Carbon Attraction... Why :-)
Discussion
Why are so many super car owners and enthusiasts obsessed with carbon? Carbon steering wheel, carbon wings, carbon dash, carbon paddles, etc.
Not only does carbon not do it for me, but I actually don’t like it on a car. While I understand it is a lighter material and it is perceived as quality, I actually think is looks ‘cheap’.
Am I the only one in this camp :-)
Not only does carbon not do it for me, but I actually don’t like it on a car. While I understand it is a lighter material and it is perceived as quality, I actually think is looks ‘cheap’.
Am I the only one in this camp :-)
oo7ml said:
Why are so many super car owners and enthusiasts obsessed with carbon? Carbon steering wheel, carbon wings, carbon dash, carbon paddles, etc.
Not only does carbon not do it for me, but I actually don’t like it on a car. While I understand it is a lighter material and it is perceived as quality, I actually think is looks ‘cheap’.
Am I the only one in this camp :-)
You certainly are not. I never got this either Not only does carbon not do it for me, but I actually don’t like it on a car. While I understand it is a lighter material and it is perceived as quality, I actually think is looks ‘cheap’.
Am I the only one in this camp :-)
I'll always have the internal carbon bits, I think the little touches in the cabin combine well with a good interior but I agree that carbon bumpers and splitters look a bit mickey mouse.
And the whole "weight saving" trope seems a bit over done too. If you are that fussy get a couple of stone off the beer gut and only ever drive with 4 quids worth of fuel in the tank!
And the whole "weight saving" trope seems a bit over done too. If you are that fussy get a couple of stone off the beer gut and only ever drive with 4 quids worth of fuel in the tank!
I am with you. I actually wouldn’t buy a car with excessive carbon bits just think it a bit naff.
Ok, use carbon for its benefits where there is a really performance advantage. To use it in the interior trim... well the weave of the carbon can appease to some people, that’s fine but I think in many cases some people spec it not because the love the “weave pattern” but because it’s expensive, therefore “better”. Worst is having something fake that tries to look like it! Each one to its own for me only if it brings a real performance gain, otherwise no point.
Ok, use carbon for its benefits where there is a really performance advantage. To use it in the interior trim... well the weave of the carbon can appease to some people, that’s fine but I think in many cases some people spec it not because the love the “weave pattern” but because it’s expensive, therefore “better”. Worst is having something fake that tries to look like it! Each one to its own for me only if it brings a real performance gain, otherwise no point.
Playstation generation coming through maybe? Carbon was always an upgrade, later consoles you could dress interiors as well, i agree on tacky beyond functional stuff, a hint of inside is ok but funily enough the Pagani zonda that was almost all fully exposed carbon i quite liked, maybe because all the engineering & machine work was stunning
Edited by Pvapour on Saturday 8th December 08:06
MDL111 said:
I like it as a material as it saves weight, but prefer it painted. Not a big fan of interior Carbon - I prefer how the Aluminium feels to the plasticky carbon stuff
Interior carbon tat is almost certainly not going to save weight.... CF body panels do of course save weight but the cost of replacement is usually horrendous and tbh for a car that is to be regularly used on track I'd actively prefer not to have cf panels whatever the weight saving might be. CF monocoque - great, outside of that I'm not really very keen on it for various reasons.I agree, unnecessary carbon makes my teeth itch.
Carbon is very very strong, and is light compared to steel, but it's heavy compared to plastic.
The trend to replace plastic swtich panels that are light and more than stiff enough, with heavy carbon ones that are 10x stronger than they need to be, it vanity over sanity.
Monocoques, aero devices/supports, thats different & I approve.
But not your frikkin radio dial or side mirror cover FFS.
Carbon is very very strong, and is light compared to steel, but it's heavy compared to plastic.
The trend to replace plastic swtich panels that are light and more than stiff enough, with heavy carbon ones that are 10x stronger than they need to be, it vanity over sanity.
Monocoques, aero devices/supports, thats different & I approve.
But not your frikkin radio dial or side mirror cover FFS.
It's a great material. I've had various parts reproduced in it and the weight saving never ceases to amaze me. We may see more Graphene in coming years (though the aesthetic is similar), but really there's yet to be a better material that's suitable and understood well enough for car production. I think the aesthetic is good (ditto wood for the same reason). In the case of many trim parts the benefit is purely looks given the weight loss is quite insignificant, and, in some cases, there is a gain because the standard part is underneath!.
Take it or leave it, I guess - the cosmetic accessories are really a personal preference.
Take it or leave it, I guess - the cosmetic accessories are really a personal preference.
I'm just sourcing OEM carbon sigma side blades for my R8, they were a strong selling point of the car when it first came out and suit its looks well
I think the whole CF thing now is a bit overdone like scissor doors they just got too much and lots of cars have fake plastic s
t on them to look like CF that diminishes the desirability of the real stuff
I got a sample of some dipped hydrographic carbon out of interest. I would like to have my engine bay in CF, it suits the car with it's glass engine cover. The dipped pieces looked atrocious and I will save up for the real thing which is 5 pieces that costs about £2k
I think the whole CF thing now is a bit overdone like scissor doors they just got too much and lots of cars have fake plastic s
t on them to look like CF that diminishes the desirability of the real stuffI got a sample of some dipped hydrographic carbon out of interest. I would like to have my engine bay in CF, it suits the car with it's glass engine cover. The dipped pieces looked atrocious and I will save up for the real thing which is 5 pieces that costs about £2k
Cynical suggestion: naïve, cash-rich buyers get talked into dive-bombing the options lists by salespeople looking to bump up their commission? No doubt there's much mention of the carbon options being must-haves to mitigate against depreciation and increase attractiveness to future buyers.
Presumably anything essential in carbon fibre is going to come as standard since it's actually part of the car. Anything that you can specify as an option isn't critical to the car's usage. (See also: having a 'sports exhaust' as an option on a car that, logically, should already have one!)
Presumably anything essential in carbon fibre is going to come as standard since it's actually part of the car. Anything that you can specify as an option isn't critical to the car's usage. (See also: having a 'sports exhaust' as an option on a car that, logically, should already have one!)
I've owned a few supercars over the years and I've never spec'd (or sought out a model that had been spec'd with) any additional carbon items.
I fully appreciate its use in engineering where structural rigidity and weight are an issue, and have happily paid for cars where the engineering and use of materials is market leading/pioneering.
However I am also not a fan of seeing carbon on items that do not justify its use.
Its like how chavs destroyed the burberry pattern, too much of it on display and everywhere on items that do not need it becomes nothing more than a "look at me", I'm a chav
I fully appreciate its use in engineering where structural rigidity and weight are an issue, and have happily paid for cars where the engineering and use of materials is market leading/pioneering.
However I am also not a fan of seeing carbon on items that do not justify its use.
Its like how chavs destroyed the burberry pattern, too much of it on display and everywhere on items that do not need it becomes nothing more than a "look at me", I'm a chav
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