Press Release - June 13, 2011 Öhlins, the highly respected specialists in advanced suspension has released the new benchmark in road-friendly, track-ready coilovers for perennial BMW Mini. As the official suppliers to Prodrive’s latest Countryman WRC, the Swedish firm has enviable experience with the marque dating back to the late 1980’s when Öhlins first entered the road and track market with dampers for the original shape MINI. The result is a kit that offers unrivalled levels of performance, allied to notable levels of comfort. The already capable credentials of Munich’s pint-sized pup, combined with its exquisite chassis, makes it the perfect recipient for the unique features of the Öhlins kit, which finally solves the puzzle of how to achieve a truly comfortable ride from competition-quality units. Both front and rear coilovers are precision-machined from carbon steel and feature full dust and weather protection. With single bleed adjustment, the Öhlins units have inbuilt adjustable platforms and are pre-assembled with 60/50 N/mm springs front and rear respectively. Build quality is exceptional, with flawless anodised detailing and deep, lustrous powder coating. Öhlins’ pioneering dual-flow valve technology means that despite their light weight and slim-line profile, the Road and Track kit responds to road undulations in exactly the same manner as a traditional Macpherson strut set-up. The use of needle valves in the damping unit also means that even when the oil gets hot after a hard session on the circuit or ‘B’ road, the damping rate is kept absolutely consistent, even when the viscosity of the damping fluid changes. The front units arrive pre-assembled with superbly engineered ball-bearing top mounts, whilst the rears bolt directly to the OEM top mounts. This unparalleled quality helps to explain Öhlins 2 year warranty and thanks to their racing heritage, each unit is fully serviceable and even upgradeable, should requirements or car specs change. Height adjustment is achieved by simple adjustment of the precision-machined threaded body and damping and rebound are tweaked simultaneously in one simple twist of the easily accessible knurled knob; allowing the daily commute to be clicked off with limo-style smoothness, but, after a few seconds of adjustment, track days to be dispatched with racecar precision. The racing credentials of this kit are further endorsed through the successful partnership between Öhlins and BMW Motorsport. When BMW replaced the 320i E46 S2000 touring car with the E90 in 2006, they turned to Öhlins and this gave birth to an active development partnership that has led to Öhlins dampers being the preferred choice for their GT/Touring Car Race programme. So it’s no surprise when BMW and Prodrive joined forces that Öhlins was nominated as suspension partners on the MINI Countryman WRC project. The complete kit is priced at £2266.70 + VAT For more information on this kit, visit roadandtrackbyohlins.com.
You would think that with all the time spent in development they would have incorporated adjustable camber for the fronts. Just sayin.....
Twin tube or mono tube? Inverted? Just trying to see how these stack up against JRZ and AST. Moton (just bought by AST) might also become a player in this market.
So $3700. bucks? Plus where do these get shipped from? I guess if you seriously track or are seriously loaded, then yea, they might be an alternative for a daily driver
single adjustable for $3700??????????????? No adjustment for camber or caster? ouch............. For $300 more you can get 2 way adjustable, your choice of springs , camber AND CASTER adjustment.......
I still dont understant the thinking behind not having an non-adjustable top plate in the front. I talked with a rep 6 months ago about these, and there were no future plans to manufacture adjustable plates. Why on earth even include the top plates to begin with then...just a waste of time and resources IMO. Personally, i couldnt get over the price, especially when i was offered my set of ASTs. IMO ASTs have got something going on... Really nice to see Ohlins making efforts into 4 wheeled creations of all kinds though. In the 2 wheel world, they are THE company to get suspension from. It is also easy to swallow their higher pricing when you are buying only one shock...
Im working on building caster camber plates for minis but i still dont think i should have to build or buy a set for shocks at this price.
It is a common price point in the higher end shocks/struts/coilovers, which is exactly what the Ohlins are. AST, KW, Moton, Bilsteins all have coilovers that are the same cost, but personally i am not a driver that in-tune with my car to tell the difference between the lower level AST, and something like a Moton. IMO You SHOULD have to pay this price for the performance they offer a very capable driver.
The latest R&T kits are still assembled in Japan but are a huge step up from the earlier models (the previous DFV and PCV models, which were still good). I think Ohlins got the picture. Better, more Swedish valving. Build quality is a lot better and a lot more consistent. We've sold a lot of EVO kits and done a few installs....definitely a step up from before, which again, was pretty nice. You could get them for that much money from England.....or you could get them through Ohlins USA or any respected Ohlins USA dealer for about $2799 like its listed on their site. They are monotubes, inverted front and rear (adjusters on bottom). Excellent valving. I like AST and I put these ahead of them. It is definitely silly they don't come with camber plates. The supplied ones would go in the trash and I'd get plates on my own. - drew