Abstract
The relationships between body structural design and each vehicle performance such as handling characteristics, ride comfort, vibration feature and so on, are very complex and are expected to be explained quantitatively for optimal body design that satisfies our diverse demands. In this study, an influence of body structural stiffness on handling characteristics was focused on and the body "Front Lateral Bending" deformation mode, which has not been known for its contribution to handling, is discussed. Research results suggest that higher "Front Lateral Bending" stiffness can increase vehicle stability, improve the damping of driver-vehicle system response, reduce phase lag of driver-vehicle system, thus contributes course tracking performance.