I've decided to lower my car, and after searching quite a bit, I'm still not sure what to get. I had H-Sports on my old 03 MCS, and although I liked the ride, I wished the height was a little higher in the rear, so that the wheel gap was even f+r. I would figure my ideal drop would be 1"f and 3/4"r. (i'm rinning 215/45/17) It seems there are no springs made that give a little more drop in front. Which leads me to coilovers. The problem is that all coilover systems I see have a very high spring rate, which I don't really want. I suppose I can switch out the springs for something closer to the stock rates, but then I'm getting a bit over budget. I would be willing to spend about $1000 on a coilover setup, especially ones with a new front upper mount to combat mushrooming, but I'm at a loss as to which ones would give a stock-ish ride. How are the setups that utilize progressive rate springs? I'm interested in the H+R's but can't seem to find any good feedback concerning ride quality. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

I had H&Rs with stock shocks on my 2003 MCS. The ride was about the same as stock for normal driving. However, I thought that the front needed to be a little lower to balance the look. The actual height was good all around but the rear looked lower than a front due to the wheel well gap difference.

 

You want KW Variant 1 coilovers. Their spring rates are very similar to stock, and the assemblies are designed to lower the car 1.6" without sacrificing compression travel or overall stroke. This may be a lower ride height than you think you want, but it's a good place to be. I have KW V1 on my R56 and they're just as comfy as stock but improve steering feel by virtue of lowering the roll centers of the suspension.

Cheers,
Ryan