KW V3 Coilover Kit Review: 2009-2021 Nissan GT-R R35

A set of Nissan GT-R R35 coilovers is the single biggest handling change you can make to Godzilla, and the KW Variant 3 kit is the benchmark the whole category is measured against. The R35 is a 3,800–3,930 lb all-wheel-drive missile with a 480–600 hp VR38DETT twin-turbo V6, and its factory Bilstein DampTronic adaptive struts were engineered as a compromise between Nurburgring pace and daily comfort. Swap them for the KW V3 and you get a fully rebuildable, height-adjustable, twin-tube coilover with separate low-speed compression and rebound circuits — the kind of control that turns a fast GT-R into a planted one. In our Tampa, FL shop, the KW V3 is the kit we install most often on serious R35 builds, and below we break down its specs, the electronic damping cancellation kit you will need, and every other suspension option we stock for the R35.

Why the R35 GT-R Demands a True Coilover

The R35 GT-R leaves the factory on an electronically controlled Bilstein DampTronic suspension with three driver-selectable modes (Comfort, Normal, R). It is genuinely good hardware, but it has two hard limits: the damping curve is fixed by Nissan's software, and the ride height is not adjustable. Owners who add power — and most R35 owners do, with tunes and turbos pushing well past 600 hp — quickly out-drive the factory body control and want a lower center of gravity for both looks and grip.

A quality coilover solves all three problems at once. It lets you lower the car for a better roll center and reduced aero lift, it replaces the aging DampTronic struts (which are expensive to rebuild once they leak), and it gives you separate control over how the suspension resists dive, squat, and body roll. The KW Variant 3 is the definitive answer here because it is the only kit in this roundup that adjusts rebound and compression independently, so you can firm up body control without beating your spine on Florida's expansion joints.

KW Variant 3 Coilover Kit for the GT-R: Our Review

The KW V3 (part kws35285006) is a complete four-corner coilover kit built around KW's inox-line stainless-steel strut bodies and application-specific spring rates developed on the R35 chassis. It arrives fully assembled, pre-set to a baseline ride height, and ready to bolt in with the factory top mounts on this application. What separates it from every spring and single-adjustable kit is the two-way damping: an independent rebound adjuster at the top of each unit and a low-speed compression adjuster at the strut foot.

Damping, Ride Height & Spring Rates

KW's Variant 3 uses a "TVR/TVN" valving concept: the top adjuster tunes rebound (how quickly the strut extends, which controls body roll and how the tire is loaded), while the separate low-speed compression adjuster at the base controls dive under braking and squat under power. On a 480–600 hp AWD car that transfers weight violently, being able to separate those two forces is the difference between a car that feels nervous and one that feels glued. KW publishes a continuously adjustable lowering window of roughly 5–25 mm (0.2–1.0 in) at each axle for the R35, so you can drop the car for stance and aero without wrecking the geometry or running out of bump travel.

Because the height is set by threaded lower spring perches rather than by cutting into travel, the R35 keeps its usable suspension stroke even when lowered. That matters on Tampa's broken pavement, where a slammed spring-only setup crashes into its bump stops. The inox-line stainless body also resists the corrosion that eventually seizes and leaks factory DampTronic struts — a common and expensive R35 failure once the car passes 60,000 miles.

Do You Need the Electronic Damping Cancellation Kit?

Yes — on the R35 GT-R, aftermarket coilovers require the KW Electronic Damping Cancellation kit to avoid a permanent dashboard warning. The factory Bilstein DampTronic system constantly checks each corner's electronic damper. When you remove those struts and fit passive KW V3 coilovers, the control module no longer sees them and throws a suspension fault light. The KW Electronic Damping Cancellation Kit ($583.95, part kws68510173) plugs into the factory harness, simulates the OE dampers electronically, and clears the warning so your cluster stays clean.

Budget for this kit alongside your coilovers — it is not optional on the R35. It is a small line item next to the $5,894.00 coilover kit, but skipping it means living with a lit dash and potential nag chimes every drive. We fit the cancellation module during the same install to keep labor down.

GT-R R35 Suspension Options Compared

Not every R35 owner needs a $5,894.00 two-way coilover. If you want a lower stance while keeping the factory adaptive dampers, a set of height-adjustable springs is the smarter buy. If you want to fine-tune ride height on demand, air suspension is on the table. Here is how the R35 suspension kits we stock compare, from full coilover down to spring-and-bar packages.

KW H.A.S. Height-Adjustable Springs

The KW H.A.S. (part kws25385006) is the best pick if you love how your R35 drives on the factory DampTronic struts but want it lower. It is a set of height-adjustable performance springs that thread onto the OE dampers, so you keep the factory adaptive damping and its three drive modes while dialing in a lower, adjustable stance. Because it retains the electronic struts, it does not require the cancellation kit — a real advantage for owners who want a clean, warning-free install at a fraction of the coilover price.

Air Lift Performance Front Kit

The Air Lift Performance front kit (part alf78518, $1,664.99) swaps the front struts for threaded-body air struts, letting you raise the nose to clear Tampa's steep driveways and speed bumps, then drop it back to a slammed show stance at the touch of a controller. It fits 2008–2017 R35s and is the go-to for owners who want the lowest possible static look without scraping their front lip on every approach. Pair it with a management system for ride-height presets, and you get both a track-ready height and a daily-drivable one from the same car.

Whiteline Sway Bars & Eibach Pro-Plus

Whatever springs or coilovers you choose, adjustable sway bars are the cheapest way to sharpen the R35's balance. The Whiteline Front and Rear Swaybar Kit ($843.87, part whlBNK008) adds multiple stiffness positions front and rear so you can tune understeer and oversteer to your driving style — a perfect complement to the KW H.A.S. springs. If you want a bundled spring-and-bar package, the Eibach Pro-Plus Kit ($963.00, part eib6389.880) pairs Pro-Kit lowering springs (roughly a 1.0 in drop) with matched Anti-Roll-Kit bars for a flatter, more planted feel on the factory dampers.

Installation, Alignment & Setup Tips

Plan on a full day for a proper R35 coilover install. The KW V3 bolts to the factory mounting points, but on this AWD chassis the job includes fitting the electronic damping cancellation module, setting a baseline corner height, and — critically — a four-wheel alignment afterward. Lowering the GT-R shifts camber and toe, and running it out of spec will chew the inner edges off a set of $2,000 tires in a few thousand miles.

For a street car, we target a modest 10–15 mm drop, set rebound in the middle of its range, and back the low-speed compression off a few clicks for compliance over rough roads. Track-focused R35s get a lower ride height, firmer compression, and a corner-balance session on scales so each wheel carries its intended load. Whatever your goal, budget for an alignment and, ideally, a corner balance — it is the step that unlocks the KW V3's real advantage over a set of springs. In our Tampa, FL shop we do the install, cancellation kit, alignment, and corner balance together so the car leaves dialed in.