The BMW 3.0 CSL launched the company’s now 50-year racing and sales success story with its M-division cars. This car started it all and gave rise to true performance legends, past and present, from the M1 and M5 E28 of the late ’70s to contemporary iterations that culminate in the fastest accelerating BMW ever—the F90 M5 CS.
Today’s M cars use BMW’s adaptive suspension to hone in on all that power. This is the company’s take on adjustable suspension on both front and rear axles, provided by electromagnetically-controlled valves in the shocks to stiffen or soften the ride. The setup can be tuned to balance out road imperfections for maximum comfort or with the damping set to Sport and Sport+ modes, direct steering feel, and reduced body roll for outright handling and speed on the racetrack.
Taking Your BMW to the Next Level
The allure that drives enthusiasts to the M-series cars is the high level of engineering that translates to pure driving fun. The rear-wheel drive and front-engine setup are what BMW has brought to near perfection. But this too can be improved.
Revised modular suspension from UK company MSS for all M cars takes the already superb handling and ride quality to levels never seen before. And it’s not just the M cars that reap the rewards. Drivers can find MSS parts for BMW vehicles in all engine variants.
What’s the Story Behind MSS?
UK-based MSS, or Modular Suspension Solutions, was formed in 2013 by engineer and driving enthusiast William Blankson in collaboration with German suspension giant Eibach. Blankson is behind the innovative idea of dual-stacked, triple-rated springs, a modular suspension setup that provides the best of both worlds – handling, control, and performance when needed, and comfort and safety in everyday driving.
The company produces modular suspension for an ever-increasing range of vehicles and is available in three states of tune –Urban, Sport, and Track.
What Makes This Brand Different?
While there are other stacked spring solutions on the market, Modular Suspension Solutions are one step ahead of the rest. The modular design can fit in the stock spring location, with spring sizes tailored for specific makes and models (including the entire BMW model range).
Another reason is the triple spring rates that combine the predictability and consistency of traditional linear springs with the imposing handling performance and adjustable compression rates seen in dual rate and progressive springs. The stacked design (and connecting coupler) then functions as a three-in-one suspension solution tailored to soak up road imperfections in all types of driving.
The innovative solution provides comfort on all surfaces and a reduced roll and pitch to keep the car stable at all speeds. The car can engage corners sharper, brake later, and accelerate faster.
The Modular Suspension Solutions Technology Explained
Blankson uses the speaker system analogy to explain how the stacked spring arrangement works. This compares the separate springs to the frequency ranges handled by the tweeters in high-frequency ranges, the mid-woofers for the mids, and the subwoofers for the bass.
The lower-rated (orange) springs in the stacked arrangement are the tweeters and tend to have smaller road imperfections. The middle springs (bigger and thicker orange springs rated for as little as 300 pounds per inch) are the mids and are designed to handle medium road unevenness. Lastly, the heavy-duty (black) springs rated for over 2500 pounds can handle major road imperfections such as potholes, speed bumps, and curbs.
The setup allows for stability during high-speed cornering and braking and is largely attributed to the work of the mid and dual-rated black springs. The latter is short and stiff and, depending on the tune, up to 10 times that of orange springs.
Ride comfort over stock is also noticeably better. Road unevenness and imperfections are largely soaked up by the lower-rated and medium-sprung orange springs. This is in most driving situations. The role of the black springs here is to shore up the other two with the higher compression rate and stiffness.
MSS also warrants that your BMW will display less rear axle squat during hard acceleration and keep the car composed. The same applies to nosediving when braking hard, minimizing load transfer from the rear to the front axle. Both squat and dive are nulled with the higher compression in the dual-rate black spring. The car remains as level as possible, meaning more traction through all four tires.
The Brand’s Lineup for BMW
You’ll find MSS parts for BMW regardless of the model you drive. The company offers its stacked spring arrangement in two states of tune – SUV and Performance.
MSS SUV/ MSS Urban
Transitioning to SUVs doesn’t mean drivers need to settle for mediocre driver dynamics. The company has manufactured aftermarket suspension systems specifically designed to improve the ride quality and comfort in everyday urban settings and humble the harsh ride on rougher roads.
The setup improves handling, stability, and traction retains the functionality of the electronically adjustable settings, and has the added benefit of being fully ride-height adjustable. Complete kits include ride controllers (black springs) and ride enhancers (orange springs) for rear and front axles and are available for both standard X-series and XM models.
MSS Performance – Sport and Track
Standard M models are treated to performance packs with different personalities. The MSS Sport suspension tune improves on the already highly-capable stock suspension (in the latest G-series cars, anyway), allowing even more spirited driving and using all the push and pull from the engine. The car remains stable and level during high-speed cornering and late braking. Compared to the stock springs and other aftermarket options, comfort is significantly better without compromising performance and poise when you put your foot down.
If you’re after the best this brand offers, get an MSS Track suspension setup. This has enough comfort on drives to the track but unleashes its full potential on a closed circuit. The stiffened compression rate in the black springs makes the car taut and controlled, building confidence without forsaking safety. These are what you’d want for serious and sure-footed racing. The Sport and Track Suspension tunes are sold for standard BMW cars and current and previous generation M cars.
Featured Image by Mikes-Photography from Pixabay
