| Air Suspension For The Track?
When the term "airbags" is brought up you might think of slammed-to-the-ground cars, or maybe you think of the entire staff of 2NR. We hope you're thinking the first thought because we already know the second one is true. Airbags started playing a major role in the import industry when there was a need to be low for a show but raised for everyday driving. Generally they accomplish what they are suppose to: sacrificing the ride quality to be lower than the next guy. But you have to think about which stage your car is at more frequently? Do you need to drive low to the ground to show off or are you interested in being a driver that needs to meet the demands of the city streets? Odds are that you're driving the car more than anything, so why make your ride suffer from bad handling?
One thing you should keep in mind is this kit is primarily based on handling characteristics rather than slammed qualities. So, even though it does allow the vehicle to go two-inches lower than stock, it's main purpose is to add performance to those two inches. The air suspension allows three different settings for different types of driving characteristics. The first is touring mode which keeps the vehicle at stock height. This allows a vehicle to ride smoothly for everyday driving. In sport mode the vehicle is lowered one inch from the factory height. This creates much better handling on the street with minimal body roll.
Spring rate and dampening is also increased so drivability is just a little on the bouncy side compared to stock. Just like Knight Rider presses the turbo boost button to make Kit turn into one insane machine, you can press track mode on the Praxis suspension and it allows the vehicle to go an additional one inch lower from sport mode-which now totals two inches lower than factory height. Spring rate is also doubled while dampening set is much more firm. Handling is increased while ride quality is lost. Then again, this setup isn't for your grandma, it's for auto crossing.
Added features that come with the system include vehicle height adjustment per weight change. One thing that a standard aftermarket suspension cannot do is adjust the ride height based on weight change. Whether you pack the rear full of people or luggage, the Praxis ECU has the ability to use the height sensors and it will adjust if more air is needed on certain corners of the car. The same goes for the removal of weight; air can be released to settle the suspension back to its needed requirement.
So the next time you hear about an air suspension based on performance, rather than laugh, test it out for yourself. Odds are you will be proven wrong by how well they perform. If it's good enough for Mercedes to put on their new S class, then chances are it will be good enough for your WRX.