[Epic]

Hello everyone,

My 2012 VW Polo 1.6 MPI has been serving me well for a good amount of time. I had contemplated on may occasions to replace the car but could not find a suitable replacement. Actually, there isn't any in the market yet.

I recently had to change my front shocks which were OEM VW which I have found to wear out prematurely. I decided to replace them with Sachs and though why not go a step further and get lowered springs as well. I've been hearing a lot about Cobra lowered springs and decided to give it a shot. I got the 30/35 mm drop set and got the install done yesterday. Before taking this decision, I was worried about the ride quality. The car being driven on Mumbai roads, I was not sure if this was the right mod. I took a chance anyway and kept my old springs as a back up.

Drove the car back from the workshop today and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The car felt nice and tight and since I have not got a chance to drive at speeds over 60-70 kmph yet, I am assuming that the handling is going to be very good. Yes, in the city I can feel the road undulations much more than before but it isn't too bad. I've decided to drive the car for a month or so to check if this is bearable in the long run.

Here are a few pics.

The Sachs Struts and Cobra Springs



Car Stance Before



Car Stance After

[GTO]

Absolutely love the way your Polo looks! Very tasteful, sweet choice of rims too .

Once you put some km on her, do share a review of:

- Ground clearance & clearing speed-breakers

- Handling

- Ride quality

How much was the damage to the wallet ?

[Epic]

Originally Posted by GTO

Absolutely love the way your Polo looks! Very tasteful, sweet choice of rims too .

Once you put some km on her, do share a review of:

- Ground clearance & clearing speed-breakers

- Handling

- Ride quality

How much was the damage to the wallet ?

Thank you GTO. It takes a lot to keep the Germans in such a condition and especially a black car.

In term of ground clearance, the bottom did touch a speed breaker but I am guessing that was one of those speed breakers that are too high. Did not have a problem with others though.
Handling and ride quality is something I will update once I run the car a bit more on open roads.

The total cost was around 60k. The springs were bought used (had done around 5k kms) from a friend. The struts, strut mounts and ball joints were changed. The steering rack was serviced. As good as a entire suspension overhaul.

[UtkarshC]

Side stance on point! She's looking awesome, man. And those rims are perfectly complementing the overall look. What size are those and what is the make and size of the tyres you are using?

Waiting for your more detailed review with these springs on.

[Epic]

Originally Posted by UtkarshC

Side stance on point! She's looking awesome, man. And those rims are perfectly complementing the overall look. What size are those and what is the make and size of the tyres you are using?

Waiting for your more detailed review with these springs on.

Hey! Thank you for the compliments. I believe the fronts are too low to be honest. The rims are Momo Quantums in 16". Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 4 in 205/50/R16.

[Epic]

UPDATE AFTER 40 KMS

So from the time I have put the Cobra springs, I have found that the car is lower than what I have seen in many pics. It is also pretty bouncy and sometimes touches speed breakers (most of the times it is the mud flaps rather than the body) which would have never happened with the OEM set up. And mind you, this is with me alone in the car. No load at all. I had already started to regret my decision of going ahead with this mod. No point breaking your car for handling and looks.

I have shown the side profile of the car to many and some have found the stance perfect while other have found it lower than normal. I spoke to Achintya (AM Racing, Delhi) who is the direct importer for Cobra and he too found it to be lower than normal. It is then that he suspected that I may be using springs that are not applicable to the spec of my car. Apparently, the springs are sold depending on the model / engine of the car and he believes that I have installed springs that are applicable to the 1.0/1.2 TSI and not for the 1.6 MPI. I have ordered new springs from him applicable to my car which should be arriving in a day or so. Let's hope this will give

I will have them installed and give my feedback again after some running.

[Epic]

UPDATE AFTER INSTALLING NEW SPRINGS

Received my new Cobra springs and immediately headed to the workshop for a swap. I was not sure on what to except after my previous experience but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The new springs specified for the Polo 1.6 MPI are perfect. They gave the car a more practical stance and drastically improved the ride quality. I can now drive normally as compared to the stressed and lack of confidence the previous set up offered.

So for those who would like to use lowered Cobra springs for the Polo, please remember to clarify your engine spec before ordering a set. The model number for 1.6 MPI is AMR Polo 35 while that for the 1.2/1.0 TSI is AMR Polo MPI.

Here are some pics:

Cobra Springs (AMR Polo MPI)



Cobra Springs (AMR Polo 35)



OEM Stance



Stance with AMR Polo MPI



Stance with AMR Polo 35

[Beyondirections]

Thanks for the update @Epic.

Do share your ride experience with the the updated set up, especially tackling Mumbai roads.

I have a 1.0L tsi and have been considering upgrading with a similar combination setup but since it is my daily driver, slightly hesitant of lowering it as I use it to travel long distances (good + bad patchy roads) regularly hence cannot risk compromising on the drivability.

[Epic]

UPDATE POST INSTALLATION OF THE CORRECT SPEC OF SPRINGS

I have driven the car for around 50-60 kms till now on the new set up and I can say that I am very pleased with the outcome. I can finally drive my car normally like I used to without any scrapes and bumps over speed breakers or bad roads. I even drove with a full load (04 adults) today and did not have any issues.

In terms of ride quality; it definitely is a bit stiffer as compared to the stock set up but nothing to complain about. I can also feel that the handling is much better than before. Although I haven't got a chance to drive the car on a winding road yet, I am pretty sure I am going to enjoy it.

I was not really sure of this mod especially on Mumbai road and after the experience I had with the first set of springs. I can say that I was unfortunately suckered in to purchasing a set of used springs being sold by the owner of a performance store in Goregaon, Mumbai who deliberately sold them to me even though they were not specified to my car model.

On the other hand, I am glad I got in touch with Mr. Achintya from AM Racing, Delhi who helped me identify and rectify my issue by suggesting me the correct springs for my car. The Sachs struts from Mr. Vedant from Pole Position Performance, Pune added to the pleasure.

[MattarKK]

Originally Posted by Epic

UPDATE POST INSTALLATION OF THE CORRECT SPEC OF SPRINGS
The Sachs struts from Mr. Vedant from Pole Position Performance, Pune added to the pleasure.

I can't DM yet. Can you DM me Mr. Vedant's contact no. I'm looking for Sachs struts.

[PrisonMike]

Originally Posted by MattarKK

I can't DM yet. Can you DM me Mr. Vedant's contact no. I'm looking for Sachs struts.

You can contact him here: +91 8767477120

[MattarKK]

Originally Posted by PrisonMike

You can contact him here: +91 8767477120

Thanks. Connected. sadly no stock. Had contacted few other as well, looks like no stock with anyone .

[PrisonMike]

Originally Posted by MattarKK

Thanks. Connected. sadly no stock. Had contacted few other as well, looks like no stock with anyone .

Not surprising. It is a very sort after set of struts, so availability usually hardly lasts.

Did you try contacting German Cart? I bought my rear Sachs struts from him.
His name is Ubaib: +919544868585

[MattarKK]

Originally Posted by PrisonMike

Did you try contacting German Cart? I bought my rear Sachs struts from him.
His name is Ubaib: +919544868585

Yes, I contacted him first, after seeing your post in another thread where you mentioned you bought from him. No stock with him as well. He mentioned he has back order with company. No idea when it'll be in stock. He also mentioned 3 other companies he can provide. I'm not sure about those. Keen on Sachs only.

[Epic]

UPDATE AFTER AROUND 1,000 KMS

So the ride appears to have slightly soften over time but I do not expect them to soften any further. The ride can be pretty uncomfortable over a bad stretch or pot holes. Due to the stiff ride, minor rattles will get amplified. My mudflaps still do touch speed breakers that are higher than normal which are rare incidents.

So overall, I would say that this is a decent upgrade provided you have good roads to drive on. If you reside in Bombay, I would not recommend lowering springs. The thought does cross my mind every now and then to move back to the stock springs.