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Flowers, green grass, sunshine and potholes — these things all signal the beginning of spring, not necessarily in that order. Rather than relying on drivers to try and dodge every pothole like they’re on an obstacle course, the folks at Lincoln have devised a continuously controlled damping suspension (CCD) system on the 2014 Lincoln MKZ that features a built-in defense against the potentially harmful effects of hitting a road divot at speed.

Basically, the CCD is constantly measuring driving conditions, and if it senses that a wheel is dropping rapidly it stiffens the shock to decrease travel. That prevents the entire wheel/tire from fully entering the pothole that could result in a damaged tire or bent rim. See the infographic.