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A Kinematics and Compliance (K&C) facility is a test rig which undertakes quasi-static testing of vehicles to measure the K&C characteristics of the suspension and steering systems. This paper describes a new K&C test facility which is a four wheel station machine designed to accommodate automobiles and light trucks. It is electro-mechanically operated, fully automated and computer controlled, and will complete a full suite of measurements in hours rather than days. The first installation, at MIRA England, was commissioned in January 1996. Since then it has been in almost continuous use and a variety of vehicles have been tested; typical results are presented. A second machine is now installed at the facilities of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, USA.

From time to time, over many years, MIRA (the Motor Industry Research Association) has carried out surveys of the handling behaviours of various classes of road vehicles. The most recent investigation has concerned modern European intercity buses, or coaches as they are termed in Britain. The work was sponsored by the British Government together with five vehicle manufacturers who each supplied one bus. The main aim of the work was to ascertain the handling characteristics of a sample of modern buses in terms of both absolute behaviour and relative behaviour compared to other classes of road vehicles. However, the manufacturers sponsoring the work were also very interested to discover any correlation between various features of layout of the vehicles and the handling characteristics.