Technically, The Best Forged Pistons & Rings In Racing

MAHLE Motorsport forged pistons have won championships at all levels, including Formula 1 seasons with 16 out of 18 race wins supporting six of the ten teams, nearly two decades of straight wins at Le Mans, and championships in all three top levels of NASCAR®. The undisputed technology leader in the forged pistons field, with over 100 years of raving heritage.

Slipper Skirt Style Forgings

Strong, lightweight, low drag forging superior to the traditional full round design. MAHLE Motorsport forged pistons are produced on German manufactured custom forgings per part.

Ultra Flat Ring Grooves Increase Power

MAHLE Motorsport forged pistons are machined to exacting tolerances with focused attention given to the radial flatness of the ring grooves. A flat ring groove is essential in achieving and maintaining the best seal possible. The quality of the ring grooves is so critical to peak and lasting performance, that MAHLE designed and built the machinery used to machine the ring grooves for its Motorsport piston assemblies.

True Performance Coatings 

MAHLE Motorsport proprietary Grafal® anti-friction skirt coating is like no other on the market. It is graphite impregnated to reduce drag like many other skirt coatings, but this is where the similarities end. The screen print application provides superior adhesion and is designed to last 100,000+ miles. The unique properties of Grafal® reduce the harsh contact between the piston skirt and cylinder bore, resulting in much less wear on the bore and significantly reduced piston skirt fatigue.

A dry phosphate coating provides the signature grey appearance to the MAHLE piston. This dry lubricant coating provides a lubricant film in the pin bores and ring grooves until the oiling system of the engine reaches operating pressure; particularly useful during initial start-up or break-in of engines to protect against galling and micro welding. The piston crown is still machinable.

Hard anodised ring grooves provide extra protection against ring groove micro welding for extreme duty applications.

Pin bores CNC machined for unmatched performance

Piston failures can often be traced back to poor and inconsistent pin bore quality or design. The pin bores on every MAHLE Motorsport piston are finish machined using CNC equipment specially designed and manufactured by MAHLE to precisely control shape, size and alignment. This added control allows for advanced designs and flexibility, resulting in unmatched consistency and performance. MAHLE manages every small detail with the type of precision and expertise you would expect from the world’s piston technology leader.

High Strength, Light Weight Pins

Every MAHLE Motorsport piston is supplied as standard with a high strength, light weight, German manufactured gudgeon pin. Other manufacturers offer high strength pins as a cost upgrade, with MAHLE they are supplied as standard.

Motorsport Rings

MAHLE pioneered the use of piston ring simulation and computer development tools to engineer rings that provide “free” horsepower by successfully minimizing friction. MAHLE’s ultra flat ring flanks and precision finish also maximise ring to piston sealing. The difference is evident on the dyno and the track.

Our new 1mm, 1mm, 2mm ring pack includes a steel top ring with our patented HV385 supersonic thermal spray process applied to the top ring for superior bonding, increased durability, and increased scuff resistance. A steel napier second ring and industry leading CP-20 oil ring round out the package.

Application Guide

MAHLE Motorsport Website