Magnesium Wheels Race to U.S. Market

Automotive enthusiasts can now upgrade their vehicles with high-performance, forged magnesium wheels adapted from Formula One racing designs. Magnesium.com recently announced the introduction of one-piece, forged magnesium wheels for street use in North America. The wheels are 20 percent to 30 percent lighter than forged aluminum and offer increased safety and performance. "The U.S. wheel market is quite formidable and we intend to supply a smaller but very important segment of the 100 million vehicle wheels used in North America," said Mark Lisnyansky, president of Magnesium.com. The magnesium alloy wheels are initially available in 20-inch and 22-inch sizes, and are treated with a high-tech anti-corrosion coating. The company will also be developing wheels in various sizes and compositions for specific North American applications. "Steel wheels are becoming nearly obsolete and the prevailing trend is toward cast aluminum wheels," Lisnyansky said. "While most people are not familiar with forged wheels, performance car enthusiasts know that forged wheels offer significant advantages. And forged magnesium wheels, which are lighter and much stronger than their aluminum counterparts, are the next logical step in optimizing vehicle performance." Magnesium wheels offer consumers improved safety by shortening braking distances and delivering higher acceleration rates as well as improving gas mileage. The "dampening" factor of magnesium allows for vibrations caused by road imperfections to be absorbed six times more effectively. Using specialized aviation industry equipment, the company has been producing Superbike and Formula One competition wheel forgings for many years. The wheels are forged in Russia by a subsidiary and then machined and finished in Italy.

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