Porsche enthusiasts and luxury car aficionados, buckle up! The 2024 Porsche Panamera has just raised the bar with its groundbreaking Active Ride system, promising a driving experience like never before.
The heart of this innovation lies in the Active Ride’s ability to eliminate body roll through the use of four hydraulic motor-pump units, each capable of exerting over 2000 pounds of force into individual suspension corners. The result? A demonstration that seems almost surreal, bouncing a prototype Panamera with the finesse of an L.A. lowrider, all thanks to an advanced fully active suspension system.
Jochen Liebold, the manager of vertical dynamics systems at Porsche, expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s quite like a dream because I started 20 years ago doing a master’s degree, and I was theoretically designing active suspension at BMW before I came to Porsche. Now 20 years later, I have it alive.”
Porsche Active Ride, developed over four years, was originally conceptualized for an all-electric model slated for the future. However, the Porsche board was so impressed that it fast-tracked the system into the new Panamera.
The system employs seemingly simple yet sophisticated hardware, with an electric motor and hydraulic pump at each corner. This configuration allows for fully variable damping force, replacing the traditional anti-roll bar and enabling each wheel to move independently. The active suspension can lift or push down on each wheel, significantly enhancing ride comfort and eliminating body roll.
Dr. Christopher Bittner, Active Ride’s chief engineer, explains, “The system was born from the idea of eliminating all restrictions in the chassis system. What do we have to do to eliminate everything that’s disturbing us today, and this is the result.”
Unlike previous attempts at active suspension, Porsche’s system is remarkably lightweight and capable of exerting more force into the suspension than its counterparts. The Panamera’s chassis is not originally designed for this technology, yet the engineers seamlessly integrated the system without sacrificing performance.
In practical terms, the system is only available on hybrid Panamera models, utilizing a 400-volt electrical system to power the motor-pump units. The benefits of Active Ride were evident in a test drive, where the active suspension made small road imperfections seemingly disappear, offering a ride quality that sets it apart from its peers.
The system’s versatility is highlighted by driver-selectable active pitch control and active roll control. Turning these features on transforms the driving experience, with the car staying level under acceleration and braking, and leaning into corners like a motorcycle when roll control is activated.
As we eagerly anticipate spending more time with this groundbreaking technology, it’s not just the Panamera that has us excited. The possibilities for other cars, especially those designed from day one around Active Ride, are tantalizing. How will it perform in a high-downforce car or a GT3 RS? What packaging benefits will it bring when anti-roll bars are no longer a necessity?
For now, the 2024 Porsche Panamera stands as a testament to the dreams of vehicle-dynamics engineers, and with Active Ride, it’s just the beginning of a new era in driving dynamics.
source: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a45910445/porsche-active-ride-suspension/
