Prodrive — a Motorsport and vehicle technology specialist — has announced that it is developing a new “vehicle dynamics system that actively adjusts toe angle to improve vehicle handling.” The system — dubbed Active Toe Control — works with front-wheel drive vehicles that use a twist beam rear axle.

The system can adjust a vehicle’s rear toe — meaning the angles of the rear tires — for better handling in certain driving situations. For example, toe-out is better suited for low speed handling while toe-in is better for high speeds and emergency maneuvers. Prodrive’s system would be able to adjust on the fly to changing driving conditions.

A typical vehicle equipped with a twist beam rear axle has a static toe position and can’t adjust to varying conditions.

While the system might sound complicated, Prodrive is actually promoting its Active Toe Control system as a cost effective alternative to a more expensive multi link setup. “Active Toe Control, fitted to an existing twist beam axle, can give many of the dynamic benefits of a multi-link system, but at less than half the cost,” says Prodrive.

But it might be a while before Prodrive’s Active Toe Control is actually fitted to a production vehicle as the company is still looking for partner to further develop the system.

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