carbon fibre

Koenigsegg has revealed its latest special-edition Regera, touting its high-tech new carbon exterior finish. The KNC, or Koenigsegg Naked Carbon, finish involved no lacquer, varnish or alternative coating. Instead, the thin layer of epoxy usually used to coat a cured piece of carbon is gently hand-removed until only the naked carbon remains.

Carbon Revolution, supplier of lightweight wheels to Ford Performance and Ferrari, will grow its staff and warehouse space in Geelong, as it prepares to ramp up production. The extra 500 employees will almost triple the brand's workforce, and push its annual production capacity from 10,000 to more than 150,000 wheels. The expansion is worth $100 million, according to the Victorian Labor Government, and will include a 7000m² production plant next to the company's existing facility.

Ford is evaluating a new carbon-fibre subframe, assessing whether it can be used in a high-volume production vehicle. The new front subframe was jointly developed by Ford and Magna, a key supplier in the automotive industry, and contains mounting points for the engine and the front wheels. It is currently being evaluated in a Ford Fusion development vehicle — the Fusion is essentially the North American variant of the Mondeo range sold locally.

Australia’s CSIRO has cracked the carbon-fibre code, and in doing so has opened the floodgates to mass-production of the composite material in Australia. Currently only a handful of companies around the world are able to manufacture carbon-fibre, each with their own closely-guarded secret recipe. But none have, as yet, cracked the method to producing ultra-lightweight, ultra-strong composite in significant quantities.

The carbonfibre core of the new BMW 7 Series signifies the German brand's expanding expertise and confidence in bringing the high-strength but ultra-lightweight material to more of its models in the near future. Speaking to CarAdvice at the international launch of the new BMW 7 Series in New York today, Florian Schek, BMW’s head of lightweight design and vehicle weight, said he believes BMW is now leading the carbon integration process in the automotive industry.