By The BMW 3 Series has long been hailed as the Ultimate Driving Machine. It’s earned that credit: for over 40 years, BMW has produced their super-saloon in everything from economic, high-mpg four-cylinder trims to hopped-up inline-6 turbo M-sport models. There was even a short period where they put an incredible V8 in the M3, and then decided to never do that again, because… reasons. And then, in 2013, they turned all the coupe and convertible body styles into the BMW 4 Series models and gave some of them all-wheel-drive, because… reasons again. But is it really the Ultimate Driving Machine if they have to change it every five years? If you’re not sure about your Ultimate Driving Machine’s handling characteristics and want to make a dramatic change, a coilover kit is a great start. Coilovers can change both the ride behavior and the style of your BMW 3 or 4 Series. Like any performance car with wide aftermarket support, there are many different styles out there. Some owners are going for full-on Nurburgring-special M4 hardtops, while others are turning their BMW 330i four-doors into stanced-out VIP builds with giant wheels and a ton of camber.
Why coilovers?
Whatever setup you’re going for, the most complete overhaul of your car’s suspension system is a coilover suspension kit. These kits include replacement dampers, springs, and mounting hardware, rather than a set of springs alone. This more advanced suspension system allows for adjustable ride height and dampening as well as other fine tuning. This allows for decreases in body roll, better ride, and smoother transitions in corners.
The first part of selecting a set of coilovers is to figure out how and where you’ll be driving. Are you looking for a system for street use, or for high-performance driving experiences and track days? Time attack, drifting, and drag racing all benefit from different components. Manufacturers may offer unique systems for several of the areas listed, or have a single product targeted at one of the driving modes mentioned.
As always, when you consider making any changes to your suspension, the factor you need to consider first is the tires. They are the vehicle’s only direct link to the road. The coilover kit you select should be one tuned to the type of tires that you’ll be using. For example, street coilovers take best advantage of ultra-high performance summer tires. Performance coilover systems designed for track use are more aggressive to pair with slicks or DOT-R tires. These tend to ride tighter than most people will be comfortable with on the street.
For track days, a set of moderately-priced coilovers, combined with larger diameter sway bars with adjustable links are a great starting point. As you learn the characteristics of the car over laps and laps of track driving you can begin to make adjustments – one at a time – to optimize the set-up to your car, tires, and driving style.
So What Should I get?
For the BMW ¾ Series, coilover kits are available from a ton of reputable, high-profile brands. When you’re looking for a coilover kit, remember that the ¾ Series had a facelift in 2015/16 that altered the front suspension geometry. Additionally, the xDrive versions of the BMW 3 Series sedan and 4 Series coupe are slightly different. All the kits listed here are for the earlier rear-wheel drive models without electronic suspension (2012-early 2016), but similar kits are available for the LCI facelift models and all-wheel-drive trim levels.
BC Racing makes one of the most popular kits for the BMW ¾ Series. Their BR series coilover offers 30 levels of adjustable damper preload. This can give you a lower ride height than stock, a low center of gravity, and less wheel well gap. The BR series coilovers are designed for road and light track use, so if you want to get some style points on your daily commute and a little more control up in the hills after work.
If you’re looking for flatter cornering and more precise tuning for HPDE or autocross, check out aFe Power’s Featherlight coilover suspension kit. These coilovers are lighter than the standard suspension and offer 24 levels of adjustable compression and rebound damping with just one touch. With these, you can be ready for the street or the track with just a few minutes on a jack to change your preload.
If you want good handling on a tighter budget, the Bilstein B14 PSS kit offers enough flexibility for a dual-duty road and track setup without breaking the bank. If you’re just looking to daily your car to and from work and go to the occasional car show or autocross event, this is a great way to bump up your handling performance and get some low while still keeping your ¾ Series comfortable and safe on the road.
Many drivers won’t reach the limits of their stock suspension setup, and it’s important to make the distinction for yourself of needing an upgrade versus wanting one. Coilover setups are a significant undertaking, and the most drastic change to your vehicle’s performance short of completely altering the suspension geometry. If you’re looking for the ultimate in ride height adjustment and handling tunability for your BMW 3 Series or BMW 4 Series, coilovers are the right place to go. For coilover kits and more, check out the Motoroso Marketplace!
