By Volkswagen is no stranger to building cool small cars. They invented the segment, more or less– the Volkswagen Golf debuted in 1974 as a replacement for the Beetle, and its layout has been a blueprint for nearly every hot hatch since. They’re still good at it: the MK7 Golf GTI is still the best selling hot hatch in the world, despite stiff competition from the likes of Ford and Hyundai. The MK7 Golf GTI’s pack a ridiculous 230 horsepower and an optional dual clutch DSG gearbox, plus all the creature comforts one could want from a modern family hauler hatchback. The Volkswagen Golf R goes even further, adding a trick all-wheel-drive setup.
There are lots of parts available to make the turbo four-banger even more powerful, but what’s speed if you can’t hold it around corners? Coilovers are a great way to hop up your handling performance and personalize your Golf. Like any car with wide aftermarket support, there are tons of different styles out there: some owners are going for full-on track built Rs, while others are turning their Golf E’s into stanced out lowriders with giant wheels and a ton of camber. Whichever setup is your taste, we’ve got coils for you!
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 lone set of springs. 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 one 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 Where Do I Start?
For the VW Golf, coilover kits are available from a ton of reputable, high-profile brands. BC Racing makes one of the most popular kits for the Golf MK7. Their BR series Coilover offers 30 levels of adjustable damper preload. This can get you a good bit lower than stock, and stays relatively comfortable. The BR series are designed for road and light track use, so if you want to go low on the street these are a great place to start.
If you’re looking for flatter cornering and more tunability for HPDE or autocross, check out the H&R Street Performance Plus package. The Street Performance Plus package comes with four progressive rate coil springs, plated mono-tube shock absorbers, and camber plates to allow for up to 2.5 degrees of negative camber. They’re also German, just like your Golf!
If you want to go as low as low can low, H&R also makes a coilover kit for you. The H&R DEEP coilover kit is as low as you can go on stock suspension architecture, safety is damned. If you’re looking for a way to flex on all the silly people who think 4” drop from stock is a thing that only air suspension can do, this is the one.
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 MK7 Golf, coilovers are the right place to go. For coilover kits and more, check out the Motoroso Marketplace!
