Hyundai shows a prototype carbon-hybrid wheel at Goodwood

Hyundai will soon join the small club of OEMs offering carbon hybrid wheels. The South Korean automaker worked with UK company Dymag and South Korean composites company Hankuk Carbon on a prototype racy, dual-material, 21-inch hoop the partners debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The English fields also saw the debut of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The parties are being coy about details for now, saying only that the hybrid build consists of a carbon fiber rim and a "precision-forged metallic centerpiece" that we're going to guess is aluminum alloy. They look like slightly less ornate versions of the SL-102 wheel from MV Forged's Dymag Collection.  

Anytime we read the word "forged," we think "expensive." The hybrid build will likely make these less pricey (fingers crossed!) than the five-figure sums required for all-carbon wheel options on cars like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 — speaking of which, Australian company Carbon Revolution provides the wheels for both those cars and will do the same for the coming Mustang Dark Horse.  

There will still be noteworthy benefits, though. Dymag's site says its typical carbon hybrid wheel weighs 19.8 pounds compared to a forged aluminum wheel weighing 26.5 pounds and a cast aluminum wheel weighing 33.1 pounds. That's weight savings of as much as 40% in one of the most important spots on a car, plus the benefit of improved strength. Dymag's global safety certifications also include Germany's notoriously finicky TUV agency. 

Nothing in the Dymag press release made the connection, but the release did say the wheels mark the "start of a relationship with Hyundai which will see carbon hybrid wheels become available on N Performance products." Our guess is that we'll see the Dymag wheels on the Ioniq 5 N configurator shortly. The company says other OEM collaborations are coming soon. If you don't want to wait, Dymag will work with you to create a set of custom automotive wheels sized from 18 to 23 inches at the moment, rising to 25-inchers by the end of the year.

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