[Professor Peach]

I've specced my new Cooper S with 17 inch Web alloys and sports suspension. I'm slightly intrigued that this is an optional extra, not standard (although there is no charge for it with the Chili pack).

My question is, given the low profile run flat tyres and the fact that it's a small car, is sport suspension going to give too hard a ride?

I have always specced "sport" suspension in previous cars and I do prefer a firm "keyed in" ride, but hopefully not a boneshaker!

What do we think?

[KPKalle]

If possible you should try a test drive of both - with and without. Personally I have 17" wheels and sports suspension and find the ride just fine

[Adit]

Quote: Originally Posted by KPKalle (original)

If possible you should try a test drive of both - with and without. Personally I have 17" wheels and sports suspension and find the ride just fine

Would recommend exactly as above as well and I have the 17" with Sports Suspensions and like the ride....

[NeuroBeaker]

It depends on what the roads are like near you. I had 15" wheels and standard suspension - later I added Koni FSD shocks to soften the ride further, as there are a heck of a lot of potholes and rough patches on the roads here in Glasgow!

For round here, I'd say that'd be much too unforgiving. For other places with smoother roads, it'd be a fantastic combination.

All the best,
Andrew.

[drb5]

I'm fairly close to Andrew, but we have 18" R105 with the 205/40 tyres and standard S suspension and i find it VERY nice. Any stiffer suspension and i dare say i'd be finding a lot more teeth clenching incidents.

[Tommo]

I have 17's and SS on my R56 S and I'm amazed how good the ride is. Don't get me wrong it's no Rolls Royce but at least it rides over bumps. As KPKalle says try to get a test drive of both as it's all subjective ! I like it but my last two cars have been an Ibiza Cupra tdi and an Integra type R so to be honest I reckon even the JCW setup would feel good to me !

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by ARCrawford (original)

It depends on what the roads are like near you. I had 15" wheels and standard suspension - later I added Koni FSD shocks to soften the ride further, as there are a heck of a lot of potholes and rough patches on the roads here in Glasgow!

For round here, I'd say that'd be much too unforgiving. For other places with smoother roads, it'd be a fantastic combination.

All the best,
Andrew.

Quote: Originally Posted by drb5 (original)

I'm fairly close to Andrew, but we have 18" R105 with the 205/40 tyres and standard S suspension and i find it VERY nice. Any stiffer suspension and i dare say i'd be finding a lot more teeth clenching incidents.

Oh, whoops - hold up! I've only just this moment realised this is a Second Generation MINI thread.

My MINI is First Generation. My apologies, please disregard my earlier post.

You'll be wanting to listen to drb5 about rough roads rather than me, as I'm not sure the ride between the two generations is comparable.

Sincerely,
Andrew.

[Professor Peach]

As ever, thanks all. This is where this site really scores for me at the moment, being able to tap directly into owners experiences with the car. I've already modified the spec as a direct result of feedback from this site (adding a limited slip diff).

In answer to the suggestions to try a couple of cars, this is the funny thing, I have. The first was a JCW Cooper S on 18's (which if anything should make the ride worse). This rode beautifully (and handled brilliantly!) I checked at the time and was told it had sports suspension.

I later drove a standard Cooper S (just to experience the standard car before ordering as that's what I'd be getting) and noticed two major differences. The first was the abundant torque steer where the JCW car had none (I'm guessing the JCW car might have had a LSD, now added to the spec of mine). But secondly the second car (standard 17 inch wheels with run flats) seemed to hop and bounce a lot more. I wonder now whether the first car (which had JCW wheels, not factory wheels) had run flats, maybe that was the difference.

Anyway, on balance I'm going to stick with the sport suspension I think, and keep my fingers crossed it's ok.

Any more comments or advice gratefully received though, if anyone has any more to add on the subject.

[jasonite]

Can you try testing a non-JCW without sports suspension? Comparing that to a non-JCW with sports suspension might give you a better comparison.

I've got the sports suspension with 17" all-season runflats and crown spoke wheels, and although I love the look, the car does ride rather harshly. I don't mind for myself except on the larger bumps when I'm scared a tire might blow and cost me $350 a pop! Literally. But passengers have noted how harsh the ride is (they love the car anyway )

[drb5]

My R105's still have the run-flats and although the ride is "bouncy" it's no bouncier than with the 16" wheels with run-flats.

I prefer bouncy to crashy....been there done that.

Why not get the standard suspension and if you want, later on get the JCW suspension?

[TheBigNewt]

It's the tires that make the car ride harshly (runflats more than non), and the wheel size (18" more harsh than 16"). The sport suspension adds 1mm thicker antisway bars front and rear, that's about it, so it's not going to ride more harshly. The springs and dampers are basically the same.

[Professor Peach]

Ah that's interesting, thank you.

I did wonder about the run flats, I've heard not too good things about them.

Would the John Cooper Works wheels come with run flats? I'm wondering if they were normal tyres and that's why that car rode much better.

[kevkbuk]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheBigNewt (original)

The sport suspension adds 1mm thicker antisway bars front and rear, that's about it, so it's not going to ride more harshly. The springs and dampers are basically the same.

This has been debated on this site before, I really don't think the sway bars are the only difference. My car has SS and 17" Crowns with runflats, and I've driven a car with non SS and 18" JCWs with runflats. My car rode a lot firmer (but in a good way..) than the non SS, you could feel it in all situations, not just cornering so I think it has at least difference spring rates.

[kevkbuk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Professor Peach (original)

I did wonder about the run flats, I've heard not too good things about them.

Would the John Cooper Works wheels come with run flats? I'm wondering if they were normal tyres and that's why that car rode much better.

The JCW wheels come with runflats as standard, but you should be able to specify another type I would guess. The car I tested had 18" Bridgestone runflats, and they did seem to give a little more grip than my 17" Dunlop runflats, can't comment fairly on the difference in ride quality due to the suspension differences.

Also the JCW tuning kit does smooth the torque delivery just a little, and seems to suffer less torque steer than the standard car. I experienced it on my own car and others have posted about it also.

My SS with 17s doesn't crash at all, it can get bumpy over really bad roads at speed, but if they are that bad you should slow down anyways! I think the heavy alloys and runflats are probably to blame. I will be changing to non runflats if I keep the car long enough.

[kevkbuk]

Quote: Originally Posted by drb5 (original)

Why not get the standard suspension and if you want, later on get the JCW suspension?

Because the SS is a no cost option and the JCW kit is around £1000 fitted.

[drb5]

Christ! Didn't think it was THAT expensive.

[Rainbow-Walker]

P.Peach,

Had a test drive in a Cooper S today with SS (tried one a week ago with standard suspension).

The ride was excellent, better than our current cooper with 17"s on. Took it down a bumpy road, and it seemed OK to me. Very compliant, well damped, and less roll that without SS.

We will definitely go for SS now, and if you like your mini to handle reasonably well, I think its a no brainer.

It seemed a little skittish at the limit, but that was probably more my driving than the cars fault.

HTH

RBW.

[Professor Peach]

RBW, that's brilliant, many thanks.

I've decided to stick with sports suspension so your post has reassured me greatly.

I've always gone for sport suspension in the past and prefer a firm ride, just not a bone shaker. Your thoughts confirm what I felt from comments on this board and my own experiences so that's really great.

[Tobes]

I have 17 inch web spokes + sports suspension on mine and very pleased with setup not as hard as i anticipated Get LSD to get the power down !

[Professor Peach]

Yup, already specced LSD!