Yamaha Motor's Performance Damper Features in LEXUS GS

November 26, 2015

IWATA, November 26, 2015 – Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 7272) announced today that the company will supply its unique chassis damping component - the Performance Damper - for use in the LEXUS GS350 sedan (except AWD models) launched on November 25.

The GS350 is the latest LEXUS model to be fitted with Yamaha Motor's Performance Damper, following its successful implementation to the following current LEXUS models: The CT200h (Version L/C, F SPORT), HS250h, NX300h/200t (F SPORT), IS350/200t, and the RC200t.

The Performance Damper is a chassis damping component that is set in the main structural areas of vehicles. It is a device is designed to control and absorb minute distortions and vibrations. The Performance Damper was first used in a mass-production model in April 2004, four years on from its basic concept development in 2000. Since then, the Performance Damper has been contributing to improvements in stability and comfort in a wide variety of vehicle types.

Features of Performance Damper

Normally, when a passenger vehicle is in motion, micro distortions of less than 1mm occur in the body. A metal vehicle body has elastic characteristics and lacks damping force, meaning that external distortion energy is accumulated and released almost unchanged, repeating the cycle of distortion at a natural frequency.
Performance Dampers add a damping element to the chassis, thereby absorbing the distortion energy and releasing it as heat. Along with the expectation of curbing an excessive rate of distortion on the chassis, providing greater mobility and stability at high speeds as well as superior maneuverability when the chassis is subjected to relatively high chassis distortion, Performance Dampers also contribute to greater comfort.