Yahoo Autos The 1988-1994 Nissan Maximas had a shockingly ahead-of-its time adaptive suspension
We just drove the 2021 Nissan Maxima 40th Anniversary Edition car that celebrates 40 years of Maxima for Nissan (and technically Datsun). That put us in the mood for some history, and ultimately led to stumbling upon a seriously whiz-bang piece of ahead-of-its-time tech offered by the Maxima in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Officially named the Nissan Sonar Suspension, this exotic optional system was designed such that the car could observe the road directly ahead of it, then automatically adjust the dampers in preparation for bumps, undulations or smooth pavement to provide the smoothest possible ride. Sounds a whole lot like what you'd find in the most advanced, high-tech and high-priced suspension systems of today, right? Except in a 1988 Nissan.
Here’s how it worked.
An ultrasonic road surface scanner is mounted under the front bumper of cars equipped with the Sonar Suspension (it required checking the “Electronics Package” box). This sensor then transmits the information — potholes, bumps, etc. — back to a controller. The controller is also constantly taking into account and reading information from the steering, brakes, throttle, and vehicle speed sensor. It then combines all of this knowledge into action, telling actuators at each damper to adjust the damping of the suspension for the road ahead.
