The Fastest Lion: Peugeot 407 (Part 2)

The slight decrease of the dynamic performance and fuel efficiency is caused by additional concern about the driver and passengers of the 407, which includes specially designed front crumple zones, energy-absorbing inserts in the doors and additional air bags, including the one under the column of the steering wheel- it prevents injuries of the driver’s knees.  In other words, the designers made the car safer to the detriment of dynamics. However, this Peugeot 407 3.0 still remains the fastest and the most expressive car in the family.

The engine and the gearbox are not the only features that make the most expensive 407 differ from its fellows. For instance, shock absorbers with variable characteristics cannot be found on other versions of the family. Nowadays, Peugeot is among the fewest companies that provide domestically manufactured shock absorbers. So, the shock absorbers of the most powerful 407 are also the product of the native designers. In order to maintain good contact with the road, the shocks have nine modes of rigidity and each of them is controlled by own rigidity sensor. Thus, the shock absorbers not only obey the driver’s desires, but also monitor feedback depending on the road surface and changes of the movement nature. For instance, when driving on a bumpy road, the suspension becomes softer; and vice versa, it becomes harder on bends and turns.

The stiffness of the shock absorbers also varies depending on speed, acceleration and slowdown. Of course, the driver can himself add stiffness to the suspension by switching to sport mode.
Another interesting feature of this 407 is the power steering. It changes the force on the steering wheel depending on many factors, such as speed, crankshaft rotation frequency, angle and speed of steering.