BILSTEIN Launches B16 ‘Ride Control’ Package For BMW 1 Series

BILSTEIN, the respected German manufacturer of dampers and suspension systems has released a beautifully engineered ‘switchable’ enhancement package for couple, hatch and convertible variants of BMW’s best-selling 1 Series. These new units draw heavily on the unparalleled technical expertise gained from BILSTEIN’s competition and OEM experience with the marque and offer motorsport quality to the road-car market.

The BILSTEIN B16 Ride Control system offers two switchable modes to the driver, which are controlled from a push button fitted to the car’s interior. ‘Sport’ mode offers excellent driving dynamics and optimum handling in all situations, whereas ‘Comfort’ gives a plush, cossetting ride, akin to soft, OEM dampers. Switching between either mode can be done ‘on the fly’ in an instant, allowing the driver to quickly tailor the car to the prevailing conditions, or indeed, their own mood. This latest application offers OEM levels of fit, finish and ride quality, coupled with significant improvements in handling. Everything included in the kit has been designed and produced entirely in-house in BILSTEIN’s cutting-edge German production facilities.

Thanks to precision-machined threaded steel bodies, the BILSTEIN kits offer 20mm of ride height adjustment from a lower starting point, which equates to a drop of between -30mm and -50mm. This is regarded by most engineers to be the most that it is possible to lower a vehicle before handling becomes adversely affect and safety is compromised.

The B16 kit represents the pinnacle of suspension performance, allowing the owner to fine-tune the ride height and stance to suit their own needs. Flicking the illuminated switch sees bump and rebound being changed together in a carefully pre-set ratio to ensure that the car retains impeccable manners.

As with all BILSTEIN performance products, this kit has been extensively proven. Not only in BILSTEIN’s extensive laboratory set-up, but more importantly, at the Papenburg test facility, where BILSTEIN have their unparalleled research centre. Here, the kits was ‘shaken down’ by real, live test drivers, to ensure that these upgrades don’t just work well in a computer simulation, but can offer ride quality and peerless handling whether fully loaded or on the poorest of surfaces.

As you might expect from the World’s leading original equipment manufacturer, these kits carry full TÜV approval and, thanks to exceptional anti-corrosion treatment on the damper bodies, 24 months warranty.

For more details, please visit www.BILSTEIN.com