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I have an NC2 that is used for some commuting, some touring, and the occasional bit of spirited driving, but no track work. I don't want to void my warranty, which has 18 months to run, but would like some advice regarding getting the Bilstein suspension from the current Special Edition fitted. The four obvious questions are:
1. Will it improve handling noticably on the road?
2. Apart from the shock absorbers, are there any other bits involved?
3. What should the approximate cost be?
4. Will it affect my warranty?

A dealer Service Manager is also investigating questions 2 and 3, but I'm after some impartial advice.

IMHO you'd be wasting your money.
I'd be installing a set of ...say..Whiteline adjustable sway bars for an improvement that is truly noticeable and have little if any effect on warranty.

Thanks for that. The dealer Service Mgr got back to me and quoted $2,276 for the four shocks and the different rear anti-roll bar. Even he suggested that it would not be worth it.

Jitag wrote:..... but no track work. I don't want to void my warranty, which has 18 months to run....

I think you are worrying too much about voiding your warranty due to suspension changes.

I bought my NC late October 2005, got the first service out of the way after 2 weeks because I wanted to run at the Club's next Wakefield track day and ended up with one other member being the first NC's in Australia on a track.

The Dealer Principal from the Mazda dealership I bought the car from also came to Wakefield the same day with an RX-8, so he knew the car had been/was being used on the track. The service manager also confirmed that they knew it was being tracked as they regularly look at this site.

My car was progressively modified and at no stage was any service repair work rejected due to modifications or track work. Mind you had I put a rod through the block due to grabbing the wrong gear on a down change, I'm sure they wouldn't have done the repairs under warranty, nor would I have expected that they would.

As Sailor said, the best suspension modification to improve your handling is a set of adjustable sway bars. The cost is around $500 and you can fit them yourself in a bit over an hour.

Thanks for confirming the previous advice. I'm glad I didn't rush into it.