JLFT Hemisfear Suspension Notes....

7/13/6

John Hotchkis, owner of Hotchkis Performance, and his two engineers are creating the Hemisfear’s high-performance suspension. The front and rear suspension is based on an A-ARM design (commonly referred to as a “double wishbone) as specified by Foose. Aero tubing or “slipstream” tubing which has an aerodynamic oval shape is used for the control arms.

According to John Hotchkis “This is a race car suspension built for the street. It’s engineered from the ground up by our team to harness the enormous amount of horsepower, yet provide exceptional handling qualities”. Another handling challenge for Hotchkis is Hemisfear’s lightweight carbon fiber body and mid-engine design, plus Foose’s styling hallmark to hide all brake lines. Sleek styling is a key component of the Hemisfear and the front suspension utilizes in-board shock design, to hide the shocks inside the body, while conventional outboard shock placement is utilized in the rear. John is set to have the prototypes manufactured by next week for Chip’s approval.

Few performance suspension firms can actually engineer and manufacture suspension components to this degree. It’s what sets Hotchis Performance apart from all the rest. Interestingly, John Hotchkis is also a graduate of Art Center College of Design, located in Pasadena, CA, which is where Chip Foose graduated with a degree in transportation design.

- JLFT Team