Vehicle Dynamics: Notes
A vehicle's cornering performance is also referred to as its self-steering properties. This handling performance is considerably influenced by the changing ratio of lateral force to wheel load on the front and rear axles. Lateral force increases as centrifugal force increases.
BMW vehicles are designed to have the best possible weight balance. A 50/50 weight ratio between the front and rear axles is always the intended design target.
The engineers at BMW always strive to achieve these goals during the design process. This effort can be seen by the use of lightweight components. New materials such as aluminum, magnesium and high-strength steel are used throughout various models. Even new materials, such as plastic, have been incorporated into the body.
For example, the E60 takes advantage of the lightweight front end technology (GRAV). On all modern BMW vehicles, the vehicle battery is installed in the rear of the vehicle for better weight balance.