Just a month after announcing its entry into the bespoke automotive aftermarket, Maryland-based carbon fiber atelier Vitesse AuDessus (that's "Superior Speed" in French) has introduced a new carbon fiber wheel. The hollow, single-piece wheel appears quite similar in design to the Aircore wheel that Koenigsegg uses on its Agera R and One:1 hypercars, only this wheel can lighten and liven everything from Lamborghinis, to McLarens, to Porsches, assuming the owner is willing to drop the price of an Audi A4 to get a set.
Vitesse AuDessus offers both bespoke and OEM-spec carbon fiber wheels. It says that it can handcraft wheels for every current Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes and Porsche model. Weights obviously vary depending upon the size and design of the individual wheel, but the company says that average wheel weight is 13.2 lb (6 kg).
"In certain cases, our wheels reduce unsprung weight by more than 50 percent," explains CEO Stefany Sanchez. "This dramatic reduction translates into increased acceleration, reduced stopping distance, improved steering and handling, improved grip, reduced road noise and vibrations and improved fuel economy."
When it reworked the ever-virile Agera R back in 2012, Koenigsegg introduced what it identified as the world's first single-piece, hollow carbon fiber wheels. It has since added the Aircore carbon fiber wheels to models like the One:1 megacar and Regera hybrid.
That's been all well and good for the Koenigsegg buyer, but it hasn't done much for drivers of other supercars looking for that extra carbon fiber boost. Vitesse AuDessus helps to fill the void, delivering a Koenigsegg-like carbon fiber wheel option for other sports and luxury cars.
The wheels aren't cheap though, starting at US$8,875 a piece for OEM-spec models and $10,125 for bespoke versions. The prices go up from there based on design, dimensions and performance requirements. So you're looking at $35,500+ for a set of four.
If that price sounds like too much to put into your six-figure supercar, you may prefer the CR-9 from Carbon Revolution. The Australian company, whose wheels grace the all-new Ford Mustang GT350R, sells its own single-piece carbon fiber wheels for a variety of sports cars with prices starting under $16,000 for a full set. A look through available CR-9s for Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and others shows that they weigh a bit more at 15.5 lb (7 kg).
Vitesse AuDessus doesn't really see its prospective client as someone that would let a measly $20,000 get in the way of the perfect supercar, especially with nearly 10 lb (4.5 kg) at stake.
"Our clients have already selected the very best in their lives," Sanchez said when the company announced its launch in June. "So why should they accept a supercar or exotic vehicle that is no different than the one in their neighbor's private garage? Thus, the challenge we were presented with was, how do we make something that is already incredibly rare, sexy and exciting even rarer, even sexier and even more exciting? The answer? We adorn every inch of it in handcrafted carbon fiber."
Beyond its ultralight wheels, the new shop offers bespoke carbon fiber exteriors, interiors, components and monocoques for exotics like the Bugatti Veyron, LaFerrari and Porsche 918. You can see a bit of its handiwork in our photo gallery.
Source: Vitesse AuDessus
