Installed KW VARIANT 3 Coilovers (e66)

Hey guys, I know we were talking about suspensions a few weeks ago, and I just wanted to report my findings on the KW VARIANT 3 Coilover system. We ordered the system directly from Germany and it arrived in about 5 days. Upon inspection of the packaging I was surprised to find TUV certficates in the box!! Also the coilovers themselves are a site to behold. The system has independent adjustments for height / dampening / rebound.

FYI, there is no conflict between these coilovers and any of the oem systems (DSC / DTC / etc etc)

I'll just break it down in Ride Height / Handling / Comfort sections

RIDE HEIGHT
I personally can't stand the look of a non lowered e65 / e66, especially when it has 22" wheels (I feel the same way about 6 series with 20-22"). The car kinda takes on the appearance of "nice wheels with car on top" rather than just "nice car". We set the ride height down to about 2.5-2.7" lowering with a slight rake (front lower than rear). The car truly looks badass in person. It has the sporty character that BMW's should have.

HANDLING
I have always said that this car handles exceptionally well bone stock. Well the best just got better!! This thing is just so damn secure its absurd!! The car simply will not stop hugging the road, lane changes are much crisper, entry/exit speeds through curves are higher, etc etc. Its truly funny to outrun a stock suspension e46 M3 in a huge boat simply because the other guy doesn't feel comfortable with some curves!

COMFORT
We installed them on Friday, so we set the height first which took all day. We didnt finish until about 12am so I didnt have the energy to fiddle with the dampening / rebound settings, BIG MISTAKE. These things come set at full stiff, so lets just say when you buy your KW coils, adjust them to full soft and work your way up the stiffness scale! We adjusted them on Saturday and its great now. These cars are not pillow soft bone stock, so the coils feel 99% identical on decent roads. Of course major potholes and things are more pronounced (dont forget the 30 and 25series tires!), but nothing absurd at all. The best thing is the car is well damped so there is no bouncing or hopping or any things of that sort.

We also installed the 22" wheels and they are 9.5 front 10.5 rear with 3.5 / 5" lips and are very reasonably priced at less than 4,000.00 wheels and tires.

I hope this helps and of course if you guys have any questions, feel free to ask

PICS ARE FROM SUNDAY (very cloudy), BUT THEY GIVE AN IDEA

Dammnn!!! That's so hot!!. SO LOWW!!!
Can you sponsor my car or give me a great deal

This advertisement appears to be posted in the wrong place since that incredibly ugly car is a 7er. The wheels are absolutely horrible. As I've often observed, it's like wearing tennis shoes with a tux and having a sign saying LOOK AT ME!!!!! And the lowering? Well, the pants are obviously too short and the white socks are showing, too.

Dreadful. You have got to be kidding. Maybe a pimp or a drug dealer would like this look but please . . .

And what does the trash on this car do to its handling, ride and cornering. I suspect the proud owner has no idea, and could care less.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I don't think this is an improvement.

Can you move the ad, please?

Originally Posted by Malibubimmer

This advertisement appears to be posted in the wrong place since that incredibly ugly car is a 7er. The wheels are absolutely horrible. As I've often observed, it's like wearing tennis shoes with a tux and having a sign saying LOOK AT ME!!!!! And the lowering? Well, the pants are obviously too short and the white socks are showing, too.

Dreadful. You have got to be kidding. Maybe a pimp or a drug dealer would like this look but please . . .

And what does the trash on this car do to its handling, ride and cornering. I suspect the proud owner has no idea, and could care less.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I don't think this is an improvement.

Can you move the ad, please?

Do me a favor man, I have consistently and politely responded to every nasty remark of yours, but please stop it. If you read the first sentence of the thread it says that we were previously discussing coilovers and springs and other suspension options for the e63 and I said I would share when we got the e65 versions installed.

Now if you dont like the car, thats fine you are entitled to your opionion however I find your remarks to be needlessly harsh and immature. It is enough to say "hey I dont like that car" and be done with it. The colorful analogies and suggestive comments are not necessary. I have observed many of your posts, and it is quite obvious that YOU DO NOT LIKE ANY SORT OF CHANGE TO YOUR CAR, thats fine I can certainly respect that. Why not afford those that like mods the same respect? You have not one modification done to your e63 so why do you constantly conjecture as to the effectiveness of modifications you know absolutely nothing about? I am not concerned with what you may have done in the past or if you tinker on classic cars, thats all well and great. This topic is about 2 things: KW COILOVERS and e63/65 vehicles, the fact that you own no combination of the aforementioned renders your opinion no factual basis, since you are just LOOKING at the items and GUESSING what they MUST be doing to the cars!

We are all adults here and can agree to disagree, and newsflash, this is a forum where people can SHARE different sorts of information and review various parts, even if a person never purchases the item, at least they have some info on it from someone that uses/owns it. Thats the great thing about forums, increased info.

As I have previously offered, if you would like to discuss the finer details and argue your points on PM thats fine, but I prefer to keep the public posts respectful and mature, so lets keep the needless attacks to a minimum.

Have a great day my friend.

Thanks for sharing the information. The 7 series looks very nice. The wheels pop really well against the white paint.

Originally Posted by D2-AUTOSPORT

Do me a favor man, I have consistently and politely responded to every nasty remark of yours, but please stop it. If you read the first sentence of the thread it says that we were previously discussing coilovers and springs and other suspension options for the e63 and I said I would share when we got the e65 versions installed.

Now if you dont like the car, thats fine you are entitled to your opionion however I find your remarks to be needlessly harsh and immature. It is enough to say "hey I dont like that car" and be done with it. The colorful analogies and suggestive comments are not necessary. I have observed many of your posts, and it is quite obvious that YOU DO NOT LIKE ANY SORT OF CHANGE TO YOUR CAR, thats fine I can certainly respect that. Why not afford those that like mods the same respect? You have not one modification done to your e63 so why do you constantly conjecture as to the effectiveness of modifications you know absolutely nothing about? I am not concerned with what you may have done in the past or if you tinker on classic cars, thats all well and great. This topic is about 2 things: KW COILOVERS and e63/65 vehicles, the fact that you own no combination of the aforementioned renders your opinion no factual basis, since you are just LOOKING at the items and GUESSING what they MUST be doing to the cars!

We are all adults here and can agree to disagree, and newsflash, this is a forum where people can SHARE different sorts of information and review various parts, even if a person never purchases the item, at least they have some info on it from someone that uses/owns it. Thats the great thing about forums, increased info.

As I have previously offered, if you would like to discuss the finer details and argue your points on PM thats fine, but I prefer to keep the public posts respectful and mature, so lets keep the needless attacks to a minimum.

Have a great day my friend.

Your post here is nothing more than blatant advertising. The pictures are of a 745i, not a 6er. There's a place to post your advertising. You know where it is.

And, by the way, that car is dreadful. Cheap. Sleazy. Tacky.

Originally Posted by Malibubimmer

This advertisement appears to be posted in the wrong place since that incredibly ugly car is a 7er. The wheels are absolutely horrible. As I've often observed, it's like wearing tennis shoes with a tux and having a sign saying LOOK AT ME!!!!! And the lowering? Well, the pants are obviously too short and the white socks are showing, too.

Dreadful. You have got to be kidding. Maybe a pimp or a drug dealer would like this look but please . . .

And what does the trash on this car do to its handling, ride and cornering. I suspect the proud owner has no idea, and could care less.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I don't think this is an improvement.

Can you move the ad, please?

give some respect men! There is nothing wrong with what D2 has posted.

Originally Posted by Malibubimmer

Your post here is nothing more than blatant advertising. The pictures are of a 745i, not a 6er. There's a place to post your advertising. You know where it is.

And, by the way, that car is dreadful. Cheap. Sleazy. Tacky.

#1 D2 is a paid sponsor, he's entitled
#2 Since we all discussed coilovers a week or so ago, D2 included.. it's relevant

If you don't like it, fine... but the theme of your replies is growing old. If you don't like a modification, simply state that "it's not for me" and move along. Adding commentary only throws fuel on the flame.

Thanks D2, I appreciate your post. When my tires go, which I suspect will happen in the next 12 months, I plan on upgrading to either 20" RD-Sport RS2-F or the RD-Sport RS2F-21" Edition wheels. And since I have a non-sport 645Ci Vert, I think I will need to lower it a bit. I found you post to be very helpful.

Originally Posted by Malibubimmer

And, by the way, that car is dreadful. Cheap. Sleazy. Tacky.

Like I said, I dont think that type of commentary is required, but its a free country and if you choose to conduct yourself in that manner, then so be it. I am not going to engage in such behavior so I will just end this exchage at thanks for your input and have a great day.

Originally Posted by Tio

Thanks D2, I appreciate your post. When my tires go, which I suspect will happen in the next 12 months, I plan on upgrading to either 20" RD-Sport RS2-F or the RD-Sport RS2F-21" Edition wheels. And since I have a non-sport 645Ci Vert, I think I will need to lower it a bit. I found you post to be very helpful.

Sure not a problem, I figure between this post, plus a few guys / gals from the 6er camp gettting coils, and the guys like BruceWayne that already have springs, we could give a pretty good base of info to help in decision making. Good luck with your ride

Originally Posted by sdbrandon

Thanks for sharing the information. The 7 series looks very nice. The wheels pop really well against the white paint.

Thanks, glad you like it, and yeah I know alot of folks wanted to know about the KW's in real world application (not just company produt literature)

Very nice car.
The egg yolk corners have to go asap!
Tell him to tint them if he cannot get clears.

Originally Posted by D2-AUTOSPORT

Like I said, I dont think that type of commentary is required, but its a free country and if you choose to conduct yourself in that manner, then so be it. I am not going to engage in such behavior so I will just end this exchage at thanks for your input and have a great day.

Just want to go on the record saying that I found your pics and post very informative. There has been an on-going discussion on coilovers here and this is useful input. I doubt I'm changing my wheels or shocks, but am more informed about the subject after reading your post.

love the KW's! is it at the lowest setting in those pix, or can it come down further? also, if you set it at the highest setting, will it be near stock height, or will it still be lower than stock? thanks.

Originally Posted by BruceWayne

Very nice car.
The egg yolk corners have to go asap!
Tell him to tint them if he cannot get clears.

This is my car (I always use my cars to help promote the company at shows and such), so I have to be honest, I kinda like the yellow, especially since they match the sidemarkers. With so much being changed I guess the yellow keep a little of the OEM theme going. I know that sounds odd but oh well! lol

Originally Posted by BigHat

Just want to go on the record saying that I found your pics and post very informative. There has been an on-going discussion on coilovers here and this is useful input. I doubt I'm changing my wheels or shocks, but am more informed about the subject after reading your post.

Thanks very much, its greatly appreciated

Originally Posted by Chosen1

love the KW's! is it at the lowest setting in those pix, or can it come down further? also, if you set it at the highest setting, will it be near stock height, or will it still be lower than stock? thanks.

Yeah man I figured you would like it as we were both on that othe suspension thread 2 weeks back. Glad you approve Actually there is about 30-35% more threads left on the shock body, but any lower than this and the car looks kinda dumb (it has the ricer smushed look). We had it lower on the initial pass and raised it. The overall shock casing is a little shorter so I would say its about .5" lower then OEM (keep in mind this car did NOT have the sport package). I'm willing to wager that if you raised these coils all the way, the stance would be close to that of a e65/66 with the OEM sport package.

1) Malibubimmer is like the wise old owl of the forums. He represents the older generation here. You should expect him to dislike anything "Bling" and the only appropriate response when he gets fiesty is to smile and chuckle a little. He's completely harmless and means nothing personal by it. Just picture your dad or grandpa and what they'd say, with their arms folded and nose all scrunched up. Take his comments in that light. The cool part is, Mal can vehemently rage about an ugly modded car, and the same day will shake your hand with a smile at a FEST. Then proceed to continue saying how much he hates the look. My mom didn't like it when I had long hair either. You get the idea... totally harmless. Nothing personal.

2) I always have a problem when a car is lowered so much that the top of the tire disappears. To me thats too low.

3) Your post was informative regarding the coils. Those are the exact ones that Group5Motorsport guys showed me here in San Diego, and they are the ones I'll be putting on my car. They are the best way to ensure a matching ride quality after lowering the vehicle. I will probably not go AS low as you, but just enough to rest at the top of the tire. I will print out your post and show it to the guys so they have some tips.

Do you have any other tips based on experience that you feel might be useful to the installers who install mine? Sky's the limit - be as detailed as possible, it could save them tons of time and save me tons of money in labor.

-N-

Originally Posted by Nevervana

1) Malibubimmer is like the wise old owl of the forums. He represents the older generation here. You should expect him to dislike anything "Bling" and the only appropriate response when he gets fiesty is to smile and chuckle a little. He's completely harmless and means nothing personal by it. Just picture your dad or grandpa and what they'd say, with their arms folded and nose all scrunched up. Take his comments in that light. The cool part is, Mal can vehemently rage about an ugly modded car, and the same day will shake your hand with a smile at a FEST. Then proceed to continue saying how much he hates the look. My mom didn't like it when I had long hair either. You get the idea... totally harmless. Nothing personal.
-N-

Hey man I appreciate that, and can understand what you are trying to say. I guess it just gets real stale real quick, and also I do not condone rudeness with the blanket justification of old age.

In my opinion these forums are recreational so why not just relax and enjoy, no need for such serious hardline debate. I see lots of things that make me want to puke, but I just click the "back" button and all's well! lol

As far as tips go, the biggest one is above and thats ADJUST THE REBOUND / COMPRESSION!!!! Other than that they are pretty straightforward and the instructions are actually well written (IMO). Also, with a moderate tire size (rather than the 30 and 25series) they would be even more compliant.

Good luck with yours and enjoy.

D2, I like what you've done and the handling you describe? I wants.

If I went this route and kept the stock 19s is there anything I should consider?

Are you aware of a shop in Dallas that can install these? And what is fair labor rate for installation and adjustment?

D2 what up man! Great pic and post. I called you a few weeks back about the 6 you got on your site with the 20's and the KW setup. I went another route...but it was based on your recommendation. Sorry I missed the showcase in Houston...I was inspecting a NASA site in California...my government name is Jeff.