Brabus SportXtra Suspension Lowering Module for Taycan?

[bwherry]

Hey all,

I recently discovered the Brabus SportXtra Suspension Lowering Module - must've been from a "you might also like" ad from looking at Taycan bits & pieces or something. Seems like an alternative to the CETE Active Suspension Control module (that's been on backorder everywhere for a while) in that it apparently lowers different amounts for the different ride height levels. Not an overall lowering trick like lowering links. The lowering amounts it lists are:

• Lift: no lowering compared to standard (Lift)
• Medium: a lowering of approx. 20 mm compared to the series (Medium)
• Lowered: a lowering of approx. 20 mm compared to the series (Lowered)
• Low: a lowering of approx. 10 mm to the series (Low)

That product page also touts "The kit can be shipped and is very easy to assemble thanks to the plug & play system." so I'm intrigued. It ain't cheap - actually more expensive than the CETE unit (if/when available). Bulletproof Automotive has it for $1,995 and it's a whopping $2,294 at Vivid Racing. Remains to be seen if the lowering amounts are actually fixed per that listing ^^^, or if those are maxima or something. I'm also curious about exactly how it plugs & plays... (the CETE system is nearly plug & play, but still requires getting under the car & splicing into a wire in a wiring harness) Also if there's some accompanying app that can be used to, say, disable the lowering if the car is being brought in to the dealership for service.

I've inquired to those two retailers about this stuff and will report back with whatever I find out. If it's actually an easy, plug & play system, it might be a decent alternative to lowering links or CETE, even at that steep price...

Anybody have experience with this unit or know more about it?

Brian

Sponsored

 

[prj]

They all work the same way - by lying to the suspension controller about the height sensor readings.
You can accomplish much of the same thing using PIWIS and performing the suspension calibration and telling it the car is higher than it actually is when measuring.

Paying 2k and splicing stuff ... why ?

 

[bwherry]

@prj can suspension calibration w/ PIWIS make the car just a little bit lower in the "Low" setting, but leave the rest of them ("lowered", "normal", "lift") unaffected? And maybe also make "lift" a wee bit higher as well? I thought that was more of a global/systematic configuration that would affect the ride height at all levels, no way to adjust per level...

 

[prj]

It will adjust all the levels, correct.

 

[bwherry]

It will adjust all the levels, correct.

Thanks again for your engagement on this topic, @prj - but just to make sure I'm understanding you correctly:

A) calibration w/ PIWIS can only adjust the overall suspension height, affecting all levels equally
OR
B) calibration w/ PIWIS allows calibration of each suspension level individually, allowing different calibration settings per level

Please select A or B. Many thanks!

 

[prj]

Calibration is done using this measurement:

It's not done per-level in PIWIS, just for the base level. If you lie on each corner by a fixed amount of mm, then it will be lower or higher in all settings by the amount of mm you lied when doing the calibration.

If the aftermarket modules lie the amount of mm based on mode selected, then they will have more adjustability, but I still wouldn't pay 2k for it.

Lowering links are in that way even more pointless, since you can do the entire thing with software.
Harder on MY24 and up because of SFD2 though.

 

[bwherry]

Thanks @prj! You know your stuff.

If the aftermarket modules lie the amount of mm based on mode selected, then they will have more adjustability, but I still wouldn't pay 2k for it.

Yeah, that's what the CETE ASC can do (with complete adjustability, and a "show mode" where you can drop the suspension way more than normal to make it look extra cool for car shows or whatever). Seems like the Brabus SportXtra also does different lowering per level (and leaves "lift" mode unaffected), but with preset, fixed lowering amounts per level.

The cost is more than I'd ideally want to spend, but we are talking about aftermarket parts for a car whose options list includes things like $900 for brake calipers to be painted in a different color... The end of my driveway has a steep curb thing that my bumpers just barely clear without scraping in "lift" mode, so lowering links or calibration are out of the question. But I'd like the car to be just a wee bit lower in "low" mode, sure. Couple grand more for the $150K car to get the perfect stance while retaining drivability and practicality? Sure.

Lowering links are in that way even more pointless, since you can do the entire thing with software.

Well, software that's not exactly readily available, right? You've gotta buy some hacked version of this-and-that and a special cable from some rando on eBay... Understandably gives some folks pause. I would probably search for a hopefully-reputable source for a PIWIS setup before doing something like lowering links, but for a lot of people a mechanical change like that is probably just easier (and cheaper).

Harder on MY24 and up because of SFD2 though.

I wonder if that's why the CETE ASC seems to be backordered...

Good discush!

Brian

 

[prj]

Well, software that's not exactly readily available, right? You've gotta buy some hacked version of this-and-that and a special cable from some rando on eBay... Understandably gives some folks pause. I would probably search for a hopefully-reputable source for a PIWIS setup before doing something like lowering links, but for a lot of people a mechanical change like that is probably just easier (and cheaper).

The whole setup is below $100 and the mechanical change is certainly not cheaper.
The software part is only difficult from MY24 onward, as you need official PIWIS.

Hell, for the older cars I could add a lowering mode into MapEV Diag... but no point to spend time on that, since it's a free tool.

 

[bwherry]

The whole setup is below $100 and the mechanical change is certainly not cheaper.
The software part is only difficult from MY24 onward, as you need official PIWIS.

Can you share a link to a below $100 solution for this? I'd be curious... When I search for PIWIS I only find much more expensive things...

Hell, for the older cars I could add a lowering mode into MapEV Diag... but no point to spend time on that, since it's a free tool.

I've got my OBDII-to-Ethernet cable to try MapEV Diag, just haven't gotten around to it yet... Thanks again for making that! I made a free utility for MIDI mapping & manipulation a while back and get these crazy feature requests for it all the time... and only have so much free time... so I get it! Hah.

Brian

 

[Vision]

The whole setup is below $100 and the mechanical change is certainly not cheaper.
The software part is only difficult from MY24 onward, as you need official PIWIS.

Hell, for the older cars I could add a lowering mode into MapEV Diag... but no point to spend time on that, since it's a free tool.

Hi Prj, can you elaborate on how to adjust the lowering mode?. Is that through piwis or a different software?. I would love the option as currently using links.

 

[MrJones02]

Can you share a link to a below $100 solution for this? I'd be curious... When I search for PIWIS I only find much more expensive things...

You get a $50 VAS6154 1.6.6 from aliexpress, download an image of piwis 3 (some charge you for the download links, but can be found for free), install the image on a virtual machine, run an activator for the VAS

done for $50

 

[bwherry]

I got some additional information on the BRABUS SportXtra module, direct from BRABUS (via an intermediary):

• The lowering levels are indeed preset (see my original post in this thread), no customization possible.
• There's no app or mechanism by which the lowering can be disabled while the unit is installed.
• The installation is definitely NOT plug & play - see the installation instructions I've attached to this post. It requires cutting () some wires from a factory harness and crimping/soldering them into new multi-pin connectors supplied with the unit, which at least allows easy removal/reinstallation thereafter. So it's plug & play after all the cutting, crimping, and soldering.
  • Interestingly, all the installation is done in the boot of the car w/ the wiring to the suspension control stuff back there - nothing gets installed at each wheel, like the CETE unit does.

So yeah, I think the CETE ASC system is the superior (and slightly cheaper) choice. If only it were available right now...

HTH!

Brian

 

[chun]

So yeah, I think the CETE ASC system is the superior (and slightly cheaper) choice. If only it were available right now...

HTH!

Brian

Wouldn't feel too bad about missing out on it. 99% of people that lowered their car on this forum reported excessive inner tire wear, to the point that it could be dangerous.

Lowering the car also means having to do the whole alignment again, at a shop that is capable of doing all the necessary adjustments - not that many; since the car needs to have it's alignment done in it's lowest height.

From my point of view it's too much hassle to get it right, with too much risk and cost, for something that you won't see from behind the wheel.

 

[RAHRCR]

EV tire manufacturers will be able to put their kids through college based on threads like this.

 

[Dee]

The whole setup is below $100 and the mechanical change is certainly not cheaper.

Well, I lowered mine 10 mm and it cost me less than €10.

Ok, I had to make some calculations myself.

Sponsored