BILSTEIN B16 PSS10 coilover kit for VW Beetle 2.0 TSI
There’s no getting around the fact that the ‘new’ VW beetle had an incredibly difficult act to follow when it was launched to an excited and expectant public back in 2011, as not only did it have to pay homage to its classic namesake, it had to better the critically acclaimed model which preceded it. Fortunately for both VW and the car buying public, the second modern Beetle was every bit as good as the first, and better in a number of key ways. Always keen to bring its wealth of motorsport know how to bear against a specific model fitment, BILSTEIN’s already impressive catalogue of VW-orientated suspension products has recently been swelled by the addition of the firm’s latest coilover package for this popular model, the B16 PSS10.
Sitting at the top of the road-car tree in terms of overall capability, the BILSTEIN B16 coilover package offers truly breath-taking, track-honed performance, with both height and damping rate adjustment being central to their construction. Developed in conjunction with BILSTEIN’s own competitive motorsport programme, the B16 PSS10 coilovers are truly amazing bits of kit that bring club motorsport performance to the road, and all without rendering the car in question hard to live with on a daily basis. The key to the B16 PSS10’s broad spread of capabilities can be found in their design, namely the manually adjustable damping monotube gas shock absorber bodies which feature 10-stage precise compression and rebound settings, from comfort to competition. The threaded damper bodies also allow for accurate adjustment of the front and rear progressive rate springs to achieve the desired ride height, center of gravity and level of performance.
The sheer versatility of the B16 package makes it suitable for both road and circuit driving, and therefore perfect for Beetles that will be driven to, on and from track days on a regular basis, or those that prioritise chassis brilliance and handling poise above all else. The ability to toggle between the ten pre-configured settings by simply twisting a dial means that they can be tweaked to suit the individual requirements of a specific car, while the threaded bodies offer an adjustment range of 20mm at both axles, along with lowering of approximately 30mm (front) and 50mm (rear). All B16 coilovers feature BILSTEIN’s highly regarded gas-pressure and mono-tube upside-down technology, plus carefully wound springs, the latter specially developed specifically for the performance versions of the VW Beetle.
All products within the B16 PSS10 portfolio have been engineered for a long and reliable working life, the Triple-C Technology that BILSTEIN employ to coat all their suspension products being a great example. Not only does this give them their characteristic sheen, it ensures that BILSTEIN dampers stay looking that way for a long, long time indeed. It’s a similar tale with the spring plates and lock nuts, both of which are constructed from a special aluminium alloy, again promoting a long life and resistance to the muck, grime and salt that are an inescapable feature of driving in modern Britain.
There are of course a number of suspension packages already available for the Beetle, many from respected firms, but none can claim to match the broad capabilities offered by the R16 PSS10. Developed as a direct result of BILSTEIN’s extensive involvement with professional motorsport at all professional levels, the R16 PSS10 coilovers promise to utterly transform the chassis dynamics of any car they’re fitted to, and all without forcing the owner to compromise on everyday usability.
