Magnaride suspension - what is it, how does it work, what diff does it really make?

Strange that Ferrari is still making this an option on the Cali.

It is standard on every other model.

It is a more advanced suspension system: a better system. It outperfroms air suspension systems or hydraulic systems. It is much more robust and reliable too.

You can google it and read about it on the Ferrari website.

 

+1

...other carmakers now offer Magneride as standard equipment, even on much less expensive cars, like the new Chevy SS, Acura MDX...etc.

However, I think it's up to each regional Ferrari marketing group to decide which features will be standard or optional for a given country's market because of competitive pricing or perhaps a certain feature may be deemed not desirable or unnecessary in a given market.

Magenride

Yes, your car will ride softer than the "firm" setting of Magneride but it may also be firmer than the soft Magneride setting. I believe you can retrofit Magenride but you're best to ask your dealer. The feature is automatically activated as part of the car's response to your Manettino and WET mode settings so there is no extra switch involved.

Where I feel Magneride (in my older Cali30 model) the most is when I make fast zigzag changes in direction with the steering wheel. With Magneride off, the suspension feels slower to respond and recover, feels like I am dragging the car around the barriers and a bit clumsy. With Magneride on, the timing of my car's suspension response is almost immediate and tight so it's more fun (and safer) to fling the car around obstacles at higher speeds. Small bumps feel harsher when I go over washboard patches of road but it's quite manageable. It doesn't hop the suspension so compliance is fine. You tend to get used to the harsher ride after a few months.

 

My 09 Cali doesn't have it, it is still a fantastic car. Don't sweat it...

 

Magneride is magnetic particles in the fluid inside the shocks ... depending on the settings on the manettino the fluid is either more viscous -- or thicker (more damping), or thinner (less damping). So if you put it in comfort mode, the shocks are softer, which is good for bumpy roads or a smoother ride. Put it in sport, and the suspension firms up for better handling.

I would guess the non-Magneride car is set at the middle ground and changing the manettino has no effect on the suspension, only the exhaust, throttle mapping and shift points in the Auto mode. Not sure if it speeds up the actual shifts as it does on some other cars (as it does on Porsche's PDK transmission).

 

One of the nicer features on the Cali T with Magnaride is the ability to selectively soften the suspension when on bumpy roads.

That is definitely worth the money.

This is a feature on the 458 and it is really great to have.

 

My Cali T doesn't have it and I don't miss it I had it on my 458 and never used it.
The Cali T drives a lot smoother then the 458.

 

Different strokes for different folks

 

i always engage the "bumpy road" option on my 458; i prefer the smoother ride on our rough michigan roads.
i have the magnaride option on my cali, but i feel it smooths the ride a bit less than on the 458.

 

My Audi dealer has a tube that has liquid and metal in it to demonstrate how magnaride works. The electric signal aligns the metal and the shock becomes firmer. Depending on the firmness setting the sensors resond to bumps instantly. The amount of firmness in the shocks depend on the setting selected. Nice ride but excellent driveabily. I love it.

458 is in Bumpy Road mode 99% of the time. The softest setting.

 

My Cali30 is almost always in manual SPORT mode... which means hard setting on Magneride. You guys in the states must have awful roads.

If you always use the softest (bumpy road) setting, wouldn't the chassis feel sloppier in the corners?

 

I'm looking at a '11 Cali later today. There is no 'sticker' with the car to verify options. How does one know if the car has the Magneride suspension?

Is there an "on/off" button or are the Magneride settings just baked into the Comfort and Sport manettino selections? If the latter, then I imagine it'll be quite difficult to know what's what.

 

Good question. I don't think there is an on and off switch. In a 2011 NA Cali, when you use the manettino switch the magneride stiffens and becomes faster reacting when going from comfort to sport mode. You can feel this on the test drive.

In the Cali T, if you have magnitude, there will be a bumpy road button on the left side of the steering wheel.

The other f models use their own version of magneride sensors, control unit, and shock. I think Ferrari seems to be pleased with this system and will continue to use it in future models

 

Is there a way to see if a non T Ferrari Cali has magneride by looking at pics? Is there a button one presses or something?

 

No, unfortunately ... it will be on the sticker or options list it will show as "Magneride dual mode suspension" option. It changes the shock settings automatically depending on how the mannetino is set (comfort, sport, etc.).

 

Surprisingly, not much. The soft setting only increases the range of damping to include the softer range. The sensors tell the dampers to firm up automatically if you take a corner hard. If your inputs are casual, it may feel a bit sloppy, but go hard into a corner, and there's really no difference from sport. The reactions are in milliseconds, and the ECU sampling rate of the sensors is quite high. So an advantage of this suspension is that it can both ride well and handle well, especially if the roads are poor.

Here are some basics on Magneride.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagneRide

 

it isn't that big a deal on a Cali since they are fairly comfy rides already, but it might bite you a little on resale as it is almost a must have option

 

Well here is where it is very helpful. I have the HS and I like the fast shifting that sport mode provides as well as the improved throttle response characteristic. So here in Austin where I live, we have lot's of really crappy streets with bumps. So pushing he Magneride button allows me to have the softer ride and the sporty response. If I want to corner better on a road with curves as we do have through the hills around here, I can put it back to stiff and get handling in the curves. It's a really useful option and I wasn't going to get a car without it.

The 991TTS had PDCC which is similar but not nearly as effective. In comfort mode that car was still fairly bumpy compared to the Cali T. I think it's a must have.

 

Correct. PDCC in a 911 is an active sway bar setup, not magnetic shocks. As pointed out, the end result/effect is somewhat similar, but the way it's effected is much different. I agree that magnetorheological shocks are a game-changer. I would not get a Cali without it.

 

A brilliant feature that (some/all??) 911's have is motor mounts that use the magnetorheological fluid.

At a stoplight, it idles vibration free.
When you drive adventurous, the motor mounts get firm, shifts are better, etc.

Why yes it does amaze me at what little things really amaze me.

 

Yes indeed, my 991tts had that too but the Cali is a better ride, sorry about that. There are tons of good things about 911s but they aren't a Ferrari

ETA, forgot to mention, the dynamic motor mounts come with the sport chrono option I think.

 

how does one check if a particular comes with Magneride or not?

 

There is a magneride button on the steering

 

There is a magneride button on steering.


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