2018 Audi A8 question
10-11-2017, 02:54 PM
#1
2018 Audi A8 question
I’ve been reading about audi’s new active road scanning suspension and I have a quick question. They say it scans the road and prepares the suspension to hit a bump before it actually does. My question is what does it actually do to “prepare” the suspension because presumably the dampers are already in a soft setting. What I believe is based off the videos, it simply raises the entire car by a couple inches right before a bump so there is more upward travel in the suspension to be able to absorb it more. Am I right on this? Or does it literally change the damper setting constantly?
On a track I don’t think this would help because suspension is usually stiff on a track anyway and raising it would be a bad thing, or if it’s actually changing damper setting would it end up helping?
On a track I don’t think this would help because suspension is usually stiff on a track anyway and raising it would be a bad thing, or if it’s actually changing damper setting would it end up helping?
10-11-2017, 09:13 PM
#2
Race Director
What makes you think the system would be used on a track?
Changing the damping of the shocks constantly is not a big deal, there are several different methods for doing it. The magnetic shocks you find on Corvettes do that already, and even the selective ride control in the C4 would adjust the stiffness of each mode based on speed.
Raising a portion of the suspension via the air ride would likely take too long to react to potholes. I've never seen an air ride suspension that could react in tenths of a second or less, and even tenths of a second would likely be too long to adequate offset a pothole when driving down the road.
Changing the damping of the shocks constantly is not a big deal, there are several different methods for doing it. The magnetic shocks you find on Corvettes do that already, and even the selective ride control in the C4 would adjust the stiffness of each mode based on speed.
Raising a portion of the suspension via the air ride would likely take too long to react to potholes. I've never seen an air ride suspension that could react in tenths of a second or less, and even tenths of a second would likely be too long to adequate offset a pothole when driving down the road.
10-11-2017, 11:24 PM
#3
Team Owner
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10-11-2017, 11:25 PM
#4
Drifting
I don't see anyone tracking an A8. Gorgeous car that focuses on ride. I'm pretty sure there's a camera system that reads the changes in the road that sends info to the suspension. They haven't introduced the new S8 or S8 Plus yet. That would be the performance version which is pretty much an increase in HP when they do introduce it later.