Which suspension will my 2012 JCW Hardtop have? Is it the exact same suspension as the standard S or is it the sport suspension?

I did not order anything special because I am still still debating what to do. I really like the idea of having the dealer installed factory JCW suspension for no hassle with warranty issues.

Does the dealer installed JCW suspension come with upgraded front/rear sway bars and springs/struts?

 

The Factory sport suspension is great and works very well. It includes the larger front & rear sway bars. It is a great value at $500.00 and worth every dollar.

I have it on my 2009 factory JCW and find it works well on the street in everyday driving and works perfect on a road course as well as top speed.

If your are going to order your car I would suggest getting the factory "Sport Suspension"

 

If you did not order any sort of suspension upgrade then your JCW will have the same suspension as a stock S. My current JCW is my second mini with the sport suspension option. I am highly satisfied with it. I can tell you this. I had a rental S with no suspension upgrades and 16 inch wheels once. The first corner I took it hard into I thought the car was going to roll.

 

That is really interesting that the stock JCW has the same suspension as the S. It has drastically better brakes, can't understand why it would not have at least the S "Sport Suspension".

I will likely go with the dealer JCW suspension install so it will also have a lower stance.

 

My dad had a 2005 MCS a few years ago with the sport suspension. That car was an absolute BLAST to drive. I don't know how much of that can be attributed to the fact that it was one of the best R53 years, but his MCS could corner way harder than my JCW ever will. Thing is, that MINI was his daily driver, and he complained constantly about how harsh and jarring the ride was. I suppose this is in part could be attributed to how bad the roads in Houston are.

My 2011 JCW does not have the sport suspension because that's just how it was when I bought it used. Sometimes I'm glad that my ride is smoother than my dad's old MINI, but sometimes find myself wishing I had it and have considered many times getting an aftermarket one installed.

 

2012 JCW hatch has the same stock suspension as the Cooper and Cooper S unless you order the factory sports suspension. The Cooper S does not include sports suspension as standard either. Although it is odd that the JCW does NOT include sports or JCW suspension as standard, many people don't realize the standard suspension is quite stiff particularly with run flat tires relative to most small cars.

You can also get the dealer installed JCW suspension which is pricey but based on MotoringFile is quite good.

I went with Sports Suspension as it was a $250 option in Canada. For $500 it was priced in the States I probably would have gone aftermarket or saved of for the JCW or similar setup. Good luck with your choice

 

My MA said a little over $1800 for the JCW Suspension. I am going to go that route. The car is mostly for pleasure driving so I am not concerned about rough roads. I just can't bring my self to put a non OEM suspension on a brand new car and possibly void some warranty aspects.

 

Unless you are going out to race every day it would be a shame to put a dealer installed JCW suspension on your car and have it ride like a truck with no springs at all.

For a $500.00 cost over standard suspension you can get the "Sport Suspension" and a car that won't beat its self to death in daily driving.

I used to track my car pretty often and the optional Sport Suspension worked just fine. My car was riding very solid at Daytona on the road course and excellent at 148mph on the high banks. (With Sport Suspension.) It also rides pretty nice just going to the store or a nice Sunday drive.

You could use that extra $1,300 for a set of driving lights and a JCW strut brace. The Strut brace is the best thing you can add to your car for handling and cornering performance. The Driving light just look good.

 

Have you actually driven in a car with a JCW Suspension? Only reason I ask is because so many people give strong opinions about things they have no first hand experience with. I would really like to get someone who has owned one for a number of miles to chime in. I have searched this topic quite a bit and about 50% of the people say its stiffer but still fine and the other 50% say its too harsh of a ride. I am not buying a Lexus, Cadillac, or any other plush riding car. Its a pleasure sports car. The money does not concern me. What does concern me is if the 50% of the people who use the word harsh are right (which I can't imagine is the case), I could be wrong.

 

*********""BUT"" I did ride in one and it was very harsh.************

You get what will make you happy. If you want the add on dealer installed JCW kit just do it. It can't be that bad if 50% of the people with that kit installed say they like it.

All I can tell you is the Factory installed Sport Suspension works perfect and really don't beat you to death on country roads.

You asked for an opinion so I gave you mine.

I'm sure you will love your new JCW whichever suspension you decide to get.

 

I had the JCW Suspension on my 07 hatch and the ride was harsh. My Clubman i had the TSW springs with stock suspension,and am pleased with the ride and overall handling.Q

 

One concern I have is that Mini specifically chooses a suspension based on the options of your car and the eight of the car. My concern is if I decided to go an aftermarket route that the car will not be as well balanced and tuned as it was designed since the aftermarket struts/springs are not customized to the specific car.

 

For those that go the aftermarket springs with stock struts, how has that affected your warranty? My 2003 had the lower control arm bushings replaced under warranty. If my 2012 JCW needed some suspension warranty work done I would be concerned that the work would be denied if aftermarket parts where used.

 

I have the JCW suspension on my 2012 and I'm in love with it. It is pretty rough, but I think that's mostly from the runflats. The firmness of the ride doesn't bother me at all, it feels really attached. I'm sure replacing the runflats would make it perfect to me. I would do it again for sure.

Granted, I don't claim to possess mad Formula 1 driving skillzzz, so I'll admit that my car is more limited by it's driver than the other way around. I do like the fact that it is VIN matched so the springs are made based on the weight and options on your car, so I feel it integrates well and plays nicely with factory warranty.

I'm sure some will say you can do better aftermarket, and I wouldn't dispute that it might be true, but it was more about the total package to me since I had ordered the Tuning Kit, Aero, and Strut Brace as well. Having the actual JCW parts and full warranty was worth it, but like I said, I'm not a mad garage scientist....

 

I have a 2009 JCW that I bought new in 2008. My car was ordered by someone else so I did not choose the options. It came with the optional $500 sports suspension. I was very disappointed that the car did not come with more JCW options as standard like the JCW suspension and JCW steering wheel. So over the years I wound up putting just about all of the JCW options on my car inside and out with the exception of the JCW spoiler/wing.

I had the JCW suspension installed 2 months later in January of 2009 when I had about 2000 miles on the car. I purchased it from Morristown MINI for $1050 or so and then they did the install and alignment for another $500 or so. I think I got a good deal.

The ride went from harsh to very harsh. I was not happy. I drove around like that for another 2 months or so and then ditched the run flats for 205/45/17 Nitto Neo Gens. This was a dramatic change for the better. I have 32000 miles on the car now. The ride is still harsh but is much better and I really like the way the car handles.

About 10 months later I swapped out the rear sway bar to the H-Sport competition rear bar which is a hollow 25.5mm bar that acts like a solid 22mm bar. Its set on the softest setting of the 3 holes.

So I have driven the car with this setup for about 27,000+ miles. I like the setup. Its still harsh. Its certainly not a Buick but its supposed to be that way. The suspension is supposed to be tight on this car. You are supposed to feel the road.

I will say this though, Its almost unbearable to drive the car in NYC. I had a co-worker in my car one day as I was driving around to some sales appointments in mid-town Manhattan. He commented that he would never get in my car again because the ride/suspension is so harsh. He drives a Honda Accord.

You will get a lot of different answers as this is very subjective.

Now having said all of that I often think that I should have left the sports suspension on the car as I do not track it. From time to time I also think about getting some nice coils like the KW V2 from Way at WMW.

I even had an offer from someone to do a swap. He wanted the JCW suspension and wanted to give me his custom coilover setup. He would have even done the work on both cars. So no labor involved with the swap. But I turned him down.

I do like that I have a factory JCW with all of the JCW add ons like the suspension, aero kit, steering wheel and CF trim items. I turned the car into how it should have come from the factory in the first place.

-Steve

 

How many people who think the JCW suspension is "harsh" have owned and driven a 2002-2004? My MA made a good point in that coming from my 2003 the JCW suspension is not going to feel much stiffer. He said that starting in 2005 they began softening the suspension.

 

I would always take comments like that from an MA with a grain of salt. Of course it is completely personal what is harsh or not. But anyways I think he is correct that going from your 2003 to a 2012 with JCW suspension may not be such a huge jump for you.

I think staying with 17" wheels with non-run-flats and JCW suspension would be a good compromise. Something I am also considering long-term as well.

The big positive for the JCW suspension is that you get 1 of 3 types of springs based on the weight/spec of the car and a fair amount of R&D from MINI.

What I am waiting for is to see if the new GP suspension will be retrofit-able to a JCW later.

 

I thought I'd weigh in since it sounds like there are a lot of opinions from people who don't actually have this setup.

I ordered my Mini Cooper S with the sport suspension and 17s. With the factory run flats I'd say this is as stiff as I'd want to go. Ride is stiff, but not too harsh. Once I ditched the run flats and started autocrossing I wanted to stiffen things up. I added the JCW strut brace which did nothing noticable even at autocross. Then I added the JCW suspension. This made a HUGE difference! With non run flat Michelin Pilot Super Sports I'd say the ride quality is much better than the sport suspension with runflats.

The JCW is great deal since it comes with larger (even bigger than the sport) swaybars front and rear, springs custom tuned to your options, and the perfect dampening for agressive street use and track. I've got to ride along in and drive plenty different Minis at the local BMW chapter, and I think this kit offers the best balance between performance and drivability. One thing to note though, while still not as harsh as the run flats with stock suspension, plenty of people complain about 18s with the JCW suspension.


Motoringfile has a great write up too:
http://www.motoringfile.com/2007/08/...-at-the-track/

 

Save your money and get the aftermarket suspension. Easy thing to do is just get the TSW springs, they will lower it 3/4 inch and be linear so they will by far out perform the JCW. Also they are black so unless you told them you put them on most likely they wouldn't even know. But they also can't void your warranty for your suspension let alone springs. They would have to prove your failed part was caused by the springs, which isn't going to happen, they may wear out your shocks a little fast but that is expected. These are known products.

Otherwise you can go to coilovers, and you'll still prob beat the JCW price.

Also for sway bars you need more bar than what the JCW will give you, at least a 19mm bar so there's another reason to go aftermarket.

 

Way, lots of questions here so be patient .

Won't TSW springs require a different length lower control arm in the rear? The dealer would see that right? What about alignment after the springs are installed? Do the bump stops have to be changed?

Lastly, my JCW will not have the sport shocks, is that of any concern in going with TSW springs? How much sooner can shocks wear out and how do you know they are worn out?

 

Yes you should have adj control arms with ANY lowering springs, even the JCW.
Yes the dealer would see them, but again who cares they can't void your warranty for that.
When I say the shock will wear out faster I mean they may only last 50k rather than a 100k miles. But there is no way to say how long they will last the only set of shocks I saw with TSW springs wore out had over 85k miles on them.
You could use the non sport shocks, but the sport shocks would be firmer.

You could always get a set of Koni yellows later if you wanted better shocks.

 

on the issue of lower control arms, does the factory JCW suspension replace the stock arms?

 

Just to let you know, I have not had any problems with the dealer and all my suspension modifications since Way and I installed them 6 months after ordering the 2009 JCW Mini.
I ordered the JCW with the $500 optional sport suspension, which I was not satisfied with the ride (choppy over bumps in corners especially), so installed TSW springs with the stock sport shocks and love the ride and handling for over 3 years (my signature also indicates NM springs also as I have installed and utilized these also).
The TSW springs are great if you are looking for a little lower stance over stock (0.75 drop)
The NM springs are also great if you are looking for an even lower stance over stock (1.25 drop)
The dealer and technicians always comment on how much they love the stance and overall look of my JCW when I took it in for scheduled maintenance. As you can see in my signature, the other Items I have installed with no issue at the dealer or warranty.
The key on warranty is…if you break it while tracking the car, pay for it yourself. Don’t expect the dealer to cover it.

 

Nope. It includes:


4 Shocks
4 Springs
Front Sway Bar
Rear Sway Bar

 

I started with sport suspension on my 09. It worked OK but past a certain threshold it felt like something bad was going to happen. At about 5000 miles I got NM springs and a 22mm Alta rear bar and that fixed all the problems. I have 39K miles now and the sport dampers still feel fine.
Not sure what the concern is over the warranty. You are already willing to pay 1800 + installation out of pocket for some shocks and a sway bar. If they wear out prematurely (before your warranty expires) just replace them or put the stock stuff back on if the budget is shot. I am planning to change my shocks well before they wear out to increase performance. Most people end up after a lot of modding with coilovers (even those who had JCW suspension) and I will likely go that route and save money. But my current set up still puts a grin on my face so I am not in any hurry anymore.