Do you know what’s the hottest thing now on cars regarding maneuverability? Yep, rear-wheel-steering systems. Acura has it, Porsche has one too, Infiniti, heck, even Renault offers one, so why not Lexus do the same?
Well, it does actually on the GS F Sport model. The rear wheels can rotate 2 or 3 degrees aiding with the vehicle’s turning circle or fast lane changing. At low speeds, the wheels will rotate in the opposite direction from the ones at the front to increase the vehicle’s maneuverability in small spaces. But at speed about over 80 km/h the wheels will turn the same direction as the front ones to aid with lane changes, stability and avoiding obstacles.
Now that you saw how it works, Lexus wants to extend this technology to other models too. The IS F Sport performance sedan appears to be the next one as it already fits the Japanese version. The system works better for the all-wheel-drive model because they usually tend to understeer a bit, as Lexus IS chief engineer Junichi Furuyama told Motoring Australia:
“All-wheel drive tends to be heavier and the behaviour tends to be understeer,” he explained via an interpreter. “Also in the cornering, the vehicle doesn’t respond to the driver’s intention,” said Furuyama-san. “So I think FR (front-engine rear-wheel drive) base is better and with this system you can turn the steering wheel at the corner more naturally.”
Lexus Australia seems to be the second market negotiating with parent Lexus International to receive the rear-steering for the IS 350 F Sport, as we learnt from last year. However, for now, the model is only available in Japan.
Google News