DanielB

I run the SBG Ohlins (11k/11k) and compared to the OEM MY00 setup they are surprisingly similar when the shocks are turned soft. My wife didn't notice the difference. In reality, the springs are far stiffer (2x in front, 2.5x rear) but the shocks are able to deal with small impacts much better than the OEM. The ride does have some more giggle, but again, not enough that my wife complained. On the track, stiffen them and they are amazing. Probably the closest to the best of both worlds without going to magnetic setups such as GMs.

As for your concern about them wearing out, I don't daily drive the car but have put 15k miles and 24 track days on them so far without any issues. I too thought hard about spending that much but in hindsight I'm glad I did. It's probably the single best improvement I've made to the car.

rpg51

Would you do it if you drove 100% on street? Back country roads. No track or autocross?

DanielB

Good question. If I only drove on the street I probably would have left the suspension stock except for a set of Eibach Pro springs. They are about 20% stiffer, lower the car around an inch, and don't significantly change the front/rear balance (unlike many of the other kits). I'd also add some more camber front and rear as the factory settings are rather tame. The improvement going to Ohlins is huge on the track but much smaller on the street.

B serious

Street cars are about the experience.

Some people don't notice any of the finer things. So for them, slapping on a set of springs or using literally anything they have laying around to lower the car garners a huge thumbs up.

The stock shocks are very good. If you want the car lower, but are not willing to spend ~$1500, then, yes....you're better off using the right lowering springs on your street car mated to the stock shock.

For ~$1500, since Bilsteins are no longer available, I'd look at Fortune auto.

Beyond that, the Ohlins.

The Ohlins ride VERY nicely, and the car also reacts and gives feedback in a much better way than other setups I've tried. So if you're really into the experience, the *small* improvement in character will be worth it.

Its not smart to quantify this in dollars and cents. A small improvement costs a lot more money.

The Ohlins are not useless for a street car. You just need to be a bit more observant to note all the minute differences (as compared to other setups) and appreciate them.

If you're not observant...why spend the money? #knowyourself

xxyion

I think this is a great point.and probably why i did consider springs at one point. My old S2k had a set of eibach lowering springs that the previous owner had thrown on and to be honest i thought the car was fine for the street. My only thing is i'm trying not to do a lot of backtracking on mods this time around (i did a ton of that and wasted thousands on my brz...worth it...but also not lol) and since i know i will eventually hit the track i'm considering just going right for the Ohlins rather than spending the extra money on springs (not to mention install costs as im terrible with my hands).

B serious

All my recommendations are monotube ones for this car.

At the risk of sounding like a dandy....I think monotubes are so beneficial to how the car rides that I wouldn't likely be happy with any traditional twin tube application.

Tein Flex Z would be my choice if I was building this for a budget track car setup that I knew was probably not going to ride THAT nicely. But for a street car...if I was changing out the monotube stock shocks...I'd want monotube coilovers.

Say Chi Sin Lo

Joining the conversation...

My AP1 is going to be: 70% street/city; 20% mountains/backroads; 10% track (if that)

What's this about Blisteins not being available anymore? That was going to be my go to coilovers.

I get what OP is asking about Ohlins. Yes, they're the best option, and I suppose they have a much higher performance limit than other coilovers. But, why invest in that much money, when you may never hit such high performance limit offered by Ohlins? And even if you do, it's for such small fraction of the life of the coilovers? (Most of us are lowering the car for looks and aesthetics , but not a fan of lowering springs)

DanielB

If you have ever used a Henckels knife, you'll never confuse it with one from the kitchen wares aisle in your local grocery store. But both are sharp enough to cut meat. Or more close to home, why choose the S2000 over a Civic? Both will get you wherever you're going and the Civic will probably do a better job (less fuel, cheaper insurance, carries more people, etc).

As B Serious said, for most of us the S2000 is all about the experience of driving and if you appreciate the subtle differences AND have the funds to spend, then you'll find the Ohlins worth it even though you may not track the car. You may have seen my comment earlier that if I did not track the car, I probably would not make the investment. That was in no way a message that I don't think the Ohlins are worth it - rather for me, without track use, the S2000 with mild mods would give me the type of experience I want at a price I feel is reasonable. If money didn't matter, then I'd probably be driving a GT3 or Ferrari 458. But for most of us it does matter so we have to balance the value we get against what else we might do with that money. I hope this doesn't come across as condescending as it's obviously a personal decision that each of us makes.

noodels

Hit a pot hole & the DFVs have a release valve so does not overload the internals like others.
My S is for street only, B roads are punishing here in the UK and DFV cope faultlessly.

xxyion

Yeah thats kinda my thing. As much I know I will love the Ohlins, I'll probably never get close to the ceiling that the setup will give me. Kinda why I was thinking the HKS coils since they seem great for street. However someone I think said they were super soft so maybe I'll look into the fortune auto?