Prodrive seeks production partner for new 'Active Toe Control' system

The motor sport and performance engineering firm Prodrive is developing a vehicle dynamics system that actively adjusts toe angle to improve vehicle handling. Known as Active Toe Control, it works on the rear axle of front wheel drive cars to optimise the toe angle, depending on the speed of the vehicle. This helps overcome the static toe compromise of either giving a vehicle agile handling at lower speeds or making it more stable and predictable at high speed.
 
Advances in tyre technology and suspension, mean that the dynamic capability of modern cars is now so good, that it is rare for drivers to ever reach a vehicle¡¯s limits. ¡°Typically most drivers stay well within 60-70% of their car¡¯s capabilities,¡± said Matt Taylor, Prodrive chief dynamics specialist. ¡°This means vehicle manufacturers are increasingly focusing on making their cars feel more sporty in this region, without necessarily increasing their outright performance.¡±
 
Once the chassis and suspension designs have been completed on a new model, the final adjustment to refine the dynamic characteristics is typically to set the static toe angles. To give a vehicle additional low speed agility, the wheels usually have up to a degree of toe out at the rear axle, while to make a car more stable at higher speeds, for emergency manoeuvres like a lane change, then toe-in is preferred.
 
This makes any fixed toe setting a compromise and one that has contributed to the increasing use of complex multi-link rear suspensions in mid-size hatchbacks; a design previously reserved for high end vehicles. Ford set the trend with the Focus and others have since followed suit. However, while they work extremely well, such rear axles are far more expensive than the traditional twist beams they replace.
 
Taylor says, ¡°Active Toe Control fitted to an existing twist beam axle can give many of the dynamic benefits of a multi-link system, but at less than half the cost. With Active Toe Control you have the added benefit of refining the handling simply by changing the control algorithms on the production line or at the dealer, to give the characteristics favoured by whichever market the car is to be sold.¡±
 
Prodrive has identified a preferred mechanism design to adjust the toe angle, and is looking for a hardware partner to take the project to a working prototype.
 
Those interested in more information should contact Ben Sayer at Prodrive ([email protected])
From: auto industry.uk/news

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