I've been reluctant to ask this for fear of seeming like an old fart, but why is CF so desirable? Sure it's different looking, but is it so great that it's worth the outrageous prices that are charged for it?

I personally don't care for the looks of it, but I know - different strokes for different folks. But even if I liked it, I don't think I'd want to spend that kind of money on it.

Can anyone explain the appeal/value of it to me?

 

Stronger than steel lighter than aluminum. I think the whole street desirability came from the racecar-tech aspect of CF. Designed to make racecars stronger/lighter, now available on street cars we drive around town in. So there is a level of achievement or status that occurs with moving closer to a racecar for the street.

CF is expensive for two reasons. Its hard to make a quality piece so there are R&D issues (its a bit more complicated than fiberglass). Then the actual desirabillity of CF drives price up-- same reason some wheels cost more than others. For a street car, CF is the "ultimate," so to speak. So its market value is high.

CF is like jewelry: No one "needs" it (for the street), but is sure looks nice.

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-goin440 IB/IB MC

 

Seems like a glamour thing for the most part, unless you have bottomless pockets and are obsessive about stripping weight. An entire CF bonnet for the MINI came up on MCO recently, and if I remember correctly, the weight savings was less than 20 pounds. Not the best way to spend well over a grand (assuming you want to paint it, etc.)
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Carbon Fiber's main benefit is being light-weight for high-strength and stiffness.

Some applications, race cars & satellites, for instance, place a very high premium on having a very strong, but light weight structure (especially when combined with honeycomb core). The material is expensive though, with some thermally conductive carbon fibers costing over $5,000 PER POUND of material.

The carbon fiber used in press on dash applications is all for looks, just trying to be "sporty."

 

I'm not an old fart (although I did just pass 30) and I agree with you. Carbon Fiber is ugly.

I guess the idea behind it, originally, was to save weight. A carbon fiber hood, for instance, weighs a lot less than a steel one. But having trim parts, like mirror caps, hood scoops and interior trim in carbon fiber can't really save much weight, so it must be an aesthetic choice. I guess it looks faster, or something.

So, don't worry, you're not an old fart. You just have good taste. :smile:

 

the phrase "cubic dollars" comes to mind when I think of carbon fiber.

 

"Taste" is a matter of personal opinion. Same reasons some chose to modify and others leave stock.

 

"coolness factor" has CF at a 10. Its used in aerospace, F-1, and other extremely high tech applications. Strong and light-weight. It's baked in an oven (Autoclave), that also is cool. Will it turn your MINI into a lightweight racer, ala Lotus? No, but for some, it looks pure 21st Century.

 

>>"Taste" is a matter of personal opinion.

I agree. Taste is a matter of taste.

Now I'm hungry.

 

Hey, thanks for all the replies. I've learned something today, which is always good.

I can understand the weight-savings advantage for major parts, but 99% of the CF I've seen advertised are trim pieces that wouldn't really save weight. That's why I didn't get the appeal.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

>>Hey, thanks for all the replies. I've learned something today, which is always good.
>>
>>I can understand the weight-savings advantage for major parts, but 99% of the CF I've seen advertised are trim pieces that wouldn't really save weight. That's why I didn't get the appeal.
>>
>>Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Yeah, 90% of the carbon fiber out there are worthless trinkets that go on the car with double-sided tape. I can understand how people like the somewhat exoticness of carbon fiber, but it's all form and no function in a street car so IMHO it's worthless to add a bunch of cf parts to your car. Another thing is that a lot of people like to put bare carbon fiber dress-up items on their cars which will eventually yellow and crack because of the sun, I say if you're gonna do it you should at least paint it so that it isn't considered "rice". Once again this is just my opinion, it shouldn't sway anyone's decision on putting it on their car if they like the look.

 

Take the hood for example. There is major weight savings there by going carbon fiber.

The problem I see though is if you want SAFETY, IMO as a mechanical engineer, it is a misapplication of materials. Metal yields before reaching it's ultimate failure point. Composites fail in a more catastrophic way (ruptures, cracks, splintered fibers, delaminated plys). For example, while your metallic bonnet has stiffeners in it to help guide the yielding under load (i.e. crumple zones), a composite bonnet would not crumple, it would more likely suffer an ultimate failure in compression. Yielded metal can still carry load (and therefore continue to help absorg nrg).

The other problem in this application is that the bonnet isn't the only load path. With a metallic bonnet and other metallic parts, there is a more uniform stiffness to the load path. When carbon fiber is used to replace the bonnet, the bonnet becomes stiffer. In a complex system, the stiffest path with pick up the most load. Thus, the composite bonnet would pick-up more load faster than the metallic part would.

... too much time on my lunch break at work. I'll try not to let that happen again.

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PM DiD
dave@northamericanmotoring.com

 

It all comes down to personal style, for every stick-on CF piece there is 2 stick-on chrome. look at all the stick-on chrome dash stuff. How is this exceptable and CF is not. People say they buy the MINI to show individuality but when someone does something to their MINI they are bashed as being rice.(This thread has been respectful) enjoy your MINI for what you want. let others enjoy it for what they want. I say chrome it, CF it, Flag it($250 for a roof flag is alot to me scooterboy, raelly nice pedals) do what you want to your MINI and enjoy that's why we bought them. I got into CF in the mountain biking and Tri-biking world and like the looks of it and a highlight here and there looks good to me, just they way alittle chrome looks good to others(I personally can't stand chrome on the dash as shines sun into your eyes at all angles). is it a waste of money....yes are flags awaste of money.....yes. but its your money so waste away. Am I defending CF, no.(put it on or don't Mod your car or don't we all are here together lets do it peacful like) I'm just defending peoples choice to go unbashed no matter what they chose. As I said before this thread has been respectful but others bash unpurposely.

 

No bashing intended - as I said, different strokes for different folks. I was just trying to understand the appeal. At those prices, I thought I might be missing part of the equation.

Your point is well taken though - I did splurge on those pedals, as well as other accessories. But for the record, my roof flag is the $50 removable version. :smile:

 

no offense was taken. I hope you didn't take offense either. I didn't want to attack you or others I just get sick of people getting bashed for their taste.no oone on this thread has done it and it was nice to see. I enjoy looking at flags and other mods people do. Its really nice to see some of the stuff (whether I would do it or not, whether I like it or not) people do to their cars. I really do like your pedals though. (whatever the cost) the CF for me is style not weight just something I got to enjoy the looks of. :smile: :smile:

 

CF has all sorts of applications in high performance automobiles (Street) and Race Cars. I've always considered CF as desirable in a car, when the part you want to replace is very heavy. So, if you repalced your alloy rotors with CF rotors the reduction in weight would be sustancial specially since the weight is close to the wheels, the cost of CF rotors is outrageous and hardly justifiable for MCS, but I think I make my point. If you like CF for it's "look" inside your MCS knock yourself out, it's your car and more importantly your money. I personally like Titanium for the inside of my MCS, unfortunatly no one I know is making trims out of Ti.

Cheers

 

MINI owners look for ways to make the inside and outside of their cars more personalized.
It is perceived that Carbon fiber is rare, expensive and hence desirable especially since rare performance cars have extensive use of CF in parts. True CF performance parts like the CF rotors mentioned aren't in the price range most of us are willing to consider. In other sports titanium and other exotic composite materials are common and if mass produced, can be economically feasible (tennis rackets/bicycles).

CF for MINIs is more oriented so far to interior and exterior trim parts because it is a place to see them and not really for any weight savings (more an issue for CF performance parts). It has a high tech(somewhat sparkly) look to it, still is expensive and not found that commonly. In my area there are no MINIs with any appreciable CF trim parts so far. Lots of BMWs with CF everything though.

So it boils down to what you like to see on and in your car and what you are willing to pay for that change. Personally I like the look of it and the parts I have seen done for the MINI have been of high quality based on the pictures I have seen. Some of the prices are not too bad but I have not gone shopping for CF rotors lately.

 

I normally do not comment on such things as CF...but here goes :smile:

Now that wasn't so much..... ta read :smile:

P.S.
Here's a thought...!!!!
What if the "entire" exterior was CF...now that would surely be a interesting look'n MINI :smile:

Peace,
D

 

If you ever get a chance to see a Ferrari Enzo "in the flesh," you'll understand what makes carbon fibre sooo cool.

 

I like the look of CF but i dont think it would look good on my red cooper....

 

I've seen a Ferrari Enzo in the flesh and I understand

I think CF looks cool on some color minis like dark silver, pure silver and BRG.

 

Looks and performance!

like for my IS300 the stock hood is just crazy heavy....a CF hood would be a perfect mod!