It is widely known that chassis performance is an important factor that functions along with
suspension performance to determine the handling stability and the comfort of the ride in an
automobile. For this reason, the various auto makers have invested great efforts in optimizing
chassis rigidity as an important component of chassis performance. Amidst these efforts, a new
project was undertaken at Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. to develop a "performance damper" the aim of
which was to greatly improve chassis performance in a way that went beyond mere optimization
of chassis rigidity by adding appropriate amounts of cushioning effect at certain points.
After the basic concept of the performance damper was proven valid in actual road tests in the
autumn of 2000, development efforts to put it in applicable form and improve its performance
were carried out at a rapid pace. It then made its appearance as a world's-first technology on
the Toyota Crown Athlete VX (2001 limited edition of 300 units). Finally, in April of this year
it appeared for the first time in the world on a full-scale production model, the sports grade
version of the Toyota Corolla to be shipped to the domestic Japanese, European and North
American markets.
The performance damper has a simple structure and is easily mounted on a chassis, and not
only does it improve handling stability and ride comfort, it also reduces vibration noise. What's
more, these effects are so marked that any driver can feel the difference in normal driving,
not just in extreme driving at the hands of trained test drivers. Many domestic and foreign car
makers have evaluated the performance damper very highly and expectations are high that it
will become a common structural element of cars from now on