The Trend to Smaller and Lighter Cars-Does It Present an Increased Challenge to the Chassis Engineer?

Observations are made with respect to the manner in which the physics of the motor car make it more difficult for the chassis engineer to achieve ride, handling, and braking performance levels in smaller cars which are comparable to the performance levels achievable in larger cars. It is also observed that design trends aimed at making the motor car a more efficient transporter of people contrast markedly with current ideas for making the motor truck a more efficient transporter of freight.