- The Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 M3 GTS combines the aftermarket’s best with die-hard BMW enthusiasm to create a no-compromise, factory-adjacent tribute to one of the brand’s all-time greats: the E92 M3 GTS.
- Bilstein has been a staple aftermarket suspension brand amongst BMW enthusiasts for decades and its E9X-specific Clubsport 2-way coilovers continue its commitment to the marque’s unique street and track duality.
- Precision Sport Industries (PSI) is our trusted build partner, managing every step of the process to realize the ultimate vision of the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 M3 GTS Tribute.
Legacy isn’t given, it’s earned; Bilstein’s position on the front row of numerous premier motorsport series is the result of nearly 70 years of fastidious commitment, all of which has exponentially propelled its suspension engineering forward. That proficiency has attracted the attention of particular BMW enthusiasts over the last four decades who want to extract the best from their Ultimate Driving Machine. That mission is analogous to what we aim to achieve with the Pit+Paddock x Bilstein E91 GTS Tribute and it’s a big reason why its name sits beside ours on the build itself.
A HISTORY OF ACHIEVEMENT
Bilstein began building its motorsport legacy in Germany with Mercedes-Benz. The Stuttgart outfit installed Bilstein gas pressure shock absorbers in its rally cars to a grand reception. Soon after, Porsche joined as a motorsport partner, followed by BMW, Alfa Romeo, and others. After earning manufacturers’ trust, Bilstein’s position at the front of the grid and on victory row became commonplace across race series like Formula 1, the World Rally Championship, DTM, and race events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona.
Its success in motorsport infused its street products with helpful technology as well and as a result, its PSS (B14) and PSS10 (B16) kits were commonplace aftermarket choices amongst the BMW faithful circles.
TWO-WAY CLUBSPORT
As the E9X M3 chassis has aged, this dual-duty function has become increasingly important and the Bilstein 2-way Clubsport kit is primed to deliver accordingly. The coilovers that we’ve opted to fit on our GTS Tribute project build upon the PSS’s stellar reputation and represent another step forward for the brand; it promises to deliver a delicate balance between track-worthy performance and proper street-going manners. The suspension inherits Bilstein’s motorsport-grade mono-tube shocks and pairs them with a set of matched 60mm ID springs to bring out the best from our E9X. With 10 settings for both compression and rebound, adjusted via blue and red knobs respectively, there are up to 100 unique suspension settings to fine-tune this wagon for a punishing track surface or the highway sprint home.
The build quality is typical of top-tier Bilstein and reflects its “Art of Engineering” credo with premium, motorsport-grade materials throughout. At first glance, the kit is a cut well above the factory equipment.
SPIRIT OF THE RING
If there’s something that is more synonymous with Bilstein than BMW, it would be its relationship with the ‘ring. Bilstein’s commitment to the famed circuit is a point of pride for the brand — the track layout is embellished onto the shock body of the Clubsport kit to prove it — and this year, it’s installed a new 7-post test rig at its Nürburgring testing facility to extend its competitive advantage further there. The Bilstein technology team expands: “By utilizing a 7-post vertical dynamics test rig, Bilstein will be armed with valuable insights into the performance and behavior of the suspension system and can significantly accelerate the suspension development process for our OE partners, customers, and Motorsports teams.”
This drive to engineer exacting solutions across marques made Bilstein a power player in the suspension world and its reputation for excellence is pervasive today.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Bilstein’s long-standing philosophy for tailored suspension solutions meant that installing the 2-way Clubsport suspension kit was a straightforward endeavor and it’s refreshing when a manufacturer’s plug-and-play claim is actually true. The 600/800# springs are perfectly matched for the Bilstein dampers and its unique triangle-shaped camber plates are robustly machined. Compared to other options, the Bilstein spring perch is slim, which means inboard clearance for a variety of wheel setups won’t be an issue. I honestly believe its late arrival to the market actually proved to be an advantage; by leveraging a larger pool of data, these coilovers look, feel, and will undoubtedly perform according to its Clubsport moniker.
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