Magneto-rheological shocks, or MR shocks for short, have been one of GM's most publicized technologies for over a decade. On paper, it allows manufacturers to access a wider range of suspension setup possibilities that non-adjusting shocks may not accommodate. In the real world, MR shock performance has been well-documented: good handling and good ride quality typically coexist. The 2003 C5 Corvette was the first Chevy to offer the tech (standard on the 50th Anniversary Edition). The C7 Stingray continues the trend, with the Z51 Performance Package opening up the additional third-generation Magnetic Ride Control option. Unannounced C7 high-performance models will presumably utilize MagneRide too.

Some readers understand how the MagneRide damping works. The monotube shocks are filled with a special magneto-rheological fluid formulated by Lord Corporation. The gist of the mission brief is the MR fluid, which is dosed with iron particles, can be magnetized at different strengths by way of electromagnetic coils (one coil per shock on previous gens, two on current). The neat trick is the coils can vary the fluid thickness many times per second, so an MR shock is capable of adjusting for road surfaces and driver demands than a run-of-the-mill twin-tube shock. Raising the thickness effectively increases the oil's viscosity; this in turn affects damping force.

Most car buffs are aware MagneRide made its first appearance on a midyear refresh of the 2002 Cadillac Seville STS. From there, the MR dampers migrated onto a few other Cadillacs; perhaps most notably, it's featured on all three body styles of the CTS-V. Audi, Ferrari, and the Camaro ZL1 have recognized the benefit too.

However, a small population seems to believe MagneRide-preceding adaptive suspensions equipped on the 1990s Allante, DeVille, and Eldorado, and even up to the early-2000s Seville, was one and the same as MR tech. It isn't. Within this timeframe, the earliest (semi-)adaptive suspension was the comparatively simplistic Speed Dependent Damping Control and Computer Command Ride. Next, an evolutionary system called Speed Sensitive Suspension followed. Road Sensing Suspension then continued adding shock damping flexibility, rather than merely adapt for speed with preset damping modes as the earlier SDDC and CCR did. Finally, Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension came along with what would have been considered revolutionary controls systems for an automobile. Each system brought with it more layers of sensors. With as many sensors onboard as a mid-1990s luxury car could afford, CVRSS was a real-time damping system capable of changing damping force in 10 to 12 milliseconds. CVRSS was the aforementioned 2002 Seville STS' last stop before switching to MagneRide.

Rather than rely on magnetized oil to alter damping properties, the CVRSS shocks are traditional, leaning exclusively on the internal valves. These CVRSS shock valves are electronically controlled. An array of sensors monitoring wheel speed, vehicle speed, pitch, dive, and more determine the appropriate valve positions and damping force at each corner of the vehicle.

MagneRide shocks react in the neighborhood of 1 millisecond, although fascinatingly, Lord Corporation claims the MR fluid itself can respond even more quickly than that. It's up to the bevy of electronics, the electromagnetic coils, and the control-systems programming to manage the shock damping and how it influences the vehicle.

Ultimately, all adaptive suspensions share the same purpose: help control wheel location, help control body movement, and help deliver controlled performance (both in ride and handling) to the driver. To discover just how great an impact the technology had on our 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 vs. 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 comparison,head here.