RS-R Coilovers Review – Are They Worth the Price Tag?
RS-R is a brand that isn’t quite as popular as some of the other coilovers brands I have written reviews about. However, they have been around the longest of any brand I have seen so far.
They make a range of coilovers as well as other parts including springs, mufflers, sway bars, control arms and even engine oil additive.
In this post, I’m going to look into their coilovers in detail and see how good they are and if they are worth the price tag.
About RS*R
RS-R is owned by a Japanese company called TMC CO.,LTD, which was founded on March 1st, 1968. They started off as a car parts shop in Osaka, and after a few decades of evolving and growing, established RS*R CO.,LTD in 1999.
RS-R are also very involved in motorsports, having participated in Formula Drift, Group N, Dirt Trial, Rallies, NASCAR and more.
RS*R’s philosophy is to be ever evolving and producing the highest quality parts they can at a reasonable price. They do this by manufacturing everything in-house, at their facilities in Japan.
They make a range of coilovers from comfort focused street coilovers to race specific coilovers depending on the race category, and even off-road coilovers to raise your car.
RS-R has developed their own titanium composite springs, known as the Ti2000, which they use on their coilover kits. These springs are designed to be lighter than steel, extremely durable and come with an unlimited warranty.
They are made from a combination of Titanium, Chromium and Nickel, and when compared to the SAE9254V steel used by most coilover companies, are more durable material under high stress against corrosion and delayed fracture without sacrificing the performance.
These springs are significantly lighter than steel alternatives, with RS-R giving an example of IS300 springs which normally weight 9.3Kg, where as the RS-R Ti2000 springs only weight 7Kg. This creates a noticeable improvement in handling.
RS-R also developed their own special damper oil which is designed to be resistant to heat and offer stable damping force at any temperatures. They also make damper heat sinks which you can install on your dampers to reduce damper heat, increasing their performance.
RS-R put a lot of effort into building high quality parts and are very particular about how they do things and who they work this, to make sure every part they make is top quality.
Let’s take a look at some of their coilover options. They do offer a very wide range, so I’m not going to cover every model, but I will go over the main street offerings.
The RS*R Coilovers
Basic*i
The Basic*i is RS-R’s entry level kit and is designed to give you maximum ride comfort and lowering for street use at the best possible price.
This kit uses the Ti2000 springs, allowing you to select from 3 different spring rates for your desired ride.
While this kit doesn’t have adjustable dampening, the dampers are a monotube design which RS-R has developed to optimize both dampening force and stroke rate to give maximum comfort ride comfort.
The ride height is adjusted at the lower mount, meaning you get full suspension travel at all ride heights including the lowest setting.
The upper strut mount are a combination of aluminium plate and rubber bush to give the perfect balance between ride comfort and steering response. MacPherson strut models have a roller bearing for increased steering response.
Best*i
The Best*i kit is designed primarily for road comfort, using the technology from their Super*i kit which is their flagship model to make this kit, while reducing some costs.
These feature the Ti2000 springs and they give you the option to choose between 3 different spring rates for your desired setup.
The dampers are monotube and offer 36-way dampening adjustment, allowing you to fine tune the ride for comfort or performance. They use a steel body and have special damper oil developed by RS-R for maximum performance even in extreme temperatures.
The ride height adjustment is done at the lower mount, meaning you wind the whole shock up or down, which gives you full suspension travel at all ride heights.
The upper strut mount on these is a combination of rubber bush and aluminium plate, which gives a balance between handling performance and ride comfort for the street. On MacPherson strut models, there is a ball bearing in the rubber bush to increase steering response.
Best*i Jouge
The Jouge version of these coilovers has the same specs as listed above but is designed to lift he car for off-road use. They give a ride height adjustment range of both lower and higher than factory, and feature larger shock travel to ensure maximum grip and stability even off-road.
You can get either the Best*I or the Best*i Jouge coilovers here for the best price:
Super*i
If you want the top of the line coilover for street comfort, this is it. The Super*I is RS-R’s top “comfort” coilover offering and have several things the other models do not.
Developed for high end users in mind, these coilovers are designed to be the perfect blend of handling and comfort, and each kit is hand-made at the RS-R factory.
This kit offers 40-level dampening adjustment and features a special 3 port piston which offers finer ride quality. The dampers are monotube and use the same steel bodies as the other kits, as well as the special damper oil.
The springs are the same Ti2000’s used on the other kits with the option for 3 different spring rates to suit your needs.
The top mounts are also the same aluminium and rubber bush set up for optimized ride comfort and increased steering response.
Basically, this kit is like the Best*i but made to be even more comfortable and offer better performance.
Black*i
Want to go super low? The Black*I kit is for you.
The Black*I has been specifically designed to go to super low ride height ranges without bottoming out.
These coilovers give you a wide range of height adjustment, and the dampening force and spring rates are harder than the other kits to accommodate the low height without bottoming out.
These kits are shipped from factory set to 90-100mm ground clearance on most car models, assuming all else on the car is factory.
They offer 36-level dampening adjustment from monotube dampers that use the steel shock bodies. The oil used in these dampers has been specifically designed for the Black*i series and is different from the oil used in other kits.
The ride height adjustment is done on the lower mount on these giving you full suspension travel even at maximum low.
The strut mounts are the same steel and rubber setup used in the other models.
If you’re priority is getting your car as low as possible, this kit is for you.
Sports*i
The ultimate performance coilover still made for street use, the Sports*i offers maximum feel and handling and is specifically designed for sports driving.
These feature monotube dampers which have either 24 or 36-level dampening adjustment depending on the model, and have steel bodies and special damper oil developed by RS-R for maximum performance even at high temperatures.
RS-R develops the dampers to not only have optimal damping force but also stroke rate, to ensure the best possible feedback and comfort for the driver.
The springs on these are the Ti2000 titanium composite springs developed by RS-R to be light weight and more durable than steel.
These coilovers also feature a helper spring on some models to help increase the stroke length, giving you more grip and input transfer to the driver.
The strut mounts on these are a steel plate with rubber bush, and on some models can be upgraded to aluminium camber adjustable plates with pillowball mounts.
If you are looking for coilovers that offer the maximum handling performance both on and off the track, these coilovers are for you.
Other RS-R Coilover Models
RS-R also offer a number of other coilovers models including Kei car specific coilovers, kits for transporters, and a number of racing/track kits which are motorsport category specific.
If you want to see these, check out their website: www.rs-r.co.jp
So, Should You Buy RS-R Coilovers?
The short answer is yes. If you are looking for high end coilovers that will offer superior road comfort and excellent handling, RS-R are one of the best coilover manufacturers you’re going to find.
All the reviews I could find online about their coilovers were positive, commenting on the very impressive ride comfort combined with excellent handling.
RS-R puts a great deal of effort to make a high quality product which shows in the end result, and are a great option if you want one of the best kits available for your car.
Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF
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