Schaeffler successfully tests variable steering angle at the racetrack

As a motion technology company, Schaeffler always has its eye on the whole range of innovations: new technologies are evaluated thoroughly and must prove their performance in all conceivable areas of application. One of these developments, which benefit both motorsport and production vehicles, was tested by Markus Winkelhock at the Hockenheimring in 2023: the individually configurable steering angle of the car.

Steer-by-wire system forms the basis for the variable steering angle

While the force feedback unit in the steer-by-wire system ensures that the Innovation Taxi’s steering reports back the desired counterforce, depending on the driver, the steering ratio can also be directly influenced via the actuator – and on an entirely individual basis, even during the journey.

The effect is impressive. Markus Winkelhock demonstrated this in the hairpin at the Hockenheimring at the wheel of the Schaeffler Innovation Taxi. Here, drivers must turn nearly 180 degrees. Usually, this requires the drivers to rotate the steering wheel about 180 degrees. However, a higher steering ratio means a 90-degree rotation is sufficient to negotiate this point on the track without any issues. It is no longer necessary to change one’s grip.

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The steer-by-wire system allows a variable steering angle in the Schaeffler Innovation Taxi.

Easier parking and manoeuvring

The Schaeffler system also offers numerous practical advantages in road traffic.

While this kind of tight corner crops up relatively rarely at racetracks, they appear far more regularly in rallying. A Schaeffler test on ice and snow showed: with an individually configurable steering angle, rally drivers can also take particularly tight corners at top speed, when it would otherwise be necessary to apply the handbrake. The result is faster times and less strain for the drivers.

The Schaeffler system also has particularly big benefits in conventional road traffic. Particularly in situations that many road users view as being especially laborious. For example, a car with a configurable steering angle makes it possible to manoeuvre and park with far less steering effort. This makes life easier and more comfortable for drivers.

Steer-by-wire, steering without a mechanical steering column, is one of the key technologies on the road to autonomous driving and has many other advantages.

May 2026