BMW Z3 M Roadster – once mocked, underestimated by many, and now highly sought after. Our KW specialist dealer Streetec (https://streetec.net/) installed a KW coilover suspension in the roadster on behalf of a customer, as the BMW Z3 M Roadster has a lot to offer under its beautiful, long hood.
Back then, BMW M crammed the S50B32, the 3.2-liter M straight-six engine with 321 horsepower, into the roadster. With this power, the nimble two-seater accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and, with a top speed of 250 km/h, even Jason Statham would get a blow-dry with the top down.
Streetec recommended our KW V1 coilover suspension to its customer, one of our best-selling applications. Why? It simply impresses with its perfect balance of sporty, harmonious tuning and residual driving comfort, as well as its price-performance ratio.
Although the dampers are not adjustable in either the compression or rebound stages, our “entry-level coilover kit” still ensures modern handling for the BMW Z3 M Roadster. This is because we designed our KW V1 coilover kit differently from the original M suspension.
Although our KW V1 provides greater support and stabilization for the Z3 M Roadster body during fast cornering, the handling is not noticeably stiffer despite the lowered suspension. Some of our customers even find the KW V1 a little more comfortable. This is because we always design our coilover kits from the Street Performance series and our KW Classic applications to be as firm as necessary and as comfortable as possible.
In addition, despite maximum lowering, our coilover suspension systems have the same spring travel as a standard suspension system, and in some cases, this spring travel can even be longer than the standard version. As part of the expert opinion, the KW V1 coilover suspension allows for a lowering of 30 to 60 millimeters on the front axle and 20 to 50 millimeters on the drive axle of the Z3 M Roadster.
This corresponds roughly to the M Roadster’s lower M suspension, which has a depth of up to 45 millimeters at the front and up to 35 millimeters at the rear. The M suspension also differs from the suspension of the standard BMW Z3 with different dampers, stabilizers, and wishbones.
That’s why only the KW V1 for the Z3 M Roadster is truly suitable for the BMW Z3 M Roadster. If you drive the standard Z3 Roadster, please provide our specialist dealers with the exact vehicle code of your Z3 so the correct suspension can be ordered.
For the Z3 M Roadster and, of course, the Z3 M Coupé, we offer the KW V1, KW V2, and KW V3 coilover kits, as well as the KW V3 Clubsport with parts certificate for track day enthusiasts. The KW Classic Line coilover kits are also available as an option—more information can be found here: (click link). These differ from the other KW coilover suspension kits only in their black springs and black spring plates.
All KW coilover kits – V1, V2, and V3 – give the BMW Z3 M Roadster sporty, harmonious handling. The tested adjustment range for lowering is also the same for all three coilover kits. The differences are, on the one hand, that the rear axle dampers on the KW V1 and KW V2 are made of black steel alloy, while on the KW V3 we use stainless steel for the rear axle dampers. With the KW V3 Clubsport suspension, the focus is on regular driving on race tracks rather than everyday driving comfort.
On our KW blog, we have published a short buying guide explaining the differences between KW V1, KW V2, and KW V3 using a BMW 4 Series (G2x series) as an example. Click here for the buying guide (click LINK).
Photo Streetec, KW
