2nd Gen R56 Cooper S R56 MCS sport suspension vs standard suspension

I see that you can get the red JCW Suspension Spring kit now. Lowers the car by 12mm.

JCE Suspension Spring Kit

ESC Tuning has them for $94 each.

Seams like an interesting mod.

 

The description and MINI Genuine UK says that you have to specify the build of your car when you order so that they can match the spring rate to weight etc. I think that's a bit of crap. When you order the whole JCW Sport Suspension kit I haven't seen where there's a option for different spring rates.

Here's the write-up from the site:

JCW Suspension Spring Kit - R56
A set of 4 matched suspension springs for your MINI.

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.

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

The shorter and tighter coil springs lower the car by 12mm 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.

We need to order these to chassis number and spec of vehicle as there are many different spring rates for different overall weights of car eg. A sunroof weighs is approx an extra 50kg over standard so requires stiffer springs etc.

Hmmm

 

No, it's true. There is no explicit "option" for different spring rates; they take your VIN number and they choose the springs according to options (weight) that were specified in the factory build. Actually MINI does this for all OEM springs (standard or sport), not just the JCW.

 

Cool. I wonder if ESC Tuning does that if you order the springs from them. I'll have to give them a call.