Just hit 4000 miles last night, no issues so far. Since it's a daily driver, how can I make the ride little softer? Should I change the tires?

 

Should've thought twice before making the GP a daily if the ride is too harsh.

Tires will help, though - try stepping up to a 215/45R17. I've been running that size for the winter, and it's definitely more comfortable than the 215/40R17 Neovas I was running for the summer.

 

If you have the kumho tires they are not runflats so not sure if that will soften the ride

 

Mine came with the kumhos, I love my ride 90% of the times, I will enjoy it for now until it's time to change the tires. Thanks

 

My GP2 is also a daily driver. Tire selection plays a significant factor in overall ride comfort. I've had 4 different sets of tires (trying things out, summer/winter swap, etc.)

I find the ride with the current Michelin AS3 to be very comfortable. The GP can be a little bouncy over certain roads conditions, but that is largely due to the coilovers and short wheel base. Otherwise, this is one of the nicest riding MINIs I've owned. The Recaro seats and padded JCW steering wheel also contribute to overall driver comfort.

The Kumhos are a fantastic tire. But like all tires, they require some compromise. The razor sharp steering response comes with a stiffer side wall. You do "feel" the road a bit more in the Kumho when compared to the Michelin PSS or AS3. Upsizing to a 215/45 non-RFT will also help a little. Also, check your tire pressures to be sure they aren't over inflated.

Hope this helps...

 

This is going to sound weird, but the recaros actually add quite a lot to the perceived stiffness of the ride. The springs in the seats are quite stiff and bouncy.

When I took out the recaros and put in race seats (which is just a fibreglass frame and cushion) the first thing I noticed was how much less bouncy the ride was and more comfortable. When I drive the GP2 rally car back to back with a stock GP2 it is really noticeable.

I sold the recaros to a guy with a JCW who had standard seats, and he commented to me that when he put them in the ride of the car seemed to have stiffened up a lot. I guess they are a "sport" seat and designed to feel like that.

I guess you are not going to swap seats though!

Other things to soften the ride.

Make sure you are running correct tyre pressures. The factory pressures listed for the kumhos are too high. You should be aiming for around 32psi cold, to 36ps hot. If you go higher it gets quite bouncy.

The kumhos are a racing tyre and have an extremely stiff sidewall. Going for a 45 profile non-run flat will improve things.

Adjusting the rake of the car with the coilovers can help as well, specifically lowering the rear more than the front. This can reduce perceived bounciness and stiffness

Overall though, as others said, if it feels too stiff for a daily driver, then you have the wrong daily driver

 

Interesting perspective on the seats Andrew.

Anybody want to swap a their JCW GP Recaros for a pair of JCW Championship Lounge leather seats?

 

No matter how smooth the ride is I am not going to give up my Recaros, they are so nice

 

It's one of the best features on the GP

 

Clearly ones perception of ride quality and comfort is subjective and relative to previous experience. My GP2 is my daily driver as well with 30 K on the odometer. One of the first things I noticed about the GP ride was how much more comfortable it was than the ride of my '05 R53 with Koni yellow adjustable shocks at the softest setting. The ride is firmer yet smoother. I never expected that.

+1 for the Michelin AS3 non runflat tires.

As for the Recaro seats, I like the lateral support and the Alacantera fabric. One thing I don't undertand is the lack of a passthrough hole in the seatback for a racing harness. If anyone knows of a way to retrofit a whole (neatly), I'd love to see it.

 

removed (off topic)

 

So far two recommendations for the Michelin AS3, however, when I check tirerack, Michelin PSS has better reviews. I don't know which one to get, BTW, when did you guys change your kumho tires?

 

I also have Michelin PSS in addition to AS3. The PSS are by far my favorite tire of any brand. However, as a Sumer performance tire they are useless during the coldest months in the climate where I live.

If your winters are mild (mostly above freezing) then PSS is a great choice too. Or you can also run with dedicated summer and winter wheel setups and have the best of both worlds.

 

I bought a set of 18" GP1 rims for daily driving and kept the Kumhos on the original rims to use for spirited driving occasions. The Michelins went on the GP1 rims for the same reasons as JackMac. I wanted to extend the summer tire driving season before switching over to snow tires.