# Sports suspension on 2013?



## Enchanter1 (Sep 4, 2012)

Been trolling a bit here since my wife got her 2013 white SSN with 19" and Xeon lights.

Great car so far! No window issues no rattling no wind.

Question is, the car sticker under performance section says Independent front and rear suspension.

I know in reading through the threads that 19" and xeon auto adds sports suspension. Just want to

Make sure this description relates to this.

Odd, it came with three gauges though the sticker discription Does not make mention of this.

My thoughts so far for car.

- Fender sound system is great! The 315 stereo system does everything!
- Bluetooth integration seamless
-no MDI cable or connector in glovebox( 175 credit on sticker for this)
- very peppy for wife's driving even not in sport mode. It flies when the wife needs to mash the pedal.
- got the car for 28500 which was 2500 off of msrp and which was under edmunds true value.
- wife does not want first stage APR 
- black and red leather really shine.

Ron, did the 2010 head rests work for you from the dealer? What model do I need to reference?

Local dealer now running deal for 4k off of msrp for 2012. So tempted to pick up the SSN red manual they had in the showroom for myself!


We still have our 2002 turbo snap orange beetle with 105k miles. Can't seem to part with it even though it mysteriously drains the battery every 4-5 days. Starts one day, dead as a door ail the next.
The 2013 turbo just kills the turbo on the 2002!


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Enchanter1 said:


> Been trolling a bit here since my wife got her 2013 white SSN with 19" and Xeon lights.
> 
> Great car so far! No window issues no rattling no wind.
> 
> ...


My 'lower' rear headrests are those that are on the 2010 Golf TDI but mine were a Titan Black
fabric and if your's are leather. Therefore you woud have to find out if there was a 2010 Golf 
model that was available in black leather? The dealer who supplied mine was a VW dealer in
Auburn, Wa.. He was the least expensive supplier I could find. With regard to sport suspension,
I remember it being specifically listed as such on the window sticker. I remember that when
the car is ordered, you were supposed to ask for it to be included, even though there was no
extra charge. If not ordered specifically, I was told that VW produces 70% of the Beetles with
the comfort suspension and 30% with the 'sport'. All Turbo cars were supposed to have the 
3 Gauge Pod and now I believe they do. When I ordered the car last year it was a fiasco trying
to find out which ordered cars had it and which ones had that dumb $150 credit,


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## Cadenza_7o (Jan 23, 2001)

Has VW or anyone's dealer clarified what the "Sports Suspension" consists of? 

Congrats on your B13... pix, pix ??? 

I'm still hanging on with my '01 NB 1.8T... 205k and crawling!!!


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## Enchanter1 (Sep 4, 2012)

After some digging, I called my dealers parts dept. he said there are 2 references to sport as part of my car, sports package and "sport something" forgot what he said. He did look up the shock replacement for my car and they reference "sport something" with a code. He is saying this confirms sports suspension.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Cadenza_7o said:


> Has VW or anyone's dealer clarified what the "Sports Suspension" consists of?
> 
> Congrats on your B13... pix, pix ???
> 
> I'm still hanging on with my '01 NB 1.8T... 205k and crawling!!!


It should include stiffer springs & dampers, as well as a thicker anti-sway bar
to deliver a more tightly tuned ride, especially on aggressive bends.

The above is Mini's description of their optional sport suspension which lists as a $500
option. This is the same price VW originally listed the Beetle's sport suspension for.
Mini also offers, for $1,416, their John Cooper Works sport suspension which they say
allows even tighter corner ability than their $500 one.


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## Enchanter1 (Sep 4, 2012)

Here are the links.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974612077/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610954/in/set-72157631507156876 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610738/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974611503/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610320/in/set-72157631507156876 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610054/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610891/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610751/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974609506/in/set-72157631507156876
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/7974610429/in/set-72157631507156876


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## Enchanter1 (Sep 4, 2012)

Discussed with Volkswagon of America and after some searching in the computer(I guess the 2013 models are still rare in the system) they verified 4 link rear suspension which I equate to multi link suspension which would be the sports suspension.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Enchanter1 said:


> Discussed with Volkswagon of America and after some searching in the computer(I guess the 2013 models are still rare in the system) they verified 4 link rear suspension which I equate to multi link suspension which would be the sports suspension.


Autoweek Magazine test drove the Turbo Beetle and all their references to the sport suspension
was with regard to the front of the vehicle. The article went on to say, 'The Turbo Beetle's sport
suspension exhibits a noticeable amount of lean but then just plants and holds its line through
corners in a well controlled manner. The excellent grip shouldn't be surprising since, like the GTI,
the Beetle Turbo has the XDS cross differential that routes torque to the wheel with the most
traction'. The multi-link, independent rear is a step up from that which is on the 2.5 Beetle but
when sport suspension is addressed, the front springs, dampers, and XDS cross differential only
applies to the front of the vehicles suspension.


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## TragicallyHip (Jan 25, 2011)

And keep in mind when it came to 2012's at least, ALL turbos had fully independant rear suspension, but SOME had stickers labeled with "Comfort suspension" and others with "Sport suspension". No idea what the scoop is with 2013's.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

TragicallyHip said:


> And keep in mind when it came to 2012's at least, ALL turbos had fully independant rear suspension, but SOME had stickers labeled with "Comfort suspension" and others with "Sport suspension". No idea what the scoop is with 2013's.


The 'comfort suspension' undoubtedly gives you a softer ride and some people prefer it
when the car is subjected to rough road surfaces. Hard, 'thud-like' sounds are always associated with a front-sport suspension since the springs and dampers don't compress as easily to absorb
vibration as they do on the 'comfort' fitted cars.


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## GTarr (May 17, 2012)

I dug through one of the online parts catalogs, and searched the 2012 beetle parts for "sports suspension". It does appear that the sport suspension includes different dampers. However, that appears to be the only difference, and I don't know the specs on the shocks. When I change my wheels out (hopefully in a couple weeks), I will write down the parts numbers of my shocks (which has sport suspension), and maybe someone can find more info. For 2012 Beetles, you can tell if you have sport suspension by looking for option code 2UC on the little sticker in the manual that shows all the build codes. I have no idea if that was changed for 2013 or not.

GTarr


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

GTarr said:


> I dug through one of the online parts catalogs, and searched the 2012 beetle parts for "sports suspension". It does appear that the sport suspension includes different dampers. However, that appears to be the only difference, and I don't know the specs on the shocks. When I change my wheels out (hopefully in a couple weeks), I will write down the parts numbers of my shocks (which has sport suspension), and maybe someone can find more info. For 2012 Beetles, you can tell if you have sport suspension by looking for option code 2UC on the little sticker in the manual that shows all the build codes. I have no idea if that was changed for 2013 or not.
> 
> GTarr


Since VW originally listed the addition of a sport suspension to the Turbo Beetle as a
$500 option, it would be interesting to know details about the stiffer springs and dampers 
included. As I mentioned, Mini offered a $500 sport suspension, but they also had one
for $1,416 under their John Cooper Works upgrade so there must be something more 
substantial given by them for the additional $916.


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

ridgemanron said:


> Since VW originally listed the addition of a sport suspension to the Turbo Beetle as a
> $500 option, it would be interesting to know details about the stiffer springs and dampers
> included. As I mentioned, Mini offered a $500 sport suspension, but they also had one
> for $1,416 under their John Cooper Works upgrade so there must be something more
> substantial given by them for the additional $916.


the dampers on our Turbo Beetle are same as the one on GTI but Made In Mexico not Germany like GTI


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## LEBlackRob (Feb 1, 2012)

ridgemanron said:


> Since VW originally listed the addition of a sport suspension to the Turbo Beetle as a
> $500 option, it would be interesting to know details about the stiffer springs and dampers
> included. As I mentioned, Mini offered a $500 sport suspension, but they also had one
> for $1,416 under their John Cooper Works upgrade so there must be something more
> substantial given by them for the additional $916.


I did some digging and I have ran 10 vins today. Out of the 10, 6 where DSG cars. All but one of the DSG cars came with comfort. The last 4 where 6 speed manual's all of which had sports package suspension. Based on the percentages given I would think that most standard transmission's would get the sportier suspension.


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## plex03 (Nov 10, 2011)

A little history on the Sport Suspension thing....

During the first Model Year (2012), any Turbo built before week 42 automatically came with the Sport Suspension despite it not being listed as such on the window sticker. 

Per this thread, and specifically on page 19, it says ALL Beetles built prior to Week 42 (October 9, 2011) come equipped with the Sport Suspension regardless of Option Code 2UC.

Later as the MY was nearing a close, if I recall correctly most Turbo's would come with the Comfort Suspension and I suspect that has continued. 

VW not having all information on the window sticker isn't necessarily something new. You just have to find out the build codes and what they mean.


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## Dennis R (Jul 17, 2012)

What is the major difference between the sport and comfort suspensions? How much different is the handling? Thanks.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Dennis R said:


> What is the major difference between the sport and comfort suspensions? How much different is the handling? Thanks.


When you drive in a spirited fashion into a curve, the sport suspension isn't going to 'bounce'
like a comfort suspension would. This allows your tires to stay more planted to the road
surface and give you more precise control with regard to steering. On 'straight-a-ways' you
won't have the vibration absorbing feature that the comfort suspension offers, instead you'll
experience a harsher ride quality once the road surface isn't perfectly smooth anymore. The
trade offs are 'comfort' vs 'sporty performance'.


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## Enchanter1 (Sep 4, 2012)

Ok got this straightened out. I should have listened better yesterday when I talked to the parts guy, the sports" something" I referenced yesterday is Sports Version 2UC. VOA of America was pretty clueless today, telling my car comes with first aid kit but not 2UC. Dealer parts guy confirmed 2UC for my VIN
IN. The manual it says their is a sticker in the spare wheel well showing engine type, etc, but it must be hiding under the feder bass or somewhere else but I could not find it.

It is interesting that the vin associated with add on first aid kit , mats etc. telling me dealers are not adding after delivery but comes to them with those options built in. Good luck selling turbo mud Mats if every beetle ships from factory with them.

So far one 2013 with 19" and Xeon that as 2UC associated with it.


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## plex03 (Nov 10, 2011)

Enchanter1 said:


> Ok got this straightened out. I should have listened better yesterday when I talked to the parts guy, the sports" something" I referenced yesterday is Sports Version 2UC. VOA of America was pretty clueless today, telling my car comes with first aid kit but not 2UC. Dealer parts guy confirmed 2UC for my VIN
> IN. The manual it says their is a sticker in the spare wheel well showing engine type, etc, but it must be hiding under the feder bass or somewhere else but I could not find it.
> 
> It is interesting that the vin associated with add on first aid kit , mats etc. telling me dealers are not adding after delivery but comes to them with those options built in. Good luck selling turbo mud Mats if every beetle ships from factory with them.
> ...


You can confirm Option Code 2UC on the sticker in your trunk next to the spare.

See this thread


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## Dennis R (Jul 17, 2012)

ridgemanron said:


> When you drive in a spirited fashion into a curve, the sport suspension isn't going to 'bounce'
> like a comfort suspension would. This allows your tires to stay more planted to the road
> surface and give you more precise control with regard to steering. On 'straight-a-ways' you
> won't have the vibration absorbing feature that the comfort suspension offers, instead you'll
> ...



Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

Dennis R said:


> Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.


Glad to have been of help.


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## Cadenza_7o (Jan 23, 2001)

GTarr said:


> I dug through one of the online parts catalogs, and searched the 2012 beetle parts for "sports suspension". It does appear that the sport suspension includes different dampers. However, that appears to be the only difference, and I don't know the specs on the shocks. When I change my wheels out (hopefully in a couple weeks), I will write down the parts numbers of my shocks (which has sport suspension), and maybe someone can find more info. For 2012 Beetles, you can tell if you have sport suspension by looking for option code 2UC on the little sticker in the manual that shows all the build codes. I have no idea if that was changed for 2013 or not.
> 
> GTarr


GTarr -

Please do the following... 

1. Springs - note the color coding (dots) from left to right for front / rear 
2. Dampers - part numbers front / rear
3. Sway bars - measure thickness in millimeter using a micrometer

If you don't have a micrometer and don't feel like buying one, we won't hold it against you. 

VW is notoriously vague when it comes to providing details on "Sports Package" or "Sports Suspension". Many times they have little or nothing to do with suspension and more with appearance. When they don't charge you for anything with the name "Sports" attached to it, things get fishy. In the Mk4 generation, we ended up cataloging springs by color codes painted on them and got their rates measured. 

http://www.oceanstatedubs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6610

I suspect there are only 2 set of suspensions for the current Beetles, one for the 2.5L and another for the Turbo. There might variations within each set to accommodate for differing curb weights (Manual, DSG, sunroof, etc).


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## GTarr (May 17, 2012)

Cadenza,
All those are on my list of things to check out next time I've got the car up / wheels off. I do have a micrometer, too.  That is some hard-core research work in the thread you linked, and I'm totally interested in doing the same here. I'm pretty annoyed with the vagueness of the description of the package as well. I am hoping that the part numbers will show stiffer dampers - if that's the case, the sport suspension package should play more nicely with some lowering springs. Although I see in your thread, someone surmised that the larger wheels (which on the Beetles force "sport suspension") may come with softer suspension. If sport suspension = softer suspension to accomodate larger wheels.... :banghead:

GTarr


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