What is carbon fibre?

Carbon fibre is a composite material that's incredibly light and strong, and it has a huge range of uses in cars. You can find it as a fancy dashboard trim in some high-performance models, or it could form the entire chassis and body if you're looking at a supercar from the likes of Bugatti or McLaren. You can usually spot carbon fibre by its weave pattern, which helps make it several times stronger than steel.

It started life as a material used only in top-end motorsports, but has trickled down to become a signifier that you're in a sporty car. However, be aware that most carbon-fibre trim used in regular road cars is simply plastic printed with a carbon-fibre-effect pattern, while the real stuff is usually saved for more expensive cars.