HKS HIPERMAX III Coilover System
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,508
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area, CA
Just got back from the track day and I had some interesting results.
Before we get started.. I have owned the following sets of coilovers for the S2000.
- KW V3
- Tein SRC
- Custom Valved Motosports Bielstein (For R-Comp)
and have tracked the following systems:
- Moton CS
- JRZ 2 way
- H&R
Install: Install was fairly straight forward.
Few things that I liked about the HKS...
HKS comes with all the necessary wire ties, bolts, brake line bolts
Brake line hardware
Group shot of the Bielstein, KW & HKS
I liked that the HKS was perfectly set to the recommended settings out of the box. The preload/ride hight was exactly as HKS recommends on the manual. I also liked that both of the rear shocks has the damper adjustment knob built in. Each click was easily recognizable and easy to access.
Testing was done at the world famous (maybe..) Buttonwillow raceway in a 95F summer day.
I ran 3 sessions in the HKS and 2 session in afternoon with the KW CS. The car is a 04 AP2 with the following mods:
Volk Wheels, 255/40/17 R1R Toyo Street Tires, Voltex Wing, 60mm Single Exhaust, Spoon Calipers
The HKS was installed first and aligned the day before the test day to my street tire specifications. Ride hight was measured before and after the installation of the KW to minimize alignment changes between the two setups. I also tried to equalize the gas weight by filling up between each suspension setups. Both suspension started the test at the recommended damper settings.
Toyo R1R
Track Driving:
HKS was much sharper to respond to steering inputs and seemed to use the tire more effectively on the track. The single adjustment on the valve made it very easy to optimize the damper setup.
The KW was more forgiving and more compliant over the surface irregularities but felt less responsive when compared to the HKS. The KW would set into max roll fairly quickly and took much longer to transition from one side to an another. (lateral transitions)
Summary:
KW CS.. is pefect for stock-ish S2000 with occasional track. Its def. more livable on a day to day basis. Its a great system for aggressive street/ occasional track coilover. KW will be also very forgivable to various type of tires that the owner may use. The HKS no the other hand will require fairly good tires to use its full potential.
For my setup, the the HKS Hypermax 3 Sport (woa.. long product name..) was faster on the track by about 2 seconds. I adjusted the dampers settings on the HKS and ran my personal best of 2:00.05 with the HKS. However, this does not mean that the HKS is superior in any way.
Even with my best efforts to keep the alignment changes in check, a real test should involve an alignment check after the suspension swap. The ride hight recommended by the HKS shocks was also used in the testing and may have not been optimal for the KW.
I also think that my agressive street setup (non-stag, R1R, wing) was more well matched when combined with the HKS. The results could have been different if a stock AP2 was used in the test.
On the road, the KW is def. more compliant and smoother. Road comfort is more of a preference but the HKS is harsher on high speed valve inputs from the road.
You won't go wrong with either systems. I would recommend the buyers to think about how they are going to use their car and what type of mods they have in terms of the overall balance of the car.
If your planning to modify your S2000 for lap times on Street tire, my choice would be the HKS. My impression on the HKS system was positive and it showed in terms of lap times as well.
to Evasive Motorsports for helping me out with this test. I believe they carry both products tested above and will be able to offer good data to those who are in the market for qualify coilovers system.
Before we get started.. I have owned the following sets of coilovers for the S2000.
- KW V3
- Tein SRC
- Custom Valved Motosports Bielstein (For R-Comp)
and have tracked the following systems:
- Moton CS
- JRZ 2 way
- H&R
Install: Install was fairly straight forward.
Few things that I liked about the HKS...
HKS comes with all the necessary wire ties, bolts, brake line bolts
Brake line hardware
Group shot of the Bielstein, KW & HKS
I liked that the HKS was perfectly set to the recommended settings out of the box. The preload/ride hight was exactly as HKS recommends on the manual. I also liked that both of the rear shocks has the damper adjustment knob built in. Each click was easily recognizable and easy to access.
Testing was done at the world famous (maybe..) Buttonwillow raceway in a 95F summer day.
I ran 3 sessions in the HKS and 2 session in afternoon with the KW CS. The car is a 04 AP2 with the following mods:
Volk Wheels, 255/40/17 R1R Toyo Street Tires, Voltex Wing, 60mm Single Exhaust, Spoon Calipers
The HKS was installed first and aligned the day before the test day to my street tire specifications. Ride hight was measured before and after the installation of the KW to minimize alignment changes between the two setups. I also tried to equalize the gas weight by filling up between each suspension setups. Both suspension started the test at the recommended damper settings.
Toyo R1R
Track Driving:
HKS was much sharper to respond to steering inputs and seemed to use the tire more effectively on the track. The single adjustment on the valve made it very easy to optimize the damper setup.
The KW was more forgiving and more compliant over the surface irregularities but felt less responsive when compared to the HKS. The KW would set into max roll fairly quickly and took much longer to transition from one side to an another. (lateral transitions)
Summary:
KW CS.. is pefect for stock-ish S2000 with occasional track. Its def. more livable on a day to day basis. Its a great system for aggressive street/ occasional track coilover. KW will be also very forgivable to various type of tires that the owner may use. The HKS no the other hand will require fairly good tires to use its full potential.
For my setup, the the HKS Hypermax 3 Sport (woa.. long product name..) was faster on the track by about 2 seconds. I adjusted the dampers settings on the HKS and ran my personal best of 2:00.05 with the HKS. However, this does not mean that the HKS is superior in any way.
Even with my best efforts to keep the alignment changes in check, a real test should involve an alignment check after the suspension swap. The ride hight recommended by the HKS shocks was also used in the testing and may have not been optimal for the KW.
I also think that my agressive street setup (non-stag, R1R, wing) was more well matched when combined with the HKS. The results could have been different if a stock AP2 was used in the test.
On the road, the KW is def. more compliant and smoother. Road comfort is more of a preference but the HKS is harsher on high speed valve inputs from the road.
You won't go wrong with either systems. I would recommend the buyers to think about how they are going to use their car and what type of mods they have in terms of the overall balance of the car.
If your planning to modify your S2000 for lap times on Street tire, my choice would be the HKS. My impression on the HKS system was positive and it showed in terms of lap times as well.
to Evasive Motorsports for helping me out with this test. I believe they carry both products tested above and will be able to offer good data to those who are in the market for qualify coilovers system.
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 9,563
Likes: 8
From: San Francisco, Bay Area
awesome write-up! we actually picked up a set last week and had it installed in a friends AP1. yet to really stretch our legs with this new setup. We are waiting for the springs to settle and then adjust the suspension height, and go in for an alignment. 
and an artsy one
we actually picked up a set last week and had it installed in a friends AP1. yet to really stretch our legs with this new setup. We are waiting for the springs to settle and then adjust the suspension height, and go in for an alignment. and an artsy one