FERRARI PUROSANGUE – FERRARI ACTIVE SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGY (F.A.S.T.)

It seems that even the most ardent SUV naysayers have capitulated and supercar manufacturers have realised that mass appeal (and profit) can be made by selling their souls – which, admittedly, may be better than selling out to the Chinese... Anyway, several curious and mightily expensive SUVs have appeared, such as the Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin's DBX and the Maserati Grecale. Now, Ferrari has got in on the act (even though it prefers the term sports car over SUV), with the 725 horsepower, 193mph Purosangue.

Despite its practical advantages, Ferrari ensures that its racing pedigree shines through. While active dampers are nothing new, the Purosangue employs the Canadian Multimatic’s TrueActive Spool Valve shock absorbers (TASV) to optimise the handling. Technically, this is a motor industry first, where an electric motor is coupled directly to the damper rod to influence damping and ride-height.

Each TASV damper contains a pair of spool valves that control compression and rebound motions, which Multimatic states provides precise and predictable control, by achieving the desired vertical, roll and pitch dynamics at any speed. The valves are controlled by a liquid-cooled 48-volt motor that acts on the damper shaft, via a twin-lead ball screw and gearbox. Each damper possesses a dedicated motor control module that is controlled by the Vehicle Dynamics Controller ECU and associated components. Multimatic says that the system allows the vehicle to attain a performance envelope and level of vehicle control far beyond that which is possible with other electronically adaptive and semi-active systems. Yet, TASV simplifies the suspension system, by negating any need for physical anti-roll devices and additional mechanisms to adjust dynamic ride height and damping rates.