Patent ID: 8731781

Claim:
A motor vehicle, including: (a) a body, (b) a motor adapted to propel said motor vehicle, (c) a set of wheels for supporting said motor vehicle on a roadway, said set of wheels comprising: a pair of front wheels; and a pair of rear wheels; wherein said set of wheels defines a set of corner areas of said motor vehicle, (d) a suspension system connecting said body with each of said wheels, said suspension system being adapted to permit relative displacement between said wheels and said body, (e) a movable underbody adapted to produce downforce, said movable underbody including a corresponding set of corner areas, wherein said movable underbody is not fixed to said body, (f) a retraction means for elevating and lowering said movable underbody relative to said body, wherein elevation of said movable underbody to said body functionally disengages said movable underbody from said suspension system so that said movable underbody does not substantially displace vertically with said set of wheels relative to said body, and wherein lowering of said movable underbody away from said body functionally engages said movable underbody with said suspension system so that said movable underbody displaces vertically and substantially relative to said body with said set of wheels, and (g) a suspension-mounted support means for dynamically supporting said movable underbody when said movable underbody is engaged with said suspension system, said support means being adapted so that said movable underbody maintains a more constant distance and orientation above a roadway being traversed than maintained by said body when said movable underbody is engaged with said suspension system.