KW V4 Coilover Review: BMW G80 M3 & G82 M4 (2021+)

The KW V4 coilover kit is the most advanced street-legal suspension you can bolt to a 2022+ BMW M3 (G80) or M4 (G82). Where most coilovers give you one or two damping knobs, KW's Variant 4 adds independently adjustable rebound plus separate low-speed and high-speed compression damping — the same architecture KW developed for the Audi R8, RS6, Lamborghini Aventador SV and the Mercedes-AMG GT. For G8x owners chasing sharper turn-in without wrecking the daily-driver ride, this is the top of the ladder. Here is our full review, the specs that matter, and how it stacks up against KW's V3 and H&R's spring option.

What Is the KW V4 Coilover Kit?

The KW V4 coilover kit is a fully height- and damping-adjustable suspension system designed to replace the factory adaptive M dampers on the BMW G80 M3 and G82 M4. KW Variant 4 is the brand's range-topping street-legal coilover: it offers independent adjustment of rebound damping plus separate low-speed and high-speed compression damping, giving you four distinct tuning circuits across the car. That is a level of control normally reserved for dedicated motorsport dampers.

KW builds every V4 strut from corrosion-resistant stainless steel (KW's "inox-line" construction), and each kit ships with a vehicle-specific comfort baseline so it drives like a premium OEM sport setup straight out of the box. The integrated adjusters let you dial ride quality and body control in minutes without removing the struts. In plain terms: you get a supple daily-driver ride when you want it, and flat, planted, track-ready control when you dial it in.

Why the G80 M3 and G82 M4 Are Worth the Upgrade

The G8x M3 and M4 are among the most capable cars BMW has ever built. The S58 twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six produces 473 hp in the base rear-drive car and 503 hp with 479 lb-ft in Competition trim. Competition xDrive models rip to 60 mph in roughly 3.4 seconds. But BMW tunes the factory adaptive M suspension for a broad audience, which means there is real headroom in body control, roll stiffness, and stance for owners who track their cars or simply want a more purposeful chassis.

At around 3,900 lb, the G80 and G82 carry meaningful mass, and a fixed-valve lowering spring can only do so much. A true coilover like the KW V4 lets you lower the center of gravity, tune the damping to the extra grip, and rebalance the car front-to-rear. In our Tampa, FL shop, G8x owners consistently tell us the single biggest transformation in feel comes from the suspension — not another 30 wheel horsepower.

KW V4 Key Specs at a Glance

Here are the numbers that define the KW V4 coilover kit for the G8x M3 and M4. Every kit is application-specific, TUV-documented, and delivered with KW's comfort baseline setting.

KW V4 vs V3 vs H&R: Which G8x Suspension Is Right for You?

Not every G80 M3 or G82 M4 owner needs the four-way KW V4. If you keep the factory adaptive dampers or run mostly street miles, KW's two-way V3 or H&R's adjustable lowering springs may fit your budget and goals better. Here is how the three main options in our catalog compare.

The short version: choose the KW V4 if you want the deepest track adjustability and the widest street-to-circuit range. Choose the KW V3 if you want genuine coilover performance at roughly half the price. Choose the H&R VTF springs if you want a lower stance and slightly firmer ride while keeping the OEM adaptive dampers and the lowest install cost.

It helps to think about how often you will actually use the adjustment. The V4 pays for itself when you have a repeatable use case for each circuit — a soft, long-travel setting for the street and a firmer, better-controlled setting for track days you can dial in without pulling the struts. If your car lives on the street and sees the occasional canyon run, the two-way V3 already delivers 90 percent of the on-road benefit: a lower center of gravity, meaningfully reduced body roll, and independent rebound and compression to match the springs. The H&R VTF springs are the entry point — a bolt-on stance and handling improvement that reuses your factory adaptive dampers and keeps the electronics fully intact.

The G8x Suspension Lineup in Detail

Installation and Fitment Notes for the G80 and G82

Installing a coilover on a G8x M3 or M4 is a full four-corner strut and spring replacement, typically a 6-to-8 hour job for an experienced shop, followed by a corner-balance and alignment. Because the KW V4 is a manually adjustable coilover, it replaces the factory adaptive M dampers — so a KW ESC (electronic suspension control) cancellation module is used to suppress the dashboard suspension warning that the car would otherwise throw. Owners who want to keep the OEM adaptive damper electronics can instead run the H&R VTF springs, which retain the factory struts.

Confirm your drivetrain before ordering: this V4 kit is the AWD (xDrive) application. Rear-drive M3 sedans and M4 coupes should use the 2WD V3 kit, and xDrive cars pairing coilovers with the factory electronic dampers should look at the 4WD V3 with the appropriate control module. After install, plan for a professional alignment to set camber and toe — a lowered G8x benefits enormously from dialing in the geometry, and it protects your tires.

Ride Quality and Track Performance

The KW V4's defining strength is bandwidth. Set to KW's comfort baseline, the G80 or G82 rides with the composure of a premium factory sport setup on broken Tampa pavement. Wind the low-speed compression adjuster up and body motions over undulations tighten without turning the ride harsh; add high-speed compression and the car resists sudden hits — curbs, apex rumble strips — without deflecting off line. Because rebound is independent, you can control how quickly the chassis settles after a bump, which is exactly the knob track drivers reach for when chasing mid-corner stability.

Lowering the G8x also drops the center of gravity and reduces body roll, sharpening turn-in response. Our customers running the V4 report a car that feels noticeably more planted and communicative at the limit while still being livable on the commute. That street-to-circuit range is what justifies the V4 over the two-way V3 for owners who genuinely use their track adjustability.

It is also worth noting the long-term ownership story. KW's stainless steel strut bodies resist the corrosion that pits and seizes cheaper coilover threads, so ride-height and preload adjustments stay usable years down the road — a real consideration on a car you plan to keep. KW dampers are serviceable and rebuildable through KW's network, which matters far more on a $7,894.00 flagship kit than on a disposable budget coilover. For a G80 M3 or G82 M4 that you intend to track hard and own for the long haul, that combination of adjustability, durability, and rebuildability is exactly what you are paying for.