to bring the technology to a mass market with a newly invented manufacturing technique. He even hints of a future production vehicle launching with carbon fiber wheels from an automaker.

Mr. Gass is quite hush-hush about this technique, so don’t expect to glean any tips from the video for your own homebrew carbon fiber wheels manufacturing operation. But at the very least, it merits a watch for the exciting track footage, and to see Jay Leno spin on cold tires.

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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