JCW Suspension Kit US Availability

Chris Sep 14th, 2004 Link

Sign me up! I already want to grab the 500 buck upgrade for my current JCW engine, but the suspension would be cool a great addition.

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Matt Sep 14th, 2004 Link

i wonder how much more stiff it is? my 03 S on 16in run-flats is pretty bone-jarring on Chicago area roads.

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GSKChicago Sep 14th, 2004 Link

My MA was also in MN. He said that it was a very noticeable difference in stiffness and lack of body roll. He said it was surprising how much of a difference it made.

Which makes one wonder, because I had the same thought Matt… My '05 MCS with 17in run flats is quite stiff as well. I am really starting to want to do some mods now though, but my fiance is going to kill me. :o)

G.

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KEE Sep 14th, 2004 Link

If install a factory approved upgrade your self. Does it risk losing the warranty??

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dgszweda Sep 14th, 2004 Link

I am going to guess that the stiffness and bodyroll will be very similiar to the other aftermarket coilovers or spring kits.

Gabe,

How much is the rollbar for the S, that was suppose to be available as well. Also, what did they think of the engine kits. That is more important to me at least than the suspension.

With everyone saying the new '05s feel almost as quick as the '04JCW, and with the extra 10hp, I am really interested.

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David Sep 14th, 2004 Link

The MCS suspension seems harsh enough as it is, especially with the 17s. Unless you're frequently taking your MINI autocrossing or it's solely your track car, you may just want to save your money.

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iDiaz Sep 14th, 2004 Link

Seems pretty expensive if it's just springs. Does anyone know if it also includes shocks, or any other items?

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Wraith Sep 14th, 2004 Link

the price of the kit prolly won't be too bad, but my local dealer charges insane amounts for installs (wanted $6900 for the JCW and installation) so i'll stick with my current suspension bits (currently just h-sports, sway bars and control arms in the near future)

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CA Sep 14th, 2004 Link

Shocks and springs are in the kit. The cars were very tight and there was no roll. Please keep in mind that the MINI had the 18″ JCW wheels also. Road driving might be a little tough, track driving will be great.

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dgszweda Sep 14th, 2004 Link

So I am guess they are coilovers.

CA, how was the JCW engine kit?

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CA Sep 14th, 2004 Link

Great! You can tell the 05 kit is stronger. The early kits are nice, this is better. The new gearing in the trans is also a great addition.

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Dillon Sep 14th, 2004 Link

…good,now I can get some goodies put on my MC…

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alan Sep 14th, 2004 Link

so should i get the JCW suspension or the h-sport?

PRICE is a factor!

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dan Sep 14th, 2004 Link

that price seems too low for coilovers…consider H&R's run over $1200 for the MINI…

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Gabe Sep 14th, 2004 Link

I think this is an effort by MINI and JCW to keep prices a bit more competitive.

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Steve Stein Sep 14th, 2004 Link

We did a timed trial through the course in both the S and the S with the Works and suspension kit. In my group everyone took off between 2 and 3 seconds in the 2nd trial. In my first trial I hit one cone. In my second the car felt like glue and when we came to the stopping point and nailed the brakes (lost points if you went too far) I sat there and just said – WOW! Awsome experience.

Regards… Steve

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CA Sep 14th, 2004 Link

Same for me, I shaved 3.5 seconds off the time with the JCW kits. I cannot guess what it would have been should I have had a few more cracks at the course. I was able to miss any cones, helping keep my time. Steve, it was an awesome experience, you are right.

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Gabe Sep 14th, 2004 Link

I love this… I should have made this an MA exclusive thread :)

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Tony K Sep 15th, 2004 Link

Funny how many MAs are on this site. I brought my time down from a 44 to a 41 with the JCW car. I was hard to feel the difference in the suspension because we didn't know how much of a difference the 18″ wheels were making. MINI also said that a JCW Brake kit is on the way. I think that all of us MAs would agree that the PT Cruiser and Beetle are not great auto-x'ers.

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michael Boice Sep 15th, 2004 Link

Hey Steve, if you are reading this; I just picked up my MCS two days ago. I'm awaiting the 05 JCW kit, but I wonder, can you get the suspension kit too? I have no problem installing the suspension kit myself, by the way.

Michael

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Steve M. Sep 15th, 2004 Link

Hey all,

Having a neighbor with an earlier MCS I was bitten by the MINI bug so in August I bought the Works – an MC40/JCWS from BMW of San Francisco. No regrets regarding the performance or the price paid. simply a blast to drive on any road, and I've yet to get it to the track (just reached break-in miles). However, being one who tries to keep up with the latest and the fastest I now want to FULLY upgrade the car with all JCW has to offer to date – suspension, gears, breaks – you name it.

What do I need that I don't already have to update this car's performance?

And is it standard practice to omit the 18in JCW wheels from the MC40 car?

Thanks,

Steve M.

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dan Sep 15th, 2004 Link

Suspension upgrades are more than just stiffening the car – the can drastically alter the handling if done correctly. I know of one MCS owner who put a full coilover system on and he felt the car rode like a dream – not harsh at all. Take the runflats off and you peel another layer of the factory harshness off…..

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Greg Sep 15th, 2004 Link

I did a search on MINI2 and got these numbers for labor: 4 hours for springs/shocks; 7.5 hours for springs/shocks/bars.

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RittsMC40 Sep 16th, 2004 Link

do the springs lower the car at all?

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Gabe Sep 17th, 2004 Link

Yes – 10mm.

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William Grisaitis Sep 19th, 2004 Link

So if I bought a MCS with the JCW suspension and/or the LSD, would it be pointless to go with the sport package (which has the DSC – Dynamic Stability Control)?

It seems like the DSC helps with the traction as does the LSD.

-Will

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mr-mini Sep 19th, 2004 Link

For those complaining about ride harshness, start by swapping the factory runflats for normal tires. the ride will improve drastically. this should be done before going on to other suspension mods.

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Apex Sep 21st, 2004 Link

Another MA here who drove in MN. The suspension was noticeably stiffer (therefore better suited for track duty.) There are a few things that people need to remember when reading our posts when considering purchase of these springs. One: the cars we drove back to back were an '05 S (with sport package) and in '05 JCW S (with the suspension). However, the JCW car also had the 18″ JCW wheels. Nice looking, and nice to drive the car with them , but it was not good for comparing the JCW suspension to the Sport suspension as wheel and tire dynamics play a large part in that. Two: I would be hard pressed to give a customer a real answer as to if the suspension is too hard to everyday driving since we only drove the car on the autocross course for 1 lap (while trying to get the best time) so we were only driving the car for less than 40 seconds. That all said, It seams like a good kit for someone who wants a little more for the track. But, that is all I can say. I do not feel like I have had enough “seat time” to give any more information than that. Unfortunately. So even though we have technically driven a car with this set-up, we certainly do not know how it behaves on the street, or how it is to “live with”.

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