Hi all. Several questions.

I've got a 2017 MC S convertible (F57). Love the car. Just replaced the 16" run flats with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. What a difference. Next step - adding JCW Pro or equivalent coil-overs. My question, do JCW Pro coilers for the F56 fit the F57 (convertible)? I'm having difficulty determining the answer on various vendor websites.

Question #2 - factory rear sway bar measures.84" or 21.3mm. Does anyone know if this bar is hollow or solid? Would replacing it with a larger one noticeably improve handling?

Any thoughts / comments would be much appreciated.

Contented

 

They fit. If you hit realOEM.com and check the parts cross-model usage you'll find that MINI uses the same springs and shocks for the 3-door, 5-door and convertible. (Unless my memory is very faulty.)

Yes, VERY noticeably. I installed JCW coilovers and there was a night and day difference in the handling. It went from "BMW refined and comfortable" to "this is what a Mini should be!"

A few weeks later I scored a great deal on NM Engineering's smaller rear sway bar (22mm, if memory serves) and it took the handling from "this is what a Mini should be" to "oh my god this is a goddamned Mini!".

I realize that's a very vague description. The JCW coilovers lowered the COG, reduced body roll and stiffened up the feel, while still having a pleasant ride and dealing well with road ripples. Cornering was flatter and felt more precise, without the extreme yawing of the factory set up. (Which itself was much better controlled than my R55's stock suspension, so let's give the MINI/BMW engineers kudos for improvement!)

Adding the rear sway bar after that finished the job; cornering is flatter still with very very well controlled body roll.

I feel I have the best of all worlds — great handling, full suspension travel, and low cost. Yes, incremental improvements are available as you go to more expensive shocks but one very quickly reaches a point of diminishing returns that are only worth pursuing if you are racing or just have money to burn.

 

bratling, thanks SO much for the helpful information. My path is now charted. :-)

contented