When Shane first brought his M2 to us, it was bone stock. We installed an eibach pro-kit to tastefully lower his car, some H&R Trak+ spacers to flush the stock M2 wheels out, and deleted those unfortunate front and rear reflectors with painted front reflectors from IND Style, and black honeycomb inserts from Acexxon. The car sat nice with its new OEM+ look, but Shane wanted more.
On his next trip, we went big: Shane ordered BC Forged KLS02 wheels in 19×9.5″ and 19×10.5″ in a beautiful brushed gold finish and had us wrap them in Michelin PS4S tires at 255/35/19 and 275/35/19. Wow, what a difference those made. Even on lowering springs, the more aggressive wheel specs made the car look like a whole new ride. Something about black and gold just works, especially when the factory reflectors have been replaced with painted parts.
We were lucky enough to have Shane back in our shop for a third time; now, we’re dialing in his suspension even further.
I agree with Shane’s feelings, the Eibach pro-kit is a great choice to lower your car and get some better handling out of it without breaking the bank. The high build quality means they ride great, too; but for a more aggressive enthusiast, a coilover system might be worth the upgrade. The biggest and most well-known draw of upgrading to coilovers is adjustable height; being able to set your ride height is a huge bonus over static suspension, especially when you want a more aggressive ride height that lowering springs don’t offer. However, there’s more to coilovers than adjustable height.
In a coilover kit, the struts and springs are upgraded (and any bushings/mounts if applicable to the kit), which provides a much more direct driving experience, much better handling, and a more sturdy, quality construction than OEM suspension. Solely upgrading to lowering springs also runs the risk of premature shock and strut wear, as the car will sit lower than the struts and shocks were intended to handle; coilovers solve this by providing struts and shocks made to operate at lower ride heights. Also, in a more extreme enthusiast condition, coilovers provide some of the best performance around the track money can buy. As it happens, Shane loves to track his car. You can read more about the difference between springs and coilovers in our suspension tech blog.
With all of this in mind, Shane made an informed decision to switch from lowering springs to coilovers; to be exact, the KW Variant 3. This system is one of the most aggressive streetable coilover kits that KW makes that provides impressive performance around the track. The V3 doesn’t just offer adjustable height; it offers adjustable rebound and compression, or “bump”, that allows the driver to control the rebound stiffness and shock absorption of each axle independently (though we recommend using the same settings for the entire car of course). Stainless steel construction also ensures longevity of the coilovers by protecting them from rust and corrosion, so bring on the elements!
Once installed, Shane had us set the suspension to a tad bit lower than his lowering springs settled at, with a slightly lower front end to give it that iconic M2 rake. And, I have to say, Shane made a great choice.
Here’s a top-and-bottom comparison of Shane’s M2 on his Eibach Springs and the new KW V3’s.
Shane, thanks so much for trusting us with your M2, and giving us the pleasure of watching it transform from our very own shop. If you like how Shane’s F87 M2 turned out, get in touch with our Sr. Mod Expert Kevin McDonnell, who offered his expertise and suggestions on this M2. He can be reached at (714) 582-3330 x8003 or by email at Kevin@Modbargains.com. You can also contact any one of our team of highly trained and experienced Mod Experts. Each one has a rich history of car modding and can help with mod suggestions, fitment help, and more! To reach our general Mod Expert line call (714) 582-3330 or email Sales@Modbargains.com. We also have live chat available at Modbargains.com during normal business hours.