Closeup view of the wheels on a 2020 McLaren 765LT

Are There Any Benefits to Having More Spokes in Your Wheels?

Reasons Why Some Car Wheels Have More Spokes Than Others

One of the standout features of McLaren vehicles is their distinctive design, including a range of unique wheel styles. What sets McLaren wheels apart is the variety in spoke configurations, with some models featuring 4 or 5 spokes, while others have 9 or even 10. This might leave you wondering, does the number of spokes offer any advantages? Join the team at McLaren Chicago as we explore the answer!

Practical Reasons for Having More or Fewer Spokes on Car Wheels

Generally speaking, if a vehicle features wheels with more spokes than another vehicle offers, there is no true advantage for the vehicle with more spokes. It is possible to create wheels without spokes, but these would weigh significantly more and not be as effective when braking and would drastically reduce handling as well. Creating a wheel with spokes also reduces the number of materials necessary to create the wheels and drastically reduces costs as well!

With that said, the number of spokes a wheel has, provided the wheel is not one solid piece, is generally irrelevant. Obviously, this is only true if each wheel is able to handle the necessary weight requirements. More often than not, a wheel with fewer spokes will offer wider individual spokes while a wheel featuring more spokes will offer slimmer individual spokes.

Rear wheels with five spokes
Closeup view of the 15-spoke wheel on a 2020 McLaren GT

Cosmetic Reasons for Having More or Fewer Spokes on Car Wheels

Ultimately, the main reasons for wheels offering more or fewer spokes are purely cosmetic. Automotive designers, especially those who design McLaren models, take every aspect of the vehicle into consideration during the design process. This includes the number of spokes that the vehicle’s wheels should have. Some vehicles feature fewer spokes with larger gaps to highlight the brake disc that the model features. Other vehicles feature more spokes to offer a unique look when the vehicle is in motion.

If you would like to learn more about why some McLaren models feature wheels with different numbers of spokes, then you should contact our staff here at McLaren Chicago today!


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