Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

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Brommers in reply to @Nahguavkire
I have two problems with airbags:
1. Slamming your car to the deck when it's parked. It may be a personal failing on my part, but I just can't see the point. You can't drive it like that, so what's the point?
2. The spring rate on airbags increases with ride height, which is totally the wrong way round. If you're on a nice smooth track so you can run low ride height, you want stiff suspension to go with it. Airbags, on the other hand, increase suspension stiffness with ride height. So when you're suspension's at its stiffest, the CoG is highest above the ground. That makes no sense.
If you want to adapt for heavy loads, then the answer surely is hydraulic self-levelling suspension with hydraulic rams. That way you can automatically adjust ride height without buggering up your spring rates. OK, if it's a 40-ton artic then maybe the stiffer spring rates with higher ride height is a good idea, but for an estate car I'm deeply unconvinced.

Of course the real answer is fully active suspension, but that's an entirely different story.

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Bobbo in reply to @Brommers

Slamming your car to the deck when it's parked......... so what's the point?

Comedy value when you park too close (basically within a door width) to the kerb and force your passenger to either ruin your door or centre console by climbing over it.

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Brommers in reply to @Bobbo

Niche. But if I tried that with Cycliste she'd just slam the door open and claim the damage was my fault. And she'd be right.

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