Double Wishbones, Hydro-pneumatic Spheres

[XM v6 sadist]

Hi

I was reading a car report today about a new car that's just gone on sale with a suspension of double wishbones with hydro-pneumatic spheres at the front and multi-link with hydro-pneumatic spheres at the rear. Anyone want to guess what it is? A little clue - it's not french!

Cheers

Tony

[demag]

Possibly Rolls, Bentley or Merc.

[dean]

It had better not be Ford it seems they gave up making their own derv engines and bought PSA's ones already.................mind you double wishbone suspension seems too good/expensive for ford to shell out on

D

[XM v6 sadist]

Hi

New 7 series is the answer. Now you can tell people you have the same suspension as supposedly one of the most advanced cars available.

Although I guess that this is a electrical pump system like the c5/c6 rather than a mechnical pump system in our cars.

I wonder where they mention hydro-pneumatic in their brochures.....I think that you will have to look long and hard to find it ....if you can.

Cheers

Tony

[Andmcit]

Wonder if they're using the sphere principle under Licence from Citroen as the gasbags used
by imitators in the past have just been air only and not the proper system as seen in Rolls/Bentley.

Andrew

[XM v6 sadist]

Hi Andrew

Hydro does imply fluid suspension rather than air suspension.

I think that many companies have moved away from air suspension due to it's lack of reliability.

Tony

[minijet]

I wonder if BMW will have an ad with a typically French looking bloke driving a 7 series through French countryside, to French music, and the punchline 'unmistakably French.....made in Germany'

[Andmcit]

Maybe the BIG all powerful blandmobile manufacturers in Germany have finally realised us general
'punters' at large out here actually don't want our spine shattered into 50 small pieces the first
catseyes the car runs over on the way home from the BMW dealership...

Andrew

[XM v6 sadist]

Hi

Yep I got a ride in an A3 (with a set of big wheels) recently. It went over a speed hump and I would have got out to check whether it had a puncture if it had been mine. Rock hard suspension.

Tony

[jorgy9]

Hi

not finding anything similar here , says "only long-base 740 gets air-suspension at the rear" ???

What was the report u read?

cheers
G

[XM v6 sadist]

Hi George

Autocar report. It's the full road test (they do one per week) where they give all the specs of the car.

http://www.autocarmagazine.co.uk/CarReview...730d-SE/236322/

Although they don't even mention hydro-puematic on the website, just in the mag.

Cheers

Tony

[jorgy9]

thanks!

[jorgy9]

Hmmmm the second test drive I read (and all in all I've read...two) where they r not happy with its handling.

The other one was an american one where they remarked "this 7 series doesn't have the stability of the previous series at 150mph...etc..etc"

Seems they've really messed up the car somehow.

cheers
G

[Peter.N.]

I've been driving my black one with no suspension ECU for the last couple of weeks and it still rides better than the average German car!

[ThwartedEfforts]

In the past I've had no fewer than three 7-Series, but gave up on buying BMWs eight years ago when the cars started to look as though they'd been designed by committee rather than engineers. Which, I later found out, was actually the case. The newest model launched last month has been panned for an unsettled ride, surprising levels of wind noise and lacking luxuriousness - a rather startling omission for a large luxury car. It's also the most boring vehicle I've ever seen, more Korean in appearance than German.

I should say that while I abhor the jiggling, bouncing, ill-at-ease ride you get in some of the nastiest Audis and BMWs, the Mercedes S-Class on standard 16-inch rims is still unbeaten in terms of ride comfort. I really mean that. Every Citroen owner should have a go in one, not to be disheartened at how the Germans have beaten the French at their own game, but to be reminded that little green spheres are absolutely the way forward (over potholes)

This post has been edited by ThwartedEfforts on December 07, 2008 01:51 pm