Geelong firm fits carbon wheels to $600k 'Perfect 10 on Libido-Meter' Ford GT.!!
A Geelong company that started out in a garage a decade ago
has won a contract to supply its revolutionary lightweight carbon fibre
wheels as an option on Ford's $US450,000 ($600,000) GT supercar.
The contract, announced by Ford on Tuesday, is a big feather in the cap of Carbon Revolution, which has perfected a process for making carbon fibre wheels and is automating it for a wider market.
The wheels save weight below the suspension and boost performance. Last year Carbon Revolution supplied wheels for the Ford Mustang Shelby 350, which sells for $US56,000.
The GT is labelled "A Perfect 10 on Libido-Meter" by Forbes magazine and billed as a challenger to exotic European supercars such as Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini.
The contract, announced by Ford on Tuesday, is a big feather in the cap of Carbon Revolution, which has perfected a process for making carbon fibre wheels and is automating it for a wider market.
The wheels save weight below the suspension and boost performance. Last year Carbon Revolution supplied wheels for the Ford Mustang Shelby 350, which sells for $US56,000.
The GT is labelled "A Perfect 10 on Libido-Meter" by Forbes magazine and billed as a challenger to exotic European supercars such as Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini.
Ford plans to make just
500 GTs over the next two years, enough to supply about one in 13 of
the 6500 customers who have applied to buy one.
The GT is teardrop-shaped, with a carbon-fibre-body, a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 engine capable of generating more than 600 horsepower and hitting 100km/h in less than three seconds.
Successful applicants must fill out a questionnaire to convince Ford they will be a suitable owner for the vehicle with a large Twitter following, and drive it rather than garage it to sell for a profit.
The GT is teardrop-shaped, with a carbon-fibre-body, a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 engine capable of generating more than 600 horsepower and hitting 100km/h in less than three seconds.
Successful applicants must fill out a questionnaire to convince Ford they will be a suitable owner for the vehicle with a large Twitter following, and drive it rather than garage it to sell for a profit.
Disruptive not niche
Carbon Revolution chief executive Jake Dingle
said he expected a good take-up of the carbon fibre wheels on the GT
because the performance benefits would be attractive to supercar buyers.
Mr Dingle said the company was in talks with manufacturers that could lead to higher volume contracts on more mainstream vehicles as it expanded its manufacturing capacity and got its costs down. It is also looking at aerospace applications where weight savings are crucial.
"The fact is that people are looking at this in higher volume applications," he said. "It validates the fact that we are aiming to bring a disruptive technology to the market rather than just a niche technology."
Carbon Revolution has a factory on Deakin University's Waurn Ponds campus.
Mr Dingle said the company was in talks with manufacturers that could lead to higher volume contracts on more mainstream vehicles as it expanded its manufacturing capacity and got its costs down. It is also looking at aerospace applications where weight savings are crucial.
"The fact is that people are looking at this in higher volume applications," he said. "It validates the fact that we are aiming to bring a disruptive technology to the market rather than just a niche technology."
Carbon Revolution has a factory on Deakin University's Waurn Ponds campus.
It is looking to raise about $100 million
in a couple of tranches – starting later this year – to increase
production to 60,000-70,000 wheels a year within two years and
eventually to about 250,000 wheels a year. The plans include a possible
public float of the company.
CSIRO's materials division and Deakin's Carbon Nexus facility are helping with the development of new advanced resins – the glue in which the lightweight but very strong carbon fibres are set - and carbon fibres for future applications, including aerospace. .
CSIRO's materials division and Deakin's Carbon Nexus facility are helping with the development of new advanced resins – the glue in which the lightweight but very strong carbon fibres are set - and carbon fibres for future applications, including aerospace. .