The New Audi A8’s Suspension Is Stupidly Clever

Audi’s long-awaited 48-volt electromechanical suspension system is finally here, and it’s so clever that you almost need a physics degree to get your head around it.

Built to offer the best of both worlds to those who like to be driven and those who like to do the driving themselves, the setup will take both comfort and (relative) sporting intentions to new heights.

Now then: you’ll want to pay attention for this. Each wheel has its own electric motor, powered by the 48-volt central electrical system. Also at each wheel you’ll find gears, a ‘rotary tube’, a titanium torsion bar and a lever that can put up to 811lb ft of force through the suspension via a coupling rod. Together, this assembly can pre-emptively actuate the suspension.

Via some sort of voodoo, a camera at the front of the car reads the road and detects bumps 18 times per second, transmitting that data to the air suspension, which then responds ‘almost in real time’ to coincide with the bumps. Audi says it “reacts precisely at the right time, virtually eliminating any vibrations and jolts.”

The system allows the A8 to sit permanently lower for better handling, without sacrificing ride quality. It specifically targets and reduces body roll to practically nothing, and does the same for the pitching most cars fall victim to under brakes or power. It will, Audi says, let incredibly-important-and-oh-so-busy executive types work in peace and stability from the back seats.

It also incorporates rear-axle steering to make the A8’s turning circle smaller than the A4’s. That’s pretty incredible. Like other systems we’ve seen, the setup turns the wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts at low speeds, and the same way as the fronts at high speed to improve lane-changing stability.

Astonishingly, the A8 will even have a drastic new safety feature thanks to the 48-volt suspension. If sensors around the car (assuming they continue to work for the life of the car) detect an imminent side-impact crash at more than 15mph, the suspension actuators on that side raise the soon-to-be-crumpled side by up to 80mm in half a second, presenting all the A8’s strongest, lower parts to take the brunt of the crash. Audi says it reduces the impact load suffered by passengers by 50 per cent. Basically, if you’re going to get T-boned by someone, make sure you’re in one of these.