No, this steering mechanism isn’t broken

If you only take a quick glance at extreme angle of the wheel on this front axle assembly, you might think the mechanism has broken. Wrong. The front axle sits in a concept from Tier One automotive supplier ZF called the Intelligent Rolling Chassis (bottom). It is based on an innovative dual control arm independent suspension design that permits a steering angle of up to 80° (though it only hits 75° in the IRC because of the vehicle’s design parameters). For comparison, standard front axles allow for a maximum turning angle of 50°. The differences become evident from the examination of a conventional steering arm and king pin axle (top right, from Wikipedia). The ZF arm actually extends out over the tire. The tie rod is in two parts. The idea is to ease turning and parking maneuvers.
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