Since our conception in 2004, Fat Cat Motorsports, Inc. (FCM) has received accolades from Autoweek and Edmunds Online for our ability to balance handling and comfort when designing suspensions for our customers. What began as a pursuit of speed turned into a quest for Suspension Truth, to discover the interconnectedness of comfort and handling. Reflecting our deeper understanding of the Physics behind suspension design, we won a vehicle suspension comparison tests conducted by Grassroots Motorsports magazine. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we are proud to continue collaborating with engineering and product development veterans of the Silicon Valley tech industry, along with a former NASCAR Indy Car crew chief now working at a major OEM supplier. Our pursuit of truth and perfection, guided by a genuine care for our customers' well-being, has been an unstoppable combination as we seek to improve the state-of-the-art in the automotive and transportation industry.

What is FCM Elite?

To distinguish our products from those which are generic and mass produced, we've created the brand 'FCM Elite'. This term, partially inspired by one of our most dedicated customers (owner of the Triumph Spitfire and Morgan 3 Wheeler), conveys a sense of the incredibly detailed processes we use to sculpt exceptional solutions for our discerning customers. We can design Elite packages for essentially any vehicle (price would vary with complexity and options). Of note, we have recently developed suspension packages for the popular Mercedes Sprinter 2500 / 3500 cargo or shuttle van platform and are exploring opportunities with package vans companies.

As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), our high-quality, durable, smoother-riding FCM Elite shock absorbers provide a value-add you can pass on to your customers. FCM Elite-equipped vehicles are noted for having ride quality even exceeding the suspensions of high end manufacturers such as Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes.

For fleet vehicle end-users, or Elite Consulting and product solutions will improve Ride Quality by reducing unnecessary 'jerk' (unexpected acceleration) which can cause Whole Body Vibration (WBV) damage, a serious concern in the transportation industry. We can also reduce high frequency components via several of our technologies. These improvements, refined to each customer's needs, will increase the service life of the vehicle plus reduce operating costs. You can expect improved fuel efficiency, reduced tire wear, reduce maintenance costs, happier and healthier drivers / passengers / cargo, and also celebrate using a more environmentally-friendly shock absorber that never needs to be thrown away.

Benefits and features include:

• Smoother ride: by discovering the real-world physics behind suspension design and developing innovative technologies to improve optimize road-holding, FCM Elite suspensions always result in the most comfortable and supple ride available anywhere. We ensure your vehicle is truly supporting and respecting you as our bodies are fairly delicate. After all, there is no such thing as a 'smooth road.'


• Optimized damping: taking advantage of the larger fluid capacity and flexible design of the Bilstein monotube shock, an FCM Elite build creates a harmonious relationship between your vehicle and the road surface. We examine and control variables that often go overlooked in the design process.


• Safety: with an emphasis on keeping the tires connected to the ground, FCM Elite suspensions are tuned to provide maximum grip - "like a tiger". This tenacious grip is especially important in emergency situations and poor weather conditions when confident vehicle control is required to avoid obstacles or collisions.


• Highest Product quality: FCM Elite synergizes our rigorously tested, in-house engineered technology with the industry-leading shock absorber technology from ThyssenKrupp Bilstein, a company with over 100 years of innovation.


• Simplicity and cost-savings: Individually optimized, "intelligent" FCM Elite shock absorbers deliver what the vehicle needs without complicated and costly repairs associated with electronically-controlled shocks.


• Tailored for you: Each FCM Elite suspension is carefully fitted to each customer's requirements.


• Better bottom line: We've found that many OE manufacturers are unaware of the impact a rough suspension has on driver, passenger, or cargo health. We can quantify your current vehicle's behavior with our Formula One style data acquisition systems and proprietary Ride Quality metric to note areas for improvement. With FCM Elite technology and methods in place, fleet customers can expect a better bottom line across the board via a smoother ride, lower medical and health care costs, reduced tire wear, longer vehicle service life, improved gas mileage, greater driver awareness, fewer accidents, enhanced passenger peace-of-mind, and reduced insurance claims from damaged cargo. It's clear that increasing Ride Harmony through FCM Elite consulting and solutions will save you money and improve your fleet's well-being - the total bottom line.


• Over 20 years of experience: FCM has built unique suspensions for nearly 1,000 vehicles from all makes and models. Our founder, Shaikh Jalal Ahmad, has a passion for both hands-on and theoretical aspects, constantly improving our methods and inventing new technologies of which several are patent-pending.


• Long-lasting: Simple to service or replace through FCM maintenance or in-house training. The extended durability of the Bilstein monotube damper is a key reason for the long life of our Elite products.

Tech Benefits

While some after market companies pay lip service to "designed and engineered," FCM was founded specifically to address deficiencies in existing products while providing down-to-earth technical information to end users. All FCM products are evaluated in-house and refined through our extensive customer base and network of test drivers around the world. This ensures the highest quality, reliability and integration of end-user feedback. Celebrating 99% up-time of our shipped systems with rapid repair times when needed. When needed, high-end data acquisition is utilized in our FCM Elite Consult process to obtain the necessary information when guiding a new design.

Proven in the Real World, Approved for Racers

In 2009, the Fat Cat Motorsports shock mount kit was approved by Mazda Motorsports for use in the SCCA Spec Miata racing series. This was the first big win for FCM three-fold: first, we addressed a critical safety concern in the Spec Miata suspension; second, we made the race cars faster (proven lap time reduction); and third, we improved racer comfort which is especially important for endurance (24 hour+) events.

This same product was first life-tested by hundreds of customers starting in 2004, used by thousands of street customers before the Spec Miata racers ever saw it. Designing for real-world durability has always been and continues to be a key consideration in all we do which is why we and our customers also succeed at the race track. Keeping it simple and elegant while constantly innovating gives us an advantage over more complex, expensive, and less durable products. While only some of our customers may race, in actuality the unpredictable nature of the real-world is a better proving ground for durability than track testing where the environment and road quality is better controlled.

Our products across the world have over seven millions hours of use, from 'rally driving' in rural Mexico to commuting across Canadian tundra. FCM Elite dampers are serviceable and infinitely rebuildable to ensure maximum lifetime value to our customers and minimum environmental impact. Even our used shock oil gets recycled!

Education

Coming from a family of engineers and educators, our founder Shaikh Jalal Ahmad (B.S. Physics) enjoys instructing others on how things work since only through shared understanding can we make life better for all. He created the Suspension Truth YouTube video channel to inform the general public of questions, answers, and discoveries made by the FCM team while in the pursuit of 'The Perfect Ride.' We're proud of our engaged audience where we can share insights and hear the needs and concerns of the community at large. We also have done numerous tech talks with Corvette Club, Mazda Clubs, and larger events with thousands of attendees. In the true spirit of science, we invite discussion and debate so all may learn. Shaikh is currently writing two books on the subject of suspension design. The first will be written for non-technical audiences, tentatively titled 'Zen and the Art of Harmonizing Your Ride.' The second will be a subject-matter book to teach Suspension and Damping Optimization for engineers, scientists, and future Ride Harmonizers.

Pricing

Contact us about FCM Elite services and products to improve your fleet.