The importance of Suspension - talk with PIRAS Motorsport

From 2023, Samsonas Motorsport’s dampers department underwent a complete overhaul – a new team, a new concept, and a new work culture. Using the LABA7 dyno and conducting extensive testing with renowned drivers in rallying, circuit racing, and drifting led to a significant increase in quality.

This process created new opportunities to work with and further develop dampers alongside professionals such as PIRAS Motorsport. The founder has worked in the automotive sector since 2002 and has competed in various Italian rally championship and time-attack events. In addition, 12 years spent supervising projects for brands such as Italdesign, Dallara, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, Podium Engineering, Pininfarina, and Stellantis gave Adriano the impetus to establish PIRAS Motorsport. His vision was to create a car tuning parts manufacturer closer to its customers, combining industrial production with in-person driving experiences and a strong social media presence.

To date, PIRAS Motorsport’s work has focused on Toyota GR cars, mainly the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, with a product range from airbox intake kits to aerodynamic parts, including brake system cooling. A series of development partnerships is also underway with complementary product manufacturers, such as Samsonas.

So we asked: why and how did the relationship between PIRAS Motorsport and Samsonas begin?

At PIRAS Motorsport, we were seeking a partner to develop suspension kits for Toyota GR cars, with a twist:

These kits had to be tested and validated by me, as I wanted to guarantee our customers an exceptional setup at reasonable prices. After many years of suspension development, I am very precise and demanding when it comes to developing a suspension setup and take every step of the process very seriously.

Samsonas, a brand known worldwide for its race-winning motorsport transmissions, had recently entered the suspension kit market.

They had made significant investments in advanced machinery for suspension development and had already created an initial kit for the GR Yaris. They were the perfect candidate, so I decided to reach out. Discussions went very well, and we soon agreed to work together with the aim of refining what was already a product with great potential.

We began developing the 3-way Track coilover suspension kit, which delivered excellent results and mutual satisfaction. From there, we progressed to the 3-way Rally Tarmac and Gravel coilover suspension kits, featuring a triple tube hydraulic system and long travel. This kit was exactly what many GR Yaris owners had been waiting for, and once completed, it was extremely well received by the market.

Now we look forward to working on upcoming projects and already have a full product pipeline in place.

What are the key elements of good suspension?

A good suspension coilover kit must have the following key elements:

- The dampers and damper body lengths must be correctly sized for the specific car, engineered for the correct final ride height range. This may seem trivial, but you would not believe how many lesser kits get this wrong!

- The damper bodies must be strong and always have a weather-resistant external coating; otherwise, your investment will look terrible after just a few months of use.

- The damper hydraulics must guarantee consistent performance both when cold and when extremely hot.

- The damper hydraulics must be developed in the same conditions in which they will be used by customers.

Have you ever wondered why every OEM conducts such extensive road tests for each car, even after advanced simulations? A vehicle’s suspension is a highly complex, multi-layered system with many interdependencies, so the only way to achieve top-level results is through real-world testing following a structured procedure.

Traditionally, the common way to make a car faster is to add power, but why can good suspension be even more beneficial?

Especially nowadays, going beyond “Stage 1” or “Stage 2” engine preparation yields diminishing returns.

Moreover, what is the point of having a lot of power if you cannot keep your right foot down?

Suspension is the single modification that can transform a car’s character, including use case scenarios on some occasions!

Imagine purchasing a GR Yaris:

- You can install a 3-way Rally Gravel kit, fit a set of 15-inch wheels, and be ready to tackle dirt tracks to your heart’s content, with safety and top-level performance.

- Install a 3-way Rally Tarmac kit with road-legal semi-slicks, and your car will be faster than almost anything on a B-road, no exceptions.

The character and use cases of your car can be completely transformed by suspension. Lap times and special stage times have already proven this – try it and see for yourself!

As a personal suggestion: do not install mainstream, cheap coilover kits and expect anything other than a loss of performance, as it is now much easier to ruin a car’s handling than to improve it.

The future with a new sales manager, the implementation of a new sales and marketing strategy, the launch of new GR Corolla products that will enable entry into the North American and Canadian markets, and relocation to the Nürburgring, looks bright for PIRAS Motorsport, and we are happy to be part of it.