Hello. I apologize for re-introducing a topic that is constantly talked about, but I am new to this game and don't understand any of the technical jargon. What I do understand is how to enjoy driving a sweet handling car on a windy stretch of road. So, I need some advice...

From the recent reviews at MotoringFile on the JCW Suspension Kit, it seems that harsh ride is the tradeoff for superb handling. In reference to street driving Gabe talks about, "constant concern about bottoming out the front defuser". Now I don't know what a front defuser is, but this doesn't sound good.

So my question here is, does the Sport Suspension provide a middle ground in ride comfort as well as handling, between the stock suspension and the JCW?

Thanks for the help!

 

this is like, which oil is better, or which color looks better....
(The front 'defuser' is that black plastic lip...)

Handling / ride is subjective and VERY much impacted by the types of roads that you will be driving on.

My stock suspension with 17" mini-not-so-lights and RF is too stiff for some of my favorite off-ramps as the car skitters or jumps over the pavement.

Reducing unsprung weight helps a lot (the stock wheels weight a perverbial ton)
I *THINK* the JWC package actually softens the ride slightly, but they use stiffer anti-sway bars (best first mod anyway).

Anyway, aftermarket is way cheaper than JWC, and doesn't impact warranty (except for that part anyway)... and in some cases better...

You can easily tune out the understeer on these little buggers...

I hope this helps.

 

Sorry, I really don't understand much technical jargon yet. What do you mean by RF, tuning out understeer, "mini-not-so-lights", unsprung weight?

I don't actually expect you to write me a primer on all of these things, but just a note for future posters that I prefer responses to be very simple as I'm just starting to learn.

Thanks!

 

The factory sports is middle of the pack of JCW and Stock setup. I think it is a good comprimize with warant with lowwer costs then JCW.

The diffuser is a plactic part of the front bumper, on the motoring file review he has the JCW kit on which has a lower front diffuser. I would imagine that if you had the stock bumper on then the JCW suspension would not be a issue.

 

I'll attempt to answer some of the questions: (correct me if I'm wrong)

Mini Terms:
RF= runflat tires (stock on MCS)
"mini-not-so-light" = stock rims/wheels aren't very lightweight

Technical Terms:
Unsprung weight: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_weight
Understeer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understeer

The internet, and searching these boards hold a great deal of info.

To answer the original question, I opted for the Sport Suspension (SS) on my order b/c it seemed like a nice compromise between stock and the JCW. If I were to change suspension, I'd go aftermarket for a better deal and more options, but am afraid of voiding warranty, so I'll run the SS for now. The Mini handles curves like it's on rails...many even toss the car around well w/ the stock suspension and love it. It just depends on what level you're looking for. I'd try and test drive each one to see which you like best (I did hear that there were some dealers getting JCW demos)

 

Gabe has the JCW Aero kit, which uses a different and lower hanging front end (lower front bumper area, I think it extends about .5" lower than stock). This combined with the .4" the JCW lowers the car and the super low profile tires he has on the car brings the front end of the car pretty close to the ground. Accidentally rolling into a curb, parking block, or hitting an object or pothole at speed is more likely to cause some damage with that configuration.

You can have the best clearance by not specifying the aero kit and not going with the lower JCW suspension. Both Stock and Sport suspension sit at the same height and an A/B comparison test drive will give you a good idea which is most ideal for your driving. If you plan to track the car more than a few times the JCW suspension kit will clearly outperform the factory options and becomes a much more sensible consideration.

 

Kreative- Thanks so much for the terminology lesson, Wikipedia explained understeer and unsprung weight perfectly. I think a test drive will be the way to go.

Fugitive- Just to be certain I'm understanding you correctly, when you say I can have the best clearance by "not specifying the aero kit", do you mean not ordering it entirely? That would be sad. Also I don't understand why a low profile tire would help bring a car closer to the ground, aren't all the tires the same size and only the size of the wheel different? Thanks for the input.

 

Yes, by getting the JCW Aero kit, your front end will be closer to the ground. But don't let that dissuade you. It looks awesome and a bit of extra care should keep it safe. The factory wheel/tire options are all almost exactly the same diameter, but aftermarket wheels and tires could vary greatly. I only mentioned pointed that out because Gabe's car does have aftermarket wheels and tires (I believe 18" OZ Superleggaras with 35-height low profile tires). That combo is slightly lower diameter, and that makes the car lower.

There are many threads on NAM with pictures of cars with all different configurations so you can get a good idea of the resulting effect of these options.

 

Does anyone know a site to find install instructions for a front sway bar on an R56 MCS?? Have only found instructions for rear.

 

Yup - totally agree. I'm going to 40 series 18" tires next year and that should help slightly. Also note that I live in a 3rd world country called Chicago where roads are paved every 20-30 years.

BTW the Sport Suspension is a great middle ground for the price. I would recommend it to most people who want less roll but don't want a more harsh ride. The ride in my MCS with the JCW suspension isn't terrible by any means but it's not as comfortable as either the stock or Sport suspension on the R56. HOWEVER it is slightly more comfortable in some situations than the "Sport Plus" suspension on the R53.

And it's pricey. There are aftermarket set-ups that are more aggressive and cheaper. However the JCW has the benefit of countless hours of 'Ring testing and it's tailored to work with the specific weight of your car.

There's no right answer for everyone obviously but I absolutely love the way my car feels with the JCW suspension.

 

Thanks Fugitive and Gabe for the sage advice... I've got an appointment to test drive a stock and a sport back-to-back next week, and if I can find a dealer with a JCW I'll drive that too.

My guess is that sport is going to be my trade off. I'm planning on doing a long touring vacation of the lower 48 states next year, and as much as I might enjoy a comfortable stock ride, when I find something windy and twisty along the way I want to be prepared...

Cheers

 

I went with the Hyper Sport instead of the JCW kit. It's less expensive, has a different look, gives you the sport suspension with a stiffer sway bar, and lets you choose your tires later. I changed out my 16" runflats for 17" Kumbos and it makes a big difference. Just another option to confuse you. lol

 

I'd rather get the Sport Suspension separately so I can have the JCW Aero Kit... I much prefer the look of the front and sides (no comment on the JCW Aero rear).