Released: E9X M3 (and 1M) Bilstein B16 Damptronic (EDC) Coilover Suspension

[saxonb]

Part Number: 49-237108

Series: B16 (DampTronic)
Position: Front and Rear
Descriptor: Front Lowered Height: 10-35mm, up to 1070kg Axle Load
Descriptor: Rear Lowered Height: 10-35mm, up to 1270kg Axle Load
Descriptor: With Electronic Damping Control (EDC)
Quantity Per Vehicle: 1

Finish: Dampers: Zinc Front Yellow Rear/Springs: Blue

The Bilstein B16 DampTronic kit is designed to integrate directly with factory elctronic damping control systems for: Porsche, BMW and Mercedes. These coilover systems feature monotube shock absorbers that have been fine-tuned to produce the finest performance possible from the car's electronically controlled suspension module. The threaded body additionally allows for adjustable lowered vehicle ride height of 30mm to 50mm. Bilstein's patented Triple-C-Technology coating ensures long-lasting resistance to corrosion.

[saxonb]

"Coming soon" in US store: http://cart.bilsteinus.com/product/49-237108/309734/RWD

[saxonb]

Was actually announced back in 2013: http://www.bilstein.de/en-uk/news-ev...ving-dynamics/

[M3ANMACHINE]

Any expected price point?

[M.A.R.C.]

did a quick google search for the part number and found these:

http://www.tomson.com.pl/product-eng...MW-M3-E92.html

http://www.bilstein-shop.com/bilstei...r-p-53804.html

looks to be between 3200-3500 euro which works out to about USD$3600-3900

[m3aviator]

This would be really awesome with the EDC functionality. I'm gonna check with turner today if they can get this and price.

Update: Spoke with turner there are several kits in the US available for purchase. Price is $3600.

[lutfy]

Originally Posted by m3aviator

This would be really awesome with the EDC functionality. I'm gonna check with turner today if they can get this and price.

Update: Spoke with turner there are several kits in the US available for purchase. Price is $3600.

Basically single adjustables... I have the Bilstein Yellow HD (difference between HD and Sport is not the valving but the shortened shaft for lowering). Running it with Eibach sport. Curious to find out the spring rates... likely these are valved differently too.

Lutfy

[ashtaron14]

From Bilstein DE Website, the TUV Cert and Installation Instructions
http://www.dvsegmbh.info/PDF/einbau/...M4-Y611A00.PDF

[FogCityM3]

Wow, this is a nice option to have. Interested to see how aggressively it can be set up and if as good as many D/A systems on the market in terms of fine-tuning.

[oolas3]

Originally Posted by m3aviator

This would be really awesome with the EDC functionality. I'm gonna check with turner today if they can get this and price.

Update: Spoke with turner there are several kits in the US available for purchase. Price is $3600.

Because I want to retain EDC, I never considered coilovers until this came out. Thought I've seen Turner run 10% off Bilstein sales a few times a year in the past.

[lutfy]

Originally Posted by FogCityM3

Wow, this is a nice option to have. Interested to see how aggressively it can be set up and if as good as many D/A systems on the market in terms of fine-tuning.

Dont expect much from these in terms of tuning. Upgrading spring rates (5-10% wont even cut it) north of the 10% marginal stiffness will get the car underdamped. Expect bounciness and rear end looseness (as in float) with stiffer springs. These are nothing but single adjustable shocks with 3 settings (done from inside the cockpit).

Unless you are getting JRZ or Motion Control (even if single adjustable), these shocks are not valved/designed for higher rates and valved to suit the current springs.

Lutfy

[FogCityM3]

Got it...looks like I'll be keeping my TC Kline D/As! thx

Originally Posted by lutfy

Dont expect much from these in terms of tuning. Upgrading spring rates (5-10% wont even cut it) north of the 10% marginal stiffness will get the car underdamped. Expect bounciness and rear end looseness (as in float) with stiffer springs. These are nothing but single adjustable shocks with 3 settings (done from inside the cockpit).

Unless you are getting JRZ or Motion Control (even if single adjustable), these shocks are not valved/designed for higher rates and valved to suit the current springs.

Lutfy

[m3aviator]

Originally Posted by lutfy

Dont expect much from these in terms of tuning. Upgrading spring rates (5-10% wont even cut it) north of the 10% marginal stiffness will get the car underdamped. Expect bounciness and rear end looseness (as in float) with stiffer springs. These are nothing but single adjustable shocks with 3 settings (done from inside the cockpit).

Unless you are getting JRZ or Motion Control (even if single adjustable), these shocks are not valved/designed for higher rates and valved to suit the current springs.

Lutfy

And you have first hand knowledge of your opinion?

[lutfy]

Originally Posted by m3aviator

And you have first hand knowledge of your opinion?

After testing a few different rates on the same B16 kit on a 911S only to realize what comes with the stock ones are matched/valved for it. Yes. Confirmed with TPC Racing as well...

I have info on what the shocks should be re-valved for (sent to Bilsteins to their Motorsports Dept in CA "IF" running higher sprung rates) if anyone wants that data, here goes (I run Bilstein's regular EDC shocks valved from the factory):

When Bilstein quote 300/200, they really mean 3000 Newtons of rebound force at 520 mm/sec and 2000 Newtons of bump force. They are dropping the last zero on the force magnitude. This number is just the force at a very high damper velocity and doesn't necessarily have a lot of meaning without knowing the shape of the curve. They have two standard shapes (linear and digressive).

Unlike the standard EDC yellow shocks, these B16 do not need to have their shaft shortened (will not bottom out but with standard yellows you need to since its not "sport". Only difference between regular yellow and sport is shortened shaft, not the valving).

Full On Race Specs:

Front Rear
3000/3000 2000/2000

Normal sportish dampers:
2200/620 1855/530

For Swift R springs with combined street and track:

2500/1200 2000/1000

At least the later recommendations where all digressive curve shapes; using the EDC inboard button will give you very marginal increase over each button you'd press for compression only (since you are revalved such stiffly in the first place). Rebound stays static. At which point it would be silly to have the EDC functionality in the first place (for which you are paying a premium). Hence best to use the current spring rates. For the money, you are better using JRZ or such IF you want tunability to run stiffer rates at any future point.
Lutfy

[swifty]

Question:
Is anyone here running these yet as I've seen many ppl PM EAS for price quote?

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1153206

If so, please put up a review!

Lufty,
Are you suggesting that it's better to use the springs that come with these coils over the Swift spec R? Are these Bilstein ones Linear and do the come with camber plates?

Would you consider these for the streets over the Ohlins?

[PandaM3]

Originally Posted by swifty

Question:
Is anyone here running these yet as I've seen many ppl PM EAS for price quote?

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1153206

If so, please put up a review!

Lufty,
Are you suggesting that it's better to use the springs that come with these coils over the Swift spec R? Are these Bilstein ones Linear and do the come with camber plates?

Would you consider these for the streets over the Ohlins?

I've had these on my car since July with ground control camber plates.

Haven't had a chance to do a review, but to summarize... They are fantastic!!!

1) in comfort mode my wife thought I raised the car and installed the stock suspension but my car is slightly lower
2) the middle dynamic mode seems to be best for enthusiastic drives around the canyons
3) in the stiffest mode the car feels pretty stiff. Will likely use this setting on glass smooth tracks

[apexkingjusto]

I'd suggest you put them on a shock dyno and see what they are capable of, I've heard the pss9's have an absolutely incredible consistency across all adjustment points! BY THE WAY this is coming from someone who has custom penskes on his race car. Almost positive if I got any coilover for my m3 DD it would be bilstiens.

[lutfy]

Originally Posted by swifty

Lufty,
Are you suggesting that it's better to use the springs that come with these coils over the Swift spec R? Are these Bilstein ones Linear and do the come with camber plates?

Would you consider these for the streets over the Ohlins?

I would NOT change a thing. You are paying top money for an engineered product which is matched! Camber plates if you are going to the track.

Ohlins are great too. Bilsteins have the EDC functionality, comfy for street/track and spring rates for both Ohlins and Bilsteins are fairly low/soft. One can be adjusted from the cockpit other from the outside. Coin toss really.

Lutfy

[swifty]

Originally Posted by lutfy

I would NOT change a thing. You are paying top money for an engineered product which is matched! Camber plates if you are going to the track.

Ohlins are great too. Bilsteins have the EDC functionality, comfy for street/track and spring rates for both Ohlins and Bilsteins are fairly low/soft. One can be adjusted from the cockpit other from the outside. Coin toss really.

Lutfy

Thank you.

The EDC only works for compression only. Can we adjust the rebound manually on the coil itself?

[lutfy]

Originally Posted by swifty

Thank you.

The EDC only works for compression only. Can we adjust the rebound manually on the coil itself?

No. Think of these Bilstein's as single adjustable (1 way with 3 settings) shocks. From my understanding (someone please correct me if I am mistaken) rebound stays static across the 3 settings.

Lutfy

[ebisu8]

Has anyone else put these on their M yet? I'm very close to pulling the trigger on these and was hoping to see a few more responses.

[PandaM3]

A few months late on my initial review so here it is.

My comparison is going to relate to E90 M3 with the B16 Damptronic vs my friends stock F80 M3 with stock EDC suspension.

Prior to this I had my stock EDC dampers paired with the Swift springs so I don't remember what my stock felt like.

comfort: the B16 damptronic feels softer/ more comfortable and at the same time more planted than the stock F80 M3 EDC in comfort mode

Medium: again more comfortable than medium on the F80 M3 yet having better dampening

Stiff: just as stiff as the F80 M3, same comfort, better dampening

Overall it is a huge improvement over the stock F80 M3 so I am assuming it is just that much better than the stock e90 M3 edc.


Depending on the surface you are driving on, you can tailor the settings to give you a ton of grip and stability no matter what the conditions at a push of a button.

On my 2000 mile roadtrip through twisty pacific west mountain roads and bumpy downtown streets around Portland and San Francisco I did not bottom out the suspension. Around San Francisco's rough streets I was dodging in and out of traffic and traveling faster than normal traffic around the inclines and declines without any bottoming out or hitting the bump stops.

In fact although the car sits a little lower than my original setup with swift springs and EDC oem dampers, my wife thought I put the car completely back to stock.

Haven't had a chance to take it on the race track yet... hopefully in the next couple of months... I expect it will do great.

It's not the ultimate track coilover, but it's excellent if you are looking for something for both street and track. Also out here in Socal, not all the tracks have glass smooth surfaces so in which case a high spring rate can actually be detrimental.