Product Information: 

Philosophy/Design

The wheels not only physically but also optically connect a car to the road. “That‘s why it‘s very important to have the right dimensions between the proportions of the rims to the bodywork,“ explains AC Schnitzer chief designer Michele Viandante. Rims that are too small quickly make a vehicle appear high-legged and unstable. The AC3 Flowforming Rims realise what at first sight seems contradictory: reduction in weight with simultaneously increased wheel diameters.

9 or 10 x 21 inch are the dimensions of the AC3 Flowforming wheels. Two colour variants are available in BiColor Silver/Anthracite or Anthracite matt. Visually, the rims can be clearly assigned to the AC3 rim family and they complement the portfolio in terms of sizes, areas of application and manufacturing processes.

The lower weight of the AC3 Flowforming rims reduces the unsprung masses on the vehicle by about 10 kg and thus also reduces the CO2 emissions of the vehicle. At the same time, there is also a noticeable improvement in driving dynamics, as the gyroscopic forces on the axles are reduced by about four times - by a perceived 40 kg. The AC Schnitzer AC3 Flowforming wheels therefore offer real advantages: for the driver and the environment.

Material
Only high-quality aluminium alloys are used. The material is additionally heat-treated in the production process, which results in higher strength and simultaneous weight reduction.
Material samples during the production process guarantee the constant and high quality of the material.

Manufacture
The flowforming process is one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies in wheel industry. In this production process, after the actual aluminium casting, the raw product is further processed by rolling it out. This step serves to compress the metal, which guarantees greater stability and impact resistance of the rim.

On the other hand, the improved stability also allows the design of the wheels to be more filigree, as the wall thicknesses can be significantly thinner compared to conventionally manufactured rims.

And this is measurable: compared, for example, with the BMW forged rim "Double Spoke 706 M" for the M5, which at 10.5J x 20" is even one inch smaller than the new AC3 Flowforming rims, these are 2.4 kg and 2.5 kg lighter than the BMW rim.

Surface BiColor
In this process, the wheel is first primed and then completely painted. Now the surfaces, which are later to shine metallically bright, are turned off and then polished to a high gloss. Finally, a two-layer clear coat is applied, consisting of a polyester primer and the acrylic clear coat.

Test Procedures / Safety
After their design, the first sample rims are manufactured under real production conditions. These must undergo a multitude of tests. Among other things, the strength is tested. The "rim life" is simulated in the bending circumferential test. Every AC Schnitzer rim must withstand this intact in order to be allowed to be produced and sold at all.
This is followed by vehicle-specific tests, including test installations with check of unobstructed movement and driving tests on public roads and on race tracks. Only after these procedures our rims receive their homologation, i.e. the approval to be used in road traffic.

Wheels are safety-relevant components. Therefore, they are checked and tested with the greatest care. This starts with the first chemical material tests and ends with hard testing machine endurance runs:

- § 30 StVZO wheel guideline
- ECE R124
- Bending-rotation tests
- 90° impact test
- unwinding tests

Scope of delivery: 

- rim AC3 Flowforming Anthracite
- specific hub cover
- quality tag
- homologation certificate
- optional vehicle- and rim-specific mounting and fastening material
- certificate of Authenticity