I am "building" my hopefully 2018 JCW and one of the options is the softer "S" suspension. It is a no cost option. Given that I do not plan to race or even "rawhide" my soon to be JCW (why buy a JCW?), what are the pros and cons of this choice.

I'm an "older" Mini enthusiast currently driving a 2013 Cooper "S" hardtop. Retired airline pilot and I like the bells and whistles.

 

"Softer" is a relevant term. MINIs are not know for their compliant ride. The newer suspension on the F56 is worlds better than the R56/58, but it is still firm. I have a JCW with the Pro Coilovers installed and I think (coilovers in general, not just the JCW version) give added "depth" to the ride. My girlfriend has a Cooper S, so I cam kind of compare apples and oranges. The S suspension is softer than the JCW coilovers. They don't seem to affect the handling all that much, so if you're not planning on tracking or auto crossing and want a softer ride than the S suspension might be your best option.

 

I'd recommend considering the DDC option if you are looking for better ride. It's only $500 and after driving a JCW with sport suspension back to back with the DDC, I went with the DDC option. To be honest, I did not find the standard JCW suspension to be overly harsh, but there is a noticeable difference.

Another consideration are the seats. The seats can make a huge difference in comfort so I'd recommend trying out as many options as possible. I went with the lounge leather ... more expensive, but very nicely padded. Some of the cheaper options are very flat and can be a bit harsh.

 

I'm looking at the DCC plus the "S" option. Overkill? I'm ticking off darn near every option on the chart.

 

First, I can't believe you can order a 2018 JCW already (or soon anyway)....seems like yesterday when I was waiting for my 2015 JCW 6MT!

Can you please explain what the "S" option is? My JCW has the stock sport suspension & I love it! If I change anything in the future I will go for coilovers to lower it a bit.

I'm older myself, but I don't care for a soft ride in a sporty ride so I had no interest in the DDC option. Plus, if you go to coilovers you will have wasted $500 for the DDC. Plus, the sport suspension is not harsh, just firm....perfect imo!

But, what is the "S" option?

 

In the JCW you have a no cost choice of the regular JCW suspension or you can opt for the regular Mini Cooper S suspension instead.

 

Oh, ok...thanks for clarifying! Just get what will make you smile! ;-). Good luck!

 

I have the Sport suspension on my R58 and have driven my friend's F56 with the "S" suspension and I can tell you it understeers like a bad boy, and is very lean prone in corners. It handles fine, but compared to mine (which basically has a thicker rear sway bar vs stock) there is more body sway. I like mine better.

 

That is why I have the NM 25MM sway bar sitting here waiting for my DDC-equipped car to arrive. Hopefully, the best of both worlds.

 

That's the way I would have gone had I bought an F56. I tried to put a deposit down on one but it got hijacked from the Tempe dealership. But what I really wanted was a JCW and in 2014 the F series JCW cars were still at least a year away.

 

So far, I'm a big fan of DDC. Even in normal mode, it's still pretty stiff although I suspect the run-flats generate a lot of the stiffness. For the cost ($500), this is a stellar option unless you are looking for a pure track machine. In that case, the JCW Pro coil-overs are probably the way to go.

 

I'm not so much a fan of the DDC option, but if I had known about the coil overs when I ordered my very early JCW in 2015 I might have opted for those! As it was, I don't think the dealer really had any experience in JCW's as mine was the first one they ordered! Wisdom grows as time passes & I just missed out! I will say that the stock sport suspension is very much to my liking as it's not harsh imo & the suspension has definitely settled over time so the car doesn't sit as high as it did when brand new.....appearance is the main reason I'd go with the coil overs as the car looks better slammed down a bit more (and of course it's adjustable to the owner's liking...which is a win win!).

 

There is a big improvement that comes with the JCW Pro suspension. My car came with the sport suspension too and while it's okay, the car always felt too soft, particularly in transitions. For comparison, I drove an JCW R53 for 13 years; it was quite stiff, to the point of harsh at times.
While my car was good before, now it is excellent. Yes, it's stiffer but not harsh, turns in crisply and the response to steering input is matched by the car. So, 02Fanatic, if you're thinking about the JCW pro suspension, see if you can get a drive in a car that has it. I think you'd be sold.

 

Despite my preference for the DDC option, I do have a few comments on the other suspensions based on my experience with other cars.
- Sports suspension is OK
- JCW Pro suspension is great ... much better control and no loss in comfort ... much like my E39 M5 with Dinan suspension ... it's actually better riding

Now ... why do I like DDC?
- Much improved ride over rough pavement
- Easily tightened up with other components (e.g., swya bars, chassis brace)
- I can decouple chassis stiffness from drive train ... wow!

 

Even though they offer the "S" suspension as I guess people do request it, I have a nagging resistance to permanently opting for an option NOT in keeping with the overall character of the car, i.e., the JCW.

My thinking now is the "normal" JCW suspension and the DCC. My thinking is the DCC will offer some "softening" of the ride if desired.

Is this correct ? Will the DCC give me a suspension range that goes from "softer" to "firmer" based on the JCW suspension?

 

First off, the DDC option only comes in one flavor (neither S nor Sports). It will; however, allow you to choose softer or firmer settings depending on your mood. So far, I like it a lot.

I have also added the NM 25 mm sway bar and end links plus the Craven Speed Big Pair and the handling is awesome. It allows me to opt for the softer damping while still improving the overall handling and feel ... much tighter turn in, less body roll, and better balance overall. It's kind of the best of all worlds.

 

[QUOTE=rtowell;4309564]First off, the DDC option only comes in one flavor (neither S nor Sports). It will; however, allow you to choose softer or firmer settings depending on your mood. So far, I like it a lot.

I have also added the NM 25 mm sway bar and end links plus the Craven Speed Big Pair and the handling is awesome. It allows me to opt for the softer damping while still improving the overall handling and feel ... much tighter turn in, less body roll, and better balance overall. It's kind of the best of all worlds.[/Q



I realize it only comes in one iteration. I was just looking for confirmation that it would allow me to go softer than the normal JCW suspension.

 

Yes ... it definitely does that quite well. I actually decoupled it from the sports setting so I can still have the improved throttle mapping and exhaust noise, but still keep the softer ride. That works quite well for day-to-day driving.

 

Thank you very, very much. This sounds like the way to go. Now, my next dilemma is can I survive with the regular seats or do I really need the soft leather ?