The innovative engineers at GM are proud of their latest creation, a suspension system that balances comfort, stability, and performance in one package. It's available in the 2012 Buick Regal GS, and based on our experience, significantly improves the Regal GS in the aspects of handling and spirited driving over the standard Regal.
Buick’s HiPer Strut is short for High Performance Strut, which has a better separation between the front suspension’s steering and shock-absorbing functions through added components that enable the steering knuckle to rotate independently from the strut tower. The ideal suspension geometry is maintained, while at the same time reducing torque steer and improving camber control.
This is great news for those of us who have driven front-wheel drive vehicles with high power ratings, which seems to be just about every mainstream vehicle in today's market. HiPer Strut nearly eliminates torque steer, the sensation of the car pulling the steering wheel to one side. It improves performance characteristics overall, like improved steering response, and delivers some of the advantages of AWD handling without the added weight and complexity.
“HiPer Strut raises the limits of how a front-drive car can perform.” said lead engineer Bill Rietow. Mr. Rietow was the GS' lead development engineer and previously worked at GM Performance Division.
The stability allowed by HiPer Strut let engineers package an advanced four-cylinder turbocharged engine with the highest horsepower-per-liter ratio General Motors has ever produced. At 135 horsepower per liter, it is also the most power-dense engine ever certified by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The car’s 270-horsepower rating wouldn’t be possible without fuel-saving technologies like spark ignition direct injection and variable valve timing.
Buick's Interactive Drive Control System, standard on the Regal GS, makes changing from performance to comfort just a button press away. Through “Sport” and “GS” buttons, drivers can alter suspension, steering, and gear shifting characteristics. “Sport” suspension is 20 percent stiffer than the base setting, while “GS” is 20 percent stiffer than “Sport.” While the car is moving, the engine computer constantly analyzes road conditions – thousands of calculations each second – to fine-tune suspension characteristics.
Regal GS also thought about the manual transmission enthusiasts, aiding drivers with Hill Start Assist feature that, when the car is stopped on an incline, automatically engages the brakes for a few seconds while the driver releases the clutch, preventing the jolt that comes when a car rolls back.
“I’ve been driving manuals my whole life, but I still find the security of Hill Start Assist reassuring,” said Rietow.
The engine control module in the GS also briefly cuts fuel and reduces spark advance when the driver depresses the clutch, allowing to turbocharger to maintain boost for quick and smooth “no-lift” shifting at wide-open throttle.
SOURCE: thecollegedriver.com
No comments:
Post a Comment