Nick Heidfeld, an ex-Formula driver, decided to retrofit his beloved Porsche Carrera GT with coilovers for suspension and claims the mod improved the handling and the comfort at the same time.
The truth is, as good as the OEM suspension was – and it was exceptional for a 2023MY supercar – it has gotten old over the past 19 years. There has been enough technological progress lately for Heidfeld to risk removing the stock shocks and springs in favor for a set called KW Variant 5 from KW Suspensions.
While many sport shocks will give you control over compression and rebound, these differentiate between fast and slow compression and can be set to react independently to each. There is a tuning wheel on every damper that you can dial to your preferred position or one of the three available presets: Standard (should feel close to the stock Porsche), Comfort (smooth riding regardless of speed) and Track (self-explanatory).
KW claims that a fine tune-up can net you sharper steering responses and more predictable car behavior in curves all the while improving comfort. In turn, Heidfeld argues that the stock Carrera GT doesn’t need lowering – if anything, it already feels too low sometimes. As such, he had a hydraulic lift installed on his example so that he could lift it by up to 45 mm (1.8 inches) with a single press of a button.
Those who would like to purchase a kit like this may find it listed on the German website under the name ‘KW V5’. The starting price is €15,195.
