Discover

'Active suspension' is an automotive technology that controls the vertical movement of the wheels via an onboard system rather than the movement being determined entirely by the surface on which the car is driving. The system therefore virtually eliminates body roll and pitch variation in many driving situations including cornering, accelerating, and braking.
This technology allows car manufacturers to achieve a higher degree of both ride quality and car handling by keeping the tires perpendicular to the road in corners, allowing for much higher levels of grip and control.
Not possible before the advent of modern technology, an onboard computer detects body movement from sensors located throughout the vehicle, and controls the action of the suspension with the use of hydraulic servomechanisms. The hydraulic pressure to the servos is supplied by a high pressure radial piston hydraulic pump. Sensors continually monitor body movement and vehicle ride level, constantly supplying the computer with new data.
As the computer receives and processes data, it operates the hydraulic servos, mounted beside each wheel. Almost instantly, the servo regulated suspension generates counter forces to body lean, dive, and squat during various driving maneuvers.
In practice, the system has always incorporated the desirable self-levelling suspension and height adjustable suspension features, with the latter now tied to vehicle speed for improved aerodynamic performance, as the vehicle lowers itself at high speed.
The drawback of this design (at least today) is high cost, thus it is only available on premium luxury cars.
Colin Chapman -- of Lotus Cars and the Lotus Formula One racing team -- developed the original concept of computer management of hydraulic suspension in the 1980s, as a means to improve cornering in race cars. Lotus never developed a road going variant.
Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) co-ordinates the best possible balance between ride and handling by analysing road conditions and making up to 3,000 adjustments every second to the suspension settings via electronically controlled dampers.

Contents

Production Vehicles with Active Suspension

References

Production Vehicles with Active Suspension

★ 1989 Citroën XM

★ 1991 Infiniti Q45 "Full-Active Suspension (FAS)"

★ 1991 Toyota Soarer 'Active'

★ 1994 Citroën Xantia Activa variant

★ 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class

★ 2001 Citroën C5

★ 2002 BMW 7-Series

★ 2003 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

★ 2005 Citroën C6

References

★ Nye, Doug. ''History of the Grand Prix Car: 1966-91.'' Hazleton Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0905138945