So what do you get when you check the box on the sport suspension? I am going to be ordering a Clubman S and need to know what comes with the Sport Suspension. I drove a Clubman S with and without the Sport Suspension and really could not tell a difference, but I was not trying to push it as it was a test drive. I have had people tell me I will regret the Sport Suspension on a daily driver Mini.

 

Here's what that $500 buys you: 1mm thicker front and rear antisway bars. They "say" you also get slightly stiffer springs and dampers too, but I have yet to have anyone convince me of that. FYI antisway bars make the car turn better. That being said, most suspension people want thicker antisway bars than the SS gets you, so they buy their own (19 mm in my case, 21mm for some who drive more aggressively, or even thicker). I notice the difference between my 19mm bar and the standard bar, and I bet you'd notice a similar difference between it and the SS bar. I think the question isn't whether you'll regret getting the SS because it's harsher, it's whether you'll notice any difference for your $500. Thicker antisway bars won't make the car ride harder at all. For what it's worth.

 

Take the sports suspension over some bumps and a good speed, then take the stock one over the bumps at good speed. Also change directions like a autocross to see the difference in the dampers.

Also you can just ask for a parts print out of all the standard, sports and JCW options to see the difference in part numbers.

 

isnt the sport suspension package 1500 dollars? or are you JUST getting the sport suspension without the rest of the package? if you are just going to pay 500 dollars for the suspension alone just for better cornering and overall more fun I would say it's not worth it. you can get even thicker antisway bars then what the sports sus. gives you for cheaper or same price. now for everyday driving I have a MC non S R56 with the sport package and i kinda regret it not because of the ride but because how much i spent on it.I can tolerate it all day everyday around town, streets, hwys, it only gets bad around actual bumps...speed bumps...it is stiff but honestly there aren't speed bumps all over the place. I only deal with them when i get inside of a parking lot...not on a daily basis all the time. save your 500 dollars and get your own sway bars.

 

The Sport Package has the SS with wheel upgrades and stuff like that. The SS itself is $500, and I agree with the poster above you're probably better off skipping it and getting your own sway bar. I'm sure there will be a front bar for the R56 down the road.

 

If I could do it over I would not have wasted the $500 on the sport suspension. It's stiffer but offers no additional handling performance and the body roll is still too much.

If you are looking for better handling I recommend either shell out the cash for the JCW suspension package or leave in the basic suspension and explore aftermarket options later (this is a good idea, there will be many options soon and lots of user feedback on the forums to make informed decisions)

 

I agree.

Only on my 2nd day with my new R56 but I'm not liking the suspension. I have the sport suspension, and I'd hate to see what the non-sport feels like. The car feels so floaty and unsettled. Maybe I was just used to the Koni/H-Sport set up on my R53, but I dunno. I'm getting Mach V's next week hoping that will make things better. Eventually plan to get the Cross coilovers when the funds permit!

But then again, there are people on here who probably think the standard, non-sport suspension is too harsh LOL

 

You were spoiled rotten! I think cheap shocks and soft sway bars really kill any potential the sport suspension could have had. Someone here on NAM put Koni sport dampers (the R53 versions with the adapters for the rears) on with the Mach V's and really raved about the improvements. Hopefully the Mach V's do the trick for you

 

so does anyone know if the springs were changed on the sport suspension?
if so does anyone have a part number for the sport suspension spring and the rear sway bar....called a local dealer today....they needed the vin to give me a price and part number.

 

The sport package and sport suspension are both wastes.
The JCW suspension kit is worth it just for warranty; otherwise, the aftermarket makes Way-better...

 

I think they're different part numbers than stock susp. but the springs and dampers are pretty much the same, stock or sport suspension. The asb's are 1mm thicker is about it unfortunately. I think what you're finding out is that anyone who is even a little interested in improving the handling and/or lowering of the car does it with aftermarket components or the JCW package.

 

thks for the reply, this is for autox purpose and we are not alllowed jwc parts or aftermarket parts in my class.

 

How about wheels and tires? Those 17" wheels and runflats from Mini will weigh you down.
You'll do better to invest in wheels & tires rather than wimpy "sport" products...

 

Springs look to be the same, struts have different #'s.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...57&hg=33&fg=45

Rear sway bars, regular 17mm, sport 18mm:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...58&hg=33&fg=45

 

the bump stop are also changed, and some people say the mini uses the bump stops during normal driving...so that would constitute a spring change.

also the JCW has different bump stops then the SS or stock.

 

you can get those on realoem.com

 

I am running 15s actually.

 

i'm in the process of putting my build together while i wait for my wildland check from state forestry to fund the purchase and i wondered about how aftermarket stuff affects warranty. so i stopped in and asked my MA about it, who brought over a guy who gave me this answer. only the specific part will not be warranted. it will not void or affect other parts of the warranty unless the damage can be specifically linked to the non mini/jcw part. so i'm looking at the jcw suspension, and aftermarket sway bars.

 

On a similar topic, if you are someone interested in ordering a car to spec who would probably go for the Sport Suspension, but may ultimately consider aftermarket rear sway bar and springs (or coilovers) in the future, would it make more sense to forgo the sport package altogether and use that money for coilovers and a rear sway bar?

I was looking into optioning a car with sport package, but maybe opt out of this. If I were to buy the car I would look into other wheels and tires anyway (TD Pro Race with bridgestone RE-01Rs or something similar)

Would be interested in hearing some thoughts on this. Thanks.

 

It sounds like you have answered your own question.
But....yes, if I had it to do over again, I would have opted out of the sport suspension and upgraded with after market parts. the price of the sport suspension covers half the cost of a full set of coil-overs

 

So butting in here, is it worth trading my Sport Springs for after market, like Eibach or similiar brands? I like to believe I can get a lower, BETTER (smoother) ride with other springs and still track the car. My R56 S rides about as stiff as my highschool offroader with a 10 inch lift. Ya Im a bit more reformed now

 

I wouldn't believe anyone who says lowering springs give you a smoother ride. Sure, the slight vibrations and minor imperfections will be soaked up better by progressive springs, but any real bumps or dips, the stuff your reformed back is much less tolerant of, will cause the suspension to completely compress and hit the bump stops instantly which can make for quite a jolt.

Soon Koni will have their FSD dampers available for the R56 and those should improve the ride all the way around. I tried the lowering springs route. $1000 later I'm back to the sport suspension and waiting for the right solution.

 

It certainly can give a smoother ride than the stock suspension. I'd say my Mach V's with stock sport struts ride better than stock. Yes, it is much firmer, but I feel that it is less jarring. I really don't know how to explain how that is...you just have to take my word for it .

For the money...you CANNOT beat these Mach V's in my opinion. The car just drives so much better with them compared to the stock springs. So unless you want to spend $2k on good coilover's...get some springs!

The only thing I have noticed, is the limited amount of shock travel. You can tell the shock can't rebound as much as it wants to when going over certain dips/holes in the road. It is in no way harsh or jarring...at least not to me. I can just tell that the tighter, shorter spring is preventing the shock from using its full range of travel. The shocks still seem to dampen bumps and inperfections really well though.