SM moving to Penske, here come the cheap Bilsteins
 

https://www.mazdamotorsports.com/201...sion-evolving/

Those of you looking to build Bilstein setups for street cars are going to be very happy about this news.

Maybe you'll actually be able to get Bilsteins now.

Honestly, I want to try the Penske setup. Doesn't appear to be any more expensive than Bilsteins, question is what kind of shock setup and valving you get for the money?

By cheap you mean hopefully free? Or scrap price. SM shock takeoffs are going to be hhhaaaaammmmmeeerrrrrreeeddddd.

It's literally 2.5x more expensive than Bilsteins.

My friend has been picking up takeoffs for $25 an axle from a local racer. They have all been fine, other than the bushings being deformed.

Now if only my friend could stop crashing and needing replacements...

I guess at $50/set they'd be worth it as rebuildable/revalveable cores.

Where are you getting that number? Penskes are ~$200/corner. Additional $250 for top mount and bump stop kit or $1050 for full kit.

Bilsteins are $100/corner and don't require top hats. Ees maths, ees very nice.

Houw du? Nevermind. I actually read the announcement. Penskes still need the coilover bits and such.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...25d147b886.jpg

Derp, thought billies were a bit more than that. I doubt the penske must be run with the new spherical top hat, it just has to be run with it to be compliant in SM. Still 2x the cost, but for a budget track setup I'd take the properly valved shock over the billie all day.

Ya'all wild, and reading is hard. :rofl:

That price is for the SHOCKS.

I agree. But that "budget track setup" built around these Penskes puts you right into Xidas territory.

Yep. I read after posting like a tool and didn't edit fast enough. My bad.

Smooches.

As a xida owner I'm right there with you, but if someone is really pinching pennies and doesn't care about damping adjustment/hypercos/dual spring/etc, they could come in a little south of xidas. Splitting hairs at that point, but you know people will do it if given the chance.

I'd also have to see them.... i somewhat doubt they'll work with oem top hats. At least not as is. Pure speculation though.

Unlike the current Spec Miata shock, the Penske will be tamper-proof, and rebuildable through Penske at $100/shock.

-taken from an article from Racer website

I saw your post on Facebook Andrew, on the SM Drama man site. Love it when you tag those, hilarious reading. I was reading the one a few months ago about the horrible cheating everyone was doing at Sonoma, mainly with Haag motors. I was ironically racing with him that weekend (I think).

I would be interesting in seeing someone's impressions of basically a budget Bilstein setup except with the SM Penskes. Not worth it for me, as a MCS dealer I can just go that route nearly as easily...

Someone do it!