New Delhi: By definition, the active suspension is a type that can generate its own force irrespective of external input. Which means, it is able to give engineers complete control over how a car moves, and the consequences for the ride and handling is immense. Porsche came out with the Active Ride last year, and it is one of the most powerful active suspensions at present.
Porsche Active Ride uses two-valve dampers, which come with separate compression and rebound valves. Each damper valve is connected to an electro-hydraulic motor-pump that regulates the pressure of the damper fluid.
Porsche’s Active Ride explained
Taycan Turbo S Active Ride spring damper system (Image via Porsche)
In the Panamera hybrid, it is powered by the 400-volt electric system, or through a step-down transformer from the Taycan’s 800-volt battery. All four dampers work independently of one another, and each pump can make around 10,000 Newtons of force to each corner of the car. The Active Ride can function only in a hybrid car.
Active Ride cars come with very soft single-chamber air springs, around 13.6 Nm. Their only purpose is to hold the car up when it is not running basically. The cars also refrain from utilising body roll. Which means they don’t come with effectively a torsion spring connecting the two sides of the car. In theory, this makes the car a much more ready to tackle all terrains.
Both Taycan and Panamera have functions in Normal mode that actually counteract natural body motions. Active Pitch Control is able to pitch the car upward under braking and push it downward under acceleration. This is to keep the occupant’s body at the same level. Active Tilt Control functions the same in the corner, defending the car’s natural body roll. Until any sharp input or aggressive manoeuvre, the two systems act quite subtly, more in the Taycan than the Panamera.
Function difference of Active Ride in Porsche Taycan and Panamera
The two cars are from different segments, so they function in very different aspects. Taycan is a four-door sports car and is much smaller and lighter in comparison to the Panamera, which is thought to be more of a luxury sedan. Porsche has given the Active Tilt and Pitch Control to a higher degree, while in Taycan, it is in a broader speed range.
If these systems are turned off or switched to Sport or Sport Plus, Porsche Active Ride manages to keep the car flat, with no body rollover, almost, although it can do little for tyre deflection.
Porsche have said that the Active Ride can offer unprecedented insulation from road-surface imperfections. In Sport and Sport Plus drive modes, Active Ride alters ride height. Both cars are lower by 30 mm, and that reduces the centre of gravity.
The grip is further aided by what Porsche terms as dynamic wheel load balance. In most cars, the weight shifts to a tyre more as the car shifts around the tarmac. Weight transfer increases grip on one tyre while decreasing it on the other. The clever bit of the Active Ride is that it can spread the weight across all four tyres, giving a huge grip to the car. Porsche may have cracked how to bring the sporty world to luxury when it comes to suspension.