Photograph by Jan Morgan
Special Equipment: Three Settings for the 3 Series
April 1, 2006
For the BMW enthusiast who likes to participate in weekend track events, one suspension is never enough. For daily use, you need something comfortable, with adequate ground clearance for a real world full of potholes and steep driveways. Unfortunately, such a ride is not the ideal chassis for tackling the smooth pavement and high-speed cornering demands of most racetracks.
To meet the varied requirements of both the street and the track, the Praxis advanced suspension system ($3,995) adjusts at the touch of a button from a soft, long-travel suspension to a fully lowered and stiffened racing setup.
Specifically engineered for the BMW 3 Series, the Praxis system uses computer-controlled air springs, manually adjustable H&R shock absorbers, and revised front suspension geometry to offer three driver-tunable suspension setups: Touring, Sport, and Track.
Touring places the car at a standard BMW 3 Series ride height, which offers a composed, archetypal BMW ride and feel. Sport lowers the chassis to the M3 ride height while increasing the spring rates to produce a firm yet controlled ride, perfect for back roads and canyon carving. Finally, the Track position lowers the car another inch (37 mm) while increasing the spring rate by 80 percent to competition specification.
The range of adjustments available from the German-engineered H&R shocks allows for suspension tuning to the driver’s demands, while the system automatically levels the chassis and adjusts the critical corner weights.
The utility of this system is remarkable. A demonstrator M3 at the track drove with a stiff, perfectly tuned and race-prepared suspension setup, and the middle Sport setting performed with slot-car precision on a few local canyon roads–comfortable enough for daily use, providing the equivalent ride quality of the standard M3 suspension, but with superior handling. Throughout this test, the Praxis air suspension imparted the feel of a perfectly selected set of steel springs. It is an excellent solution for anyone seeking a dual-purpose nature for his or her BMW.
Praxis, www.praxissystems.com
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