How Torque Vectoring Systems Make Your Car Handle Like a Dream

Have you ever wondered how some cars can take sharp turns without losing control, or accelerate faster than others, or save more fuel and battery? The secret behind these amazing features is a technology called torque vectoring. Torque vectoring is a way of controlling how much power goes to each wheel of your car, depending on how you drive and what the road is like. This makes your car more stable, agile, fast, and efficient. In this blog post, we will explore the origins and evolution of torque vectoring systems, and how they work to make your car handle like a dream.

What is Torque Vectoring and Why Does It Matter?

Torque is the force that makes your wheels spin. The more torque you have, the faster you can go. But not all wheels need the same amount of torque at the same time. For example, when you turn left, your right wheels need more torque than your left wheels, because they have to travel a longer distance. If you give the same amount of torque to both wheels, your car will understeer, or plow forward, and you will lose grip and speed. This is where torque vectoring comes in. Torque vectoring is a way of changing the amount of torque to each wheel, so that your car can turn better, without understeering or oversteering.

Torque vectoring also helps your car in other situations, such as when you accelerate, brake, or drive on slippery roads. By adjusting the torque to each wheel, torque vectoring can improve your car’s:

• Handling: Your car will be more responsive and agile, and you will have more fun driving it.
• Stability: Your car will have more grip and traction, and you will feel more confident and safer.
• Performance: Your car will be faster and more powerful, and you will enjoy more thrill and excitement.
• Efficiency: Your car will use less fuel or battery, and you will save more money and environment.

The History of Torque Vectoring Systems: From Honda to Rimac

Torque vectoring systems are not new. They have been around since the mid-1990s, when two Japanese car makers, Honda and Mitsubishi, introduced them in their sporty models. Honda’s system was called Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS), and it was used in the Prelude, a front-wheel drive coupe. ATTS used a small gearbox and a computer to change the torque between the front wheels. This made the Prelude more agile and responsive in corners.

Mitsubishi’s system was called Active Yaw Control (AYC), and it was used in the Lancer Evolution IV, a rally-inspired all-wheel drive sedan. AYC used two clutches and a computer to change the torque between the rear wheels. This made the Lancer Evolution IV more stable and fast in corners. It also helped it win many races in the World Rally Championship in the late 1990s.

Both ATTS and AYC were based on the idea of a differential, which is a device that lets the wheels on the same axle spin at different speeds, to match the different distances they travel when turning. But a differential does not control how much torque goes to each wheel and can cause problems when one-wheel slips or spins faster than the other. A torque vectoring system adds a computer and a mechanism to the differential, to control the torque to each wheel, based on the grip and the driver’s demands.

Honda and Mitsubishi later improved their torque vectoring systems into more advanced versions, such as Honda’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) and Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC). These systems not only changed the torque between the left and right wheels, but also between the front and rear wheels, depending on the driving mode and situation. This gave the cars more stability and performance in various road and weather conditions.

Other car makers also followed Honda and Mitsubishi, and made their own torque vectoring systems, such as Audi’s Quattro with Sport Differential, BMW’s Dynamic Performance Control, Ford’s Torque Vectoring Control, and Porsche’s Torque Vectoring Plus. These systems used different methods and formulas to achieve the same goal: to optimize the torque to each wheel and make the cars more dynamic and efficient.

How Torque Vectoring Systems Work: The Science Behind the Magic

So how do torque vectoring systems work? How do they know how much torque to send to each wheel, and when? The answer is: they use sensors, computers, and actuators. Sensors are devices that measure things like the speed, angle, and direction of the car and the wheels, the steering input, the brake pressure, and the road condition. Computers are devices that process the data from the sensors, and calculate the optimal torque distribution for each wheel, based on the driving situation and the driver’s preferences. Actuators are devices that execute the commands from the computers, and change the torque to each wheel, using mechanisms like clutches, gears, or electric motors.

Here is an example of how a torque vectoring system works in a corner:

• The sensors detect that the car is turning left, and the driver is steering and accelerating.
• The computer calculates that the right wheels need more torque than the left wheels, to prevent understeer and increase agility.
• The actuators change the torque to the right wheels, using clutches, gears, or electric motors, depending on the type of system.
• The car turns left smoothly and quickly, without losing grip or speed.

The Benefits of Torque Vectoring Systems: Performance, Safety, Comfort, and Efficiency

Torque vectoring systems have many benefits for your car and for you. Here are some of them:

• Performance: Torque vectoring systems make your car faster and more powerful, by boosting acceleration, braking, and cornering, and optimizing power delivery. You will enjoy more thrill and excitement when driving your car.
• Safety: Torque vectoring systems make your car more stable and secure, by enhancing traction and grip, and preventing wheel slip or spin. You will feel more confident and safer when driving your car.
• Comfort: Torque vectoring systems make your car smoother and more comfortable, by reducing vibrations, noise, and harshness, and improving ride quality. You will feel more relaxed and comfortable when driving your car.
• Efficiency: Torque vectoring systems make your car more efficient and eco-friendlier, by reducing fuel consumption, emissions, and wear and tear, and increasing battery life. You will save more money and environment when driving your car.

The Future of Torque Vectoring Systems: Electric Vehicles and Beyond

Torque vectoring systems are not only for gasoline or diesel cars. They are also for electric vehicles and hybrids, which use electric motors to power the wheels. Electric motors have an advantage over gasoline or diesel engines, because they can change the torque very quickly and accurately, without using any clutches or gears. Some electric vehicles use one motor per wheel, or per axle, and can control the torque to each wheel separately. This allows for more flexibility and accuracy in torque vectoring and can also reduce the weight and complexity of the drivetrain. Some examples of electric vehicles with torque vectoring systems are the Rimac Concept One, the Tesla Model S, and the Porsche Taycan.

Torque vectoring technology has come a long way since its beginning and has become a common feature in many modern cars. It is a technology that improves the car’s performance, safety, comfort, and efficiency, by adapting to the driver’s inputs and the road conditions. Torque vectoring systems are expected to continue to evolve and improve, as the car industry advances and innovates.