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Yes, this Vette is positively magnetic, but more than you realize. All 50th-Anniversary models-of which as many as 10, 000 will be built if demanded-along with all 2003 hatches and convertibles optioned with the F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, will feature a novel variable-damper-rate technology that puts the "shock" in shock absorber (a similar system went into production on the Cadillac STS a few months ago).
The dampers are filled not with standard oil but with magnetorheological (MR) fluid. This is a synthetic oil with millions of tiny iron balls suspended in it. These iron balls have a proprietary coating to make them less abrasive and help them float evenly within the shock fluid.
More important, they react to a magnetic field generated by an electric coil on the shock piston, thereby changing the fluid's viscosity. Imagine changing your shock fluid from 5W to 100W by simply varying the current in the coil.
"It can go from no damping to solid almost instantly, " says Tadge Juechter, assistant chief engineer for Corvette. "The only question is, do you have the computational power to keep up?"
A dual-processor computer adjusts the current about 1000 times per second based on wheel travel and speed, vehicle speed, steering-wheel angle, lateral acceleration, brake application, and also temperature. At 60 mph, that's an adjustment with every inch of the Corvette's forward travel. The goal of these adjustments is to keep the Corvette on a smooth, even keel while maximizing the contact of the tires with the pavement.
The current C5 is already quite capable in those departments, but compared with the base setup and the Z51 option, this F55 suspension represents a great leap forward. Perhaps the greatest improvement involves travel over large bumps and dips, where the conventional suspensions hit the bump stops. In contrast, the F55 system senses the magnitude of the bump or dip as it is deflecting the tire and immediately adjusts the appropriate shock to stay within the available wheel travel. As a result, a humpbacked railroad grade crossing over which a Z51 gets airborne at 80 mph becomes nothing but a medium bump with the F55.
Those who insist on maximum road feel can rotate a console switch from Tour to Sport mode. This shifts the programming so the car's body tries to follow the road surface more closely rather than remain stable and tranquil. Based on our brief drive, this mode will be useful primarily when hot-lapping at a proper racetrack.
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