The research vehicle's "Carving" epithet symbolises the new technology, evoking images of the high-speed winter sport in which adepts perform sharp turns on a specially-shaped high-grip ski.
LESS RISK OF SKIDDING AND SHORTER EMERGENCY STOPPING DISTANCE
The F 400 Carving is something of a mobile research laboratory for the Stuttgart-based automotive engineers. They will be using it to investigate the undoubted further potential of this new chassis technology: besides offering excellent directional stability during cornering, the new technology ensures a much higher level of active safety in the event of an emergency. By way of example, if there is a risk of skidding, the wheel camber is increased by an appropriate degree. The resul-tant gain in lateral stability significantly enhances the effect of ESP®, the Elec-tronic Stability Program. If the research car needs to be braked in an emergency, all four of its wheels can be tilted in next to no time, thus shortening the stopping distance from 100 km/h by a good five metres.
ELECTRONIC STEERING, ACTIVE HYDROPNEUMATIC SYSTEM AND LIGHT FROM GLASS FIBRES
In addition to active camber control, the F 400 Carving research car is fitted with other forward-looking steering and chassis systems, including a steer-by-wire system. Sensors pick up the driver's steering inputs and send this information to two microcomputers which, in turn, control an electrically driven steering gear. The DaimlerChrysler engineers also charted new territory when it came to the suspension tuning, and introduced a first: an active hydropneumatic system that optimises the suspension and shock absorption in line with the changing situation on the road, all at lightning speed.