AMG steering wheels are designed to improve handling dynamics, and some of their functions help in reducing understeer—a common issue where the front tires lose grip, causing the car to slide straight instead of turning. Understeer typically occurs when a vehicle enters a corner too quickly, and the front wheels cannot generate enough grip to turn the vehicle as desired. AMG vehicles, with their performance-oriented systems, integrate various steering wheel features to help mitigate this issue and enhance cornering control.

AMG Steering Wheel Functions for Reduced Understeer:

1. Dynamic Steering Feedback: AMG steering wheels are designed to provide precise and adaptive feedback. They are often equipped with variable ratio steering that adjusts the steering response based on speed and driving conditions. This function helps to improve the vehicle’s handling, especially when navigating through corners, and reduces the likelihood of understeer.
   • At higher speeds or during sharp turns, the steering ratio becomes quicker, providing more responsive handling to the driver. This allows for greater control when cornering, ensuring the vehicle maintains the desired trajectory.
   • The feedback from the steering wheel allows the driver to feel the road and adjust steering input to prevent understeer.
2. AMG Dynamic Select and Steering Modes: Many AMG models come with AMG Dynamic Select, a system that allows drivers to choose from different drive modes, including Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Race modes. These modes affect various vehicle systems, including the steering, suspension, and traction control, all of which influence the handling of the car.
   • Sport+ and Race modes often sharpen the vehicle’s steering response, making it more direct and agile. These settings help the driver to counteract understeer by making the steering more responsive during high-performance driving, such as cornering at higher speeds.
   • The steering wheel is often used to switch between these modes, allowing drivers to quickly adjust the vehicle's settings based on driving conditions and needs.
3. AMG Torque Vectoring and Active Rear-Axle Steering: In some AMG vehicles, torque vectoring and active rear-axle steering are available. These technologies help to distribute power to the wheels with the most grip, improving overall vehicle stability.
   • Torque Vectoring: This system applies brake force to the inside rear wheel, helping to reduce understeer by counteracting the vehicle’s tendency to push outward during a turn. The steering wheel may have buttons or controls to activate or adjust these systems for optimal cornering performance.
   • Rear-Axle Steering: This system can also help reduce understeer by enabling the rear wheels to steer in the opposite direction of the front wheels at low speeds, improving maneuverability and agility in corners. At higher speeds, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front wheels for better stability. The AMG steering wheel may allow the driver to monitor or adjust the settings for rear-axle steering.
4. AMG Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Traction Control: AMG vehicles often feature an advanced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that works in conjunction with the steering system to help reduce understeer. The ESP system can intervene by adjusting brake force or engine power to specific wheels to regain stability when understeer is detected.
   • The AMG steering wheel can provide feedback or indicators when the system is activated, alerting the driver that the vehicle is experiencing understeer or loss of traction.
   • In some AMG models, there are dedicated buttons on the steering wheel to toggle between different ESP settings, such as Sport Handling or ESP OFF. This allows the driver to adjust the level of stability assistance during spirited driving, providing a balance between performance and safety.
5. Steering Wheel-Assisted Torque Management: In certain AMG models, torque management systems are integrated with the steering wheel, adjusting power distribution to optimize handling. These systems work by adjusting the amount of torque sent to each wheel in real-time, depending on the cornering force and road conditions.
   • During high-performance cornering, the steering wheel may provide haptic feedback or resistance to guide the driver in making the correct adjustments to reduce understeer. The torque management system can dynamically balance the power delivered to the front and rear axles, improving grip and cornering performance.
6. AMG Active Suspension and Ride Control: The AMG active suspension system (such as AMG Ride Control or AMG Ride Control+) is another key feature that helps prevent understeer by dynamically adjusting the suspension to the road conditions and driving behavior.
   • Adaptive damping adjusts the stiffness of the suspension in real time, ensuring the vehicle maintains optimal balance during aggressive cornering. The steering wheel may have controls that allow the driver to adjust the suspension settings to suit their driving preferences.
   • A firmer suspension setting during aggressive driving will reduce body roll and help the car maintain better traction in corners, which helps in counteracting understeer.
7. AMG Performance Braking System: The AMG Performance Braking System plays an important role in maintaining vehicle stability during high-performance driving, especially when negotiating corners. The steering wheel can be used to control or adjust the level of braking force (through specific performance settings), allowing the driver to manage the balance between front and rear brakes.
   • During hard braking in corners, the system can apply targeted braking to the individual wheels (including the front), helping to reduce understeer by ensuring that the front tires do not lose traction. The steering wheel might provide a visual or haptic indicator to help the driver monitor and adjust braking inputs for optimal cornering performance.

Conclusion:

AMG steering wheel functions that assist in reducing understeer are focused on enhanced steering responsiveness, drive mode adjustments, and integration with advanced stability and torque management systems. Features such as variable steering ratios, active suspension systems, rear-axle steering, and dynamic traction control all work together to improve cornering stability and provide precise feedback through the steering wheel, helping drivers maintain control and minimize understeer, especially in high-performance or challenging driving conditions.