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Wheeler Dealer had an episode on this morning where they did a Honda S2000 and had to replace the steering rack. Edd showed the inner workings of this electric system which was very interesting. I was surprised how large the thing was - but I guess the motor has to be pretty stout.
I also watch this other show Vintage Voltage and I can't recall seeing what they do when replacing gas with electric - but they mostly use Tesla components - I'm sure its rack is a lot smaller.
It would be neat to have a system like this in a C5. I'm assuming even the late-model vettes are hydraulic?
The Tesla unit looks even bigger than the Honda - and I guess all are way too large for a vette….
Corvettes have a somewhat hybrid system. Electric power steering is pretty much universally hated by enthusiasts for sports cars, as it kills steering feels and is only does for fuel efficiency reasons.
Electric steering is one of the top driving forces behind the price increase of many 90s cars.
Corvettes have a somewhat hybrid system. Electric power steering is pretty much universally hated by enthusiasts for sports cars, as it kills steering feels and is only does for fuel efficiency reasons.
Electric steering is one of the top driving forces behind the price increase of many 90s cars.
It really did not come into common use until much later. What you get is not much actual feel, just synthetic "weightiness". Mind you, the C5 steering is pretty numb and it's hydraulic. To really understand, you need to drive something without PAS. If you ever get the chance to drive an older Lotus or even the Elise series, the difference is night and day. You feel every little "wriggle" of the wheels and get plenty of warning of impending loss of grip when you push it.
The biggest driver of increased pricing is all the safety stuff - which also translate into a much heavier and more expensive vehicle.