Mulliner Develops Carbon Fiber Wheels For Bentley Bentayga

Jul. 27, 2021 8:20 AM ET by Sebastian Cenizo Technology / 4 Comments

The new 22-inch wheels won't come cheap.

Carbon fiber wheels may have become so affordable to make that they can be fitted to a Mustang, but they're still incredibly complex to engineer. We rarely see them fitted to anything but expensive exotica like the Koenigsegg Agera RS, the Ferrari 488 Pista, and the Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, where up to eight square meters of carbon fiber fabric are used per wheel. But composite materials are not exclusive to supercars, as Bentley's Mulliner division is demonstrating with the unveiling of its 22-inch carbon fiber wheels for the Bentley Bentayga SUV, resulting in a weight saving of 6 kilograms (roughly 13.2 pounds).

Don't worry - the irony of fitting weight-saving wheels to a car that has a starting curb weight of 5,326 lbs is not lost on us. Nevertheless, we must say that these wheels are special, having been developed in conjunction with Bucci Composites, an expert in the field of carbon fiber composite technology. Bentley says that this wheel took five years of engineering to create and uses innovative processes to ensure repeatable high-quality results. Other claims include improved stiffness equivalent to one degree in camber per one g of force, as well as reduced tire wear thanks to the stiffness of the wheel.

There's also an increase in impact safety due to the material weave dispersing air loss. What this means is that, while an aluminum wheel can shatter on impact and cause the tire to collapse explosively, the carbon wheel allows for a slow tire deflation, which makes coming to a controlled stop much easier and safer. As for cost, Bentley makes no mention, but we'll like find out what Bentley will charge you when the wheel becomes available to order later this year. Sure, it may be a pure expression of excess, but when you can afford a Bentley, excess is part of the lifestyle.

Mulliner Develops Carbon Fiber Wheels For Bentley Bentayga

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Mulliner Develops Carbon Fiber Wheels For Bentley Bentayga

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