Carbon Fiber vs OEM Alum Hood weight?
 

I am considering replacing my factory hood with a carbon fiber version. (I hit a pheasant the other day which dented the hood pretty good!) I'm somewhat concerned about quality and weight. What are the better manufacturers/vendors out there and is a carbon fiber hood going to be similar in weight? Right now, I am considering the Seibon KS Style. Any experienced advice is appreciated.

I've heard that VIS, Seibon and Gemini all produce excellent quality CF hoods with great fitment. They're supposed to be lighter than stock, but I don't know the specific weights. What color is your 8? I've seen some hoods w/kevlar weaved into the CF and they look good too.

I am getting that same hood by Seibon. Post pics if/when you have them and I'll do the same. Good luck!

i have the VIS hood and the quality is excellent...it's only lighter by a little bit...carbon fiber hoods on the 8 are only for looks...Here's a link to a thread about my carbon fiber hood...

corksport has a nice CF hood on their 8. its exactly like the OE hood iside and out but lighter. give them a call. it looked like really good work.

Thanks for all your input. dazygirl415 my 8 is velocity red. You're right, that Seibon KS hood might look good with red kevlar woven in! Who offers any hoods like that...I'd like to see some pics!

I have a gemini hood which I love. I've been getting compliments on it since the day I got it. Nice fitment too the weight may have really only been 3-5 pounds if that, I just love the way it looks.

Heres the link my car is on the site and so if BIU and someon else from this forum.

http://www.geminicomposites.com/prod...iber_hood.html

Interesting. If those weights are correct. The carbon fiber hood actually weighs MORE than the OEM aluminum hood (15 lbs. vs. 12 lbs.).

It feels lighter when I was installing it but I never officially weighed it.

Wow! That hood is amazing looking. I'd appreciate it if anyone with a VRed 8 can post a pic or 2.

hahah thats the one corksport has on their car that i was talking about:)
it r4eally is a nice hood. it felt lighter than the stock hood to me also. ask dannobre and/nemisis8 they both checked it out as well.

No doubt it is. Most companies use Fibreglass with a couple of layers of carbon fibre on top. The structure comes from the fibreglass, the look from the cf. They do this because people are cheap and in doing so, loose nearly all benifits of cf.

here you go: You can't see the last one that good but it was a nice shot so I had to post it.

i was the one that worked on the hood with gemini.

Since the OEM hood is already really light....the difference with the CF hood was very minimal...i remember the CF hood was 2-3 lbs lighter than the OEM hood.

so getting a CF hood for our 8s is basically for cosmestics reasons....

God dammit devious12 your ride gives me a hard on everytime i see it.... well literally..haha

I know I'm being picky, but do you have anything bigger? I can host if necessary.

go here : http://www.geminicomposites.com/prod...m/rx8_h_c.html

you'll get all the pics you want :cool:

If you don't find what you need at gemini as far as the pics go let me know I'll email you bigger pics.

Hey BIU glad my ride turns you on great to know that the car has that affect on people haha! hey by the way any word on when and what parts they are gonna release (gemini that is)?