Magnesium wheels have been used for many years in skilled auto racing, prized for his or her gentle weight. Cadillac claims that magnesium has the best strength-to-weight ratio of any generally obtainable metallic. However, magnesium wheels are nearly remarkable in present manufacturing autos, although Chevrolet provided them as a costly choice on some fifth-generation (C5) Corvettes. Now Cadillac is bringing true magazine wheels to the road as a choice on its 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing high-performance fashions.
From the teaser picture GM launched, its new magazine wheel will not look very totally different from the tons of aluminum alloy wheel designs presently spinning round on at the moment’s autos. It’s one distinguishing function is a small “Mg” brand stamped into the wheel rim, the image for the factor magnesium.
Cadillac says that the brand new solid magazine wheels will cut back unsprung weight—we assume this implies compared to the automotive’s customary aluminum alloy wheels—although the corporate hasn’t revealed by how a lot. Cadillac additionally claims that the lighter wheels and can enhance ride-and-handling. They might enhance acceleration as properly. The legal guidelines of physics agree, however it’ll take driving and testing the mag-equipped automobiles back-to-back with these on the usual wheels to see precisely how a lot the dynamics truly enhance.
Requested why it selected magnesium wheels reasonably than carbon-fiber rims like these Ford fitted to the Mustang GT350R, Cadillac responded that “magnesium wheels assist to cut back mass on the heart, permitting for extra flexibility with the spoke design and higher shock/vibration absorbance. In our testing, magnesium alloy wheels produced a greater experience of high quality as a consequence of its vibration dampening.”
This truly is not the primary time guardian firm Basic Motors has provided true magnesium wheels on one in all its manufacturing automobiles. Chevrolet offered magnesium wheels for a number of years as a choice for the fifth-generation (C5) Corvette however apparently dropped the costly and barely bought merchandise in 2001.
“Good mags!” is a phrase you heard usually in fanatic circles in case you have been round within the 1960s. (In fact, you heard it, Ceppos. You have been there!—Ed.) It referred to “magazine wheels,” a time period derived from the exotic-looking, light-weight magnesium wheels prevalent on post-war racing automobiles. But it surely was truly a misnomer; magnesium wheels have been nearly by no means put in on manufacturing automobiles again then; they have been costly, liable to corrosion, and considered too fragile to deal with the laborious impacts and dangerous climate encountered in avenue use.
Lots of the muscle automobiles prevalent within the sixties have been outfitted with stylized, stamped-steel wheels that have been usually chromed and painted. For causes misplaced way back, they have been dubbed “mags.” There’s one kind of automotive, nonetheless, on which magnesium wheels have discovered extensive use: the recent rod. Rodders way back appropriated magnesium wheels from race automobiles—Halibrand-style mags used on outdated dash automobiles and Indy roadsters from the fifties and sixties have been long-time favorites—for his or her cool look in addition to their gentle weight. Right this moment, lots of these authentic designs are recreated in aluminum.
We’ll have to attend till these new Cadillacs are revealed, probably in spring 2021, earlier than we all know if “good mags!” is a phrase we’ll be listening to as soon as once more.
