JCW Sport Suspension Official Information

This week MINI has officially released the JCW Sport Suspension and we have some exclusive details on what makes up the kit. The timing could not be better as our first review of the kit was also posted today and already there are questions surrounding it. It’s the official details that are in demand. So we’re here to comply. Here’s the official release from MINI USA:

Aftersales is pleased to announce the release of the John Cooper Works Sport Suspension for the MY07 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S hardtop.

The John Cooper Works Sport Suspension for the 2007 Cooper and Cooper S is designed to give ambitious, sporty drivers an exciting, yet safe driving experience. The tighter sporty chassis tuning combined with the lower ride height of the car creates a fantastic feel behind the wheel. To create an optical effect distinguishes the suspension tuning, the coil springs have a red finish.

The Sport Suspension kit includes four McPherson strut shock absorbers, two stabilizer bars and the required mounting parts. The coil springs need to be ordered separately, depending on the options installed on the individual vehicle.

Sales features/Benefits

The targets for the development of the John Cooper Works Sport Suspension have been:

• Increased cornering
• Improved traction
• Reduced roll angle in corners

To achieve these targets, stiffer springs are the heart of the sport suspension kit to lowering the center of gravity. The shock absorbers are customized for these stiffer springs, with a shorter piston rod and a special control valve assembly. This combination allows improved road holding in combination with enough ride comfort for the day-to-day driving. The excellent coordination between the front and rear axle damping, combined with the stabilizer bars, reduces lateral roll of the vehicle body and provides a more dynamic and sporty driving experience.

The shorter and tighter coil springs lower the car by 10mm compared to the optional MINI Cooper S sport suspension. The reduced ride height is obviously visible, giving the car, especially in combination with the JCW Aerokit, a significantly sportier and aggressive look. Why only 10mm lower? The John Cooper Works Sport Suspension has not been developed for a smooth racetrack. It has been developed to deliver enhanced cornering speed on different road surfaces, like twisting mountain roads. That is the main reason why the car has been lowered by just 10mm. As the main development targets, it was important that even with the improved road holding, the suspension had to deliver an acceptable amount of comfort. The John Cooper Works Sport Suspension also harmonizes perfectly with the MINI DSC system. This is another unique feature of this suspension kit. Cars with aftermarket suspensions with extremely lowered ride height may lose traction on uneven surfaces which can lead to interruptions of the smooth operation of the DSC system.

To improve the steering response and get even more precise handling, we recommend the combination of the sport suspension with 18″ John Cooper Works Wheels. In addition, the large wheels together with the lowered ride height deliver an impressive custom look.

Depending on the option a customer has chosen for his/her MINI, the weight differs from car to car. Given these differences, there is a benefit of the JCW Sport Suspension Kit over most aftermarket kits: The possibility to use different springs to adopt the suspension to the MINI, depending on the actual weight of the car.

Parts Information:

(ITEM PART NUMBER M.S.R.P.)

• John Cooper Works Sport Suspension 33 50 0 429 708 $ 875.00
• Coil Spring front (1) 31 33 6 782 728 $ 105.00
• Coil Spring front (1) 31 33 6 782 729 $ 105.00
• Coil Spring front (1) 31 33 6 782 730 $ 105.00
• Coil Spring rear (1) 33 53 6 782 731 $ 105.00
• Coil Spring rear (1) 33 53 6 782 732 $ 105.00
• Coil Spring rear (1) 33 53 6 782 733 $ 105.00

(1) Part number is for one spring. Two front and two rear springs are required for a complete installation.

Related:

[ MF Review: R56 JCW Sport Suspension ] MotoringFile