Ground clearance and axle lift mechanisms

[GoatRider]

How many manufacturers have resorted to an axle lift mechanism other than Porsche? My 997 GT3 was always a pain when touring and I often couldn't park in a hotel car park, having to leave it out on the street. There seem to be plenty of other sports and supercars being driven on public roads over speed ramps, parked in underground garages and negotiating various extreme cambers without needing this device. I just wondered if some makes, like Porsche, were worse than others.

[Davo456gt]

Lamborghini have for a while now starting with the Diablo.

The shock absorbers with the lift mechanism are £1.5k each (non-lift are £450 each), and are a little problematic if not used frequently.

My car is not equipped with them, and I just take it slow, and I'm ok to date.

[willy wombat]

They are an option on Ferrari 458. I don't use them that often in the UK but they are a godsend when I take the car to the Continent.

[willy wombat]

They are an option on Ferrari 458. I don't use them that often in the UK but they are a godsend when I take the car to the Continent.

[andrew]

one of the relatively few innovations that was first seen on lamborghini ???
citroen ds/sm could also make a claim i suppose

[br d]

The Mclaren one lifts both the front and back which will be handy for French car parks.

[GoatRider]

First time I got caught out was returning to Eurotunnel a couple of years back. The right hand gate back then was for commercial and caravans only. Some of the gates (maybe all of them I'm not sure) have a concrete ramp which the GT3 couldn't make. The staff were mighty pissed off with me for forcing them to remove bollards and cones to get me into a non ramp zone. Well I had warned them. I notice that since then right hand lane is open to all.

[EpsomJames]

Funniest incidence I've had (well made me chuckle anyway) was driving a Gallardo Spyder with front lift onto a river ferry. The ramp was pretty steep but with the lift engaged the Gallardo cleared the steep incline easily and drove on normally.

A Peugeot 406 Coupe was following me onto the ferry and just witnessing that a low down supercar could clear the ramp without slowing (presumably not knowing about front lift) drove on at the same speed and smacked the front of the car with quite a whack. I never got to tell him that the Gallardo had front lift as it was a ferry where you had to stay in your car, but I could see the quizzical look on his face in my rear view mirror.