Fichtenberg (Germany), March 17th, 2020 – KW automotive, the suspension manufacturer, has already extended its delivery range with an adjustable KW Clubsport coilover suspension kit, in rebound and compression forces, for Toyota GR Supra (A90, JTSC). The KW 2-way Clubsport kit has been specially developed for drivers who regularly race their GR Supra on racetracks. The entire suspension design was developed for semi-slick tires and the significantly higher cornering speeds on racetracks. The scope of delivery includes unibal top mounts for camber adjustment at the front axle.
Thanks to the multi-valve technology of the Clubsport dampers, it is possible to adjust the damping with 16 clicks in rebound and 12 clicks in compression, perfectly to the respective track layout and tire characteristics. Due to the separate compression and rebound settings, the KW Clubsport coilover suspension can be adjusted to a road setup with higher ride comfort as in the racetrack setup. In addition, on the Toyota GR Supra with its 340 hp in-line six-cylinder turbo engine with the KW 2-way Clubsport coilover suspension, a continuous lowering of up to 40 millimeters is possible. The suspension for the Supra four-cylinder version, which is about 100 kg lighter, is about to be launched. For further information please visit www.kwsuspensions.net
Many sports car drivers and drivers of sporty compact models regularly take part in track days on racetracks with their road-legal vehicles. For these enthusiasts, the suspension manufacturer KW automotive has specifically developed its KW Clubsport coilovers. Drivers, who cannot do without a road-legal approval despite regular track days with their Toyota GR Supra (A90, JTSC), can find an ideal retrofit option in the KW Clubsport suspension. “In a way, the KW Clubsport is an adaptation of our motorsport suspension developed for the Toyota Supra GT4 race car,” explains KW Brand Manager Jonas Ehrmann.
Thanks to the Clubsport coilover suspension with stiffer spring rates and the dampers designed for the use of semi-slicks, the road holding and road grip at high cornering speeds as well as in the driving dynamic limit range benefit significantly. The harder tire carcasses and rubber compounds of semi-slicks compared to road tires can build up grip much better with the KW suspension with part certificates. The unibal bearings on the front axle struts of the KW Clubsport coilover suspension allow the camber values to be adjusted for maximum tire contact area during fast cornering. In addition, the suspension allows for stepless lowering despite the low center of gravity of the Toyota GR Supra. As part of the parts appraisal, the tested adjustment range is 15 to 35 millimeters at the front axle and 20 to 40 millimeters at the drive axle.
KW Clubsport – tailor-made performance for the racetrack
On racetracks such as the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Fuji Speedway, Laguna Seca Raceway, Nürburgring Nordschleife, and Silverstone Circuit, production sports car suspensions and even conventional coilovers quickly reach their limits. Often the different asphalt surfaces on older racetracks are a challenge for the interaction between the tire and chassis. With a suspension with racetrack tuning and separately adjustable damper force, the tires can work better than with a production suspension designed for everyday use.
Handling is much more direct with a suspension designed for track days like the KW Clubsport coilover suspension. “The fast-downhill section Fuchsröhre on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with its dreaded compression and the demanding left-hand bend at the end, demands everything from a suspension,” says KW Brand Manager Jonas Ehrmann. The Clubsport suspension provides optimum support for the bodywork in the driving dynamics limit range and significantly reduces body roll. The multi-valve technology used in the dampers also prevents the semi-slick tires from losing grip on poor road surfaces or aggressive curb cutting.
In the event of suddenly increased damping excitation, the preconfigured high-speed valve opens in addition to the low-speed valve, for rapid compression. “Our Clubsport dampers offer the option of adjusting the compression and rebound damping separately so that the Supra’s handling can be adjusted precisely to the track profile and tire stiffness.” With the rebound click setting, a bypass channel in the valve can be opened or closed with 16 clicks to adjust how quickly the suspension rebounds when the load changes at maximum compression. The rebound stage can also be described in the same way as the chassis is connected to the road.
With twelve clicks, the cross-section in the low-speed compression stage valve can be reduced or enlarged to further finetune the damping. “The adjustable low-speed compression stage can be used to specifically influence body roll when turning and pitching behavior when braking and accelerating,” says Jonas Ehrmann, further describing the multi-valve technology. “The damping for long bumps is also influenced by the low-speed compression stage. The high-speed compression stage is not adjustable on the KW 2-way Clubsport but is pre-configured in advance during damper production so that it can take the fright of short bumps or the notorious cross joints of the Caracciola carousel floor plates on the Nordschleife.
Thanks to the included parts report, the KW Clubsport coilover suspension can also be used in everyday life on public roads and the dampers can be adjusted to a road setting. The KW Clubsport coilover suspension is already in development for the about 100 kg lighter four-cylinder models of the Supra. For further information please visit www.kwsuspensions.net
About KW automotive:
Part of the company group KW automotive GmbH are besides KW suspensions also the brands ST suspensions, LSD Doors and RaceRoom. KW suspensions is market leader and innovator of individual suspension solutions for the street and racing applications. Sporty drivers rely on KW coilover kits with its five damping variants, as well as on the Nürburgring Nordschleife tested KW Clubsport coilover kits, which are street legal and have a technical component report. Worldwide successful racing teams rely on the patented valve technology of KW Competition suspensions, the seven-time overall winner of the 24-hour Race Nürburgring (2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2018) winner of the 24-hour Race Dubai 2017, ADAC GT Masters 2018, ADAC TCR Germany 2018 and the Bathurst 12-hour Race 2019. With its large portfolio of suspension kits, modern production technology, development- and test center, KW has been succeeding for more than 20 years in markets around the world. World-wide, the company group has more than seven international subsidiaries in the most important markets like China, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan and the US. www.kwsuspensions.net
