What Makes Ferrari Wheels Different from Other Sports Cars

Ferrari is a luxury sports car brand that has done an amazing job of setting themselves apart from the rest of the herd. Everything from the steering wheel to the wheels that are used to carry their super cars are different from the others. What makes Ferrari wheels so special anyway?Do you really need to maintain purity when replacing the on your Ferrari? The answer to this question might surprise you. Here are the facts about Ferrari wheels that will help you to understand how technical the engineer and design team makes the process for unrivaled end results

What makes Ferrari wheels different?

We couldn’t help but notice that when browsing through the specs on a few different Ferrari super car models that the descriptions detailed that the wheels are forged, and they’re treated with high tech solutions that give them a distinctive look. For example, the Ferrari 488 GTB and 488 Spider feature 20″ multi-spoke wheels that are forged, and created specifically for these models. The goal of the automaker was to achieve the lightest possible wheels as they were trying to lighten the overall weight of the vehicles. The description goes further to discuss the evolutionary nature of Ferrari’s approach to wheel design with customized wheels made for the 458 Speciale. This led us to the obvious conclusion that Ferrari customizes the wheels to match the personality of the model that they’re made for. With such great attention to these details, it’s no wonder that Ferraris stand out from the rest of the herd.

Customized finishes

A further investigation yielded some surprising yet pleasant results. We looked at several different Ferrari models and noticed that the automaker cares so much about the smallest details that even the finishes for the wheels of the various models are different. This is an ongoing process of completing the overall personality of the car by adding complementary touches. It’s where form meets function.

Ferrari’s evolutionary processes

Ferrari became known for their forged wheels with customization for each model, but more recently, the evolutionary process has advanced yet further. Magazine.com has reported on the automaker’s search for the perfect wheel. In 2018, Ferrari stepped it up a notch with the 488 Pista. This was known as its most powerful V8 powered super car, and the search for the perfect customized wheel took the brand all the way to Geelong, Australia. It was here that a unique carbon fiber filling process was used to further decrease the weight of the wheels and for Ferrari, it was all about losing grams, one at a time if necessary. The process was challenging nd it took into account the stresses of the road that is transferred from the wheels to the other internal components. Ferrari went with a company called Carbon Revolution to develop the wheels for the 488 Pista. The carbon fiber wheels were made with a one-piece barrel and took the weight down by a kilogram for each wheel.

Foregoing beauty for function

Ferrari could have opted for a fancy paint job on the wheels for the 488 Pista, but the focus was so heavily levied on weight reduction that they declined any paint whatsoever. What you got was a naked carbon fibre wheel. You can call it an obsession with weight loss if you like, the success that they achieved with the 488 Pista validates the detailed obsessing over grams of weight that could be imparted by a few strokes of paint. Ferrari was quite pleased with the carbon fiber composite wheels that they acquired from Carbon Revolution.

Ferrari will do whatever it takes

There is a science that stands behind the peculiar habits of Ferrari in applying the optimal wheels to each of its models. Ferrari factory wheels are made for each car, and if they’re not happy with a match, they look until they find the best, as we saw in their 2018 find in Australia. It’s important to understand the science behind Ferrari’s approach to wheels. The design and engineering teams have figured the impact of the tiniest details of the wheels on the suspension, chassis, and overall performance. They must fit perfectly, and in addition to that, enhance performance. Ferrari Chat quoted the VP for tech Services at Ferrari North America and he insists that the use of aftermarket wheels will in fact affect the performance, even if they do fit. Safety is also a serious concern as impacts on performance could result in the car handling differently and it could lead to dire consequences and even injury. Any differences in the weight of the wheel can affect the entire balance of the vehicle, which is finely tuned. To drive the point that you shouldn’t do it home further, he stated that using aftermarket wheels could void parts of the warranty. If that isn’t a compelling reason to stick with Ferrari genuine parts, I don’t know what is.

Conclusion

Ferrari wheels are certainly different than most others. When you consider the fact that wheels are made specifically for each model produced, this sets them in an entirely different category of specialty and high-tech engineering. Ferrari has pulled out all of the stops when it comes to paying attention to the tiniest details in their wheel forging process. They’re also picky about outsourcing, but they’re willing to do it when they find the perfect match for a new model. It’s of great value to understand what makes Ferrari wheels different than the others. Having this information can prevent you from making a mistake and going with aftermarket wheels on your Ferrari. It’s simply not worth the risk of impairing performance, decreasing your safety, or voiding any existing warranty you might have. Sometimes, these facts which may initially seem trivial are actually of the greatest importance.