- AST/MOTON is a Netherlands-based manufacturer dedicated to building suspension solutions for high-end European street cars and championship-winning race teams alike.
- The company’s Adjustable Lowering Spring (ALS) bridges the gap between conventional lowering springs and full-blown coilovers, allowing modern cars to retain the factory adaptive suspension settings.
- For the BMW G8X (M2, M3, M4), the AST ALS kit offers one of the most impressive lowering ranges available: 20mm to 46mm up front and 10mm to 36mm in the rear.
The ever-accelerating rate of technological progression means that adaptability is a valuable characteristic. In the automotive space, where the average product lifecycle is shorter compared to other consumer products, versatility is less of an option and more of a mandatory skill. For AST/MOTON, a company that is predicated on building solutions for high-end European street cars and championship-caliber motorsport teams in equal measure, adaptability was a foundational necessity.
BORN TO INNOVATE
Since its founding just over 20 years ago, AST has leveraged that adaptability to earn an honored place in the racing world. In tandem, AST became the shock supplier to the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge while MOTON, its subsidiary brand, proudly propelled FIA GT, ETCC, WTCC, and World Challenge teams to victory. Its continued participation in a wide variety of racing programs — like M240iR Cup — has fed its engineering teams with a surplus of data, which in turn enables AST/MOTON to stay well ahead of the learning curve.
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
The intent to benchmark the industry is only possible if your current product supports that ambition. In AST/MOTON’s case, the company has invested a substantial sum into its tooling, materials, finishing, testing capabilities, and engineering staff to ensure it had a sturdy foundation onto which it could build. The result of this effort is a product lineup that is produced to exact tolerances, inside and out.
MIDDLE GROUND
Suspension companies that cater to European marques have traditionally focused on two distinct product categories: lowering springs and coilover sets. However, since the advent of electronic damping systems (EDC), a growing need has emerged between the two: the Height Adjustable Spring. In AST nomenclature, this system is more accurately identified as the Adjustable Lowering Spring (ALS) set. Regardless of what you call it, this clever solution bridges the gap between fixed-height lowering springs and full-blown coilovers. It also crucially allows owners to retain their factory adaptive suspension and the various settings that come with it.
AST’s entry into this market echoes its pulse on the industry. The Netherlands-based suspension manufacturer has engineered an integrated height adjuster for both axle positions. By moving the precision machined adjustment collar up or down on the threaded spring perch, you can hone the ride height to your specifications. Progressively wound springs that have been tailored by application and OE damper accordingly, ensure that overall driving dynamics improve without sacrificing an ounce of comfort.
THE BMW G8X
Although AST’s Adjustable Lowering Spring kits will purportedly be available for other platforms in the future, the company made the G8X trio — the M2, M3, and M4 — a main priority. After all, if you’re able to appease the critically selective BMW demographic, it bodes well for the product’s success elsewhere.
For these new M cars, the AST Adjustable Lowering Spring kit was developed to accommodate a generous lowering range: 0.8”-1.8” up front and 0.4”-1.4” at the back. At max low, the AST kit offers one of the lowest achievable ride heights within this segment. As I’ve alluded to already, the AST ALS system includes optimized spring rates and is compatible with the factory adaptive dampers without any additional coding.
IS THIS THE SOLUTION I NEED?
The AST Adjustable Lowering Spring kit is well-suited to three main audiences: 1.) the BMW G8X owner who wants to achieve a specific visual effect without having to fork over $4,000 or more on a dedicated coilover set, 2.) someone who wants to sharpen BMW’s factory recipe for daily driving and weekend jaunts, and 3.) an enthusiast that is eager to sample AST/MOTON’s engineering prowess before jumping into a more comprehensive coilover solution (like the AST 5100) for hobbyist track days.
This product casts an impressively wide net, then. It’s a testament to AST/MOTON’s proficiency in crafting tailor-made solutions for its audience at a competitive price point. At the core, AST/MOTON is a passionate boutique suspension company whose dedication to customer support and innovation is only matched by its growing library of motorsport achievements. For me, those values make AST/MOTON a company that I’d be proud to represent time and time again.
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