A report in today's Green Car Reports states the the German companies ThyssenKrup (carbon fibre manufacturers) and Maxion (world's biggest wheel manufacturer) are combining to supply Ford's Mustang and an undisclosed VW model with a 40% lighter aluminium/carbon fibre composite wheel.

I expect they will be somewhat expensive to start with but will trickle down in price eventually.

They claim better fuel economy, performance, reduced unsprung weight and potentially reduced NVH due to the carbon fibre's dampening qualities.

I would suspect the VW model will be the Golf 400R if it does go on sale.

(maybe optional)

http://evo.co.uk/volkswagen/golf/13784/vw-golf-r-400-revealed

 

The Volkswagen Group could do with sourcing affordable wheels and fitting as OEM that do not have Alloy Corrosion so readily,

and then accept that there is an issue and replace under warranty.

Fitting a Matching spare Wheel / Tyre as standard would be nice as well.

 

Fitting a Matching spare Wheel / Tyre as standard would be nice as well.

That is never going to happen.  Aiming for absolute minimum weight to obtain lowest possible mpg and CO2 figures on the official tests will  see to that.  And of course avoiding the additional cost.  Also many cars no longer have a wheel well in the boot that is capable of accepting a full size wheel.  By full size I mean the same size as the other 4 - some manufactures state 'full size spare' when they mean none-spacesaver but smaller than the other 4.

But as we know,

when we remove the spare, many cars can then take the road wheel / tyre fully inflated in the tyre well.

(some of us even fit slightly wider than the OEM Tyre / Wheel Fitment Spare in the Spare Tyre well and the floor still closes.

 

Some of us very easily have lighter wheels on the car and a matching 5th wheel in the boot, and it is no heavier than the 

Standard or Optional Steel Spare the Manufacturer supplies.

(i actually carry 2 spares at 19kg each in the boot,

and that is still less weight than as the car has been given the Kerb Weight by Skoda, because i removed the 25 kg weights that Skoda Bolted to the Rear Crash to make the Hatchback heavier by 5 kg than the estate car.)

Weight saving is Kidology with the Volkswagen Group sometimes,  Who actually designs and manufactures Weights to add, just because the Car would be too light,.

Vorsprung Durch Technik.

 

Picture taken from Google Images of another Briskoda Members car not mine.

Weights not added to the Sister Cars from VW / Seat  / Audi, 

but then all those were Heavier already, but for some reason had a lower VED Class given by VWG EU Testing.

? How much do you thing it cost Skoda to Produce several thousand sets of 25 kg Ballast Weights,

then fit a spare as standard in the Skoda, but only as options in the 3 sister cars from VW / Seat / Audi.?

This shouldn't really be in the Yeti forum.

Very true, which is why Tumble Weed sometimes blows through the Yeti section as the same old is always discussed.

Yetis seem to have some interest for goneoofski- since they are Skoda/VAG products which he doesn't own or drive because they are so awful in every respect!!

Topic moved.

JCP  (AKA Derren Brown.)  

 Now were did you see me say that about them being awful in every respect ?

If "minimal kerb weight" is so important to manufacturers, why don't they engineer alloys for maximum strength rather than styling them?

I wonder how many Yeti specific followers browse the technical sections ? - I don't, but if I'm up for a mod sometime I'd like to think I might get wind of a significant advance in such a common component.