Cygnus Performance X-1 Motorsport Edition Coilovers

Description

The Cygnus Performance X-1 Motorsport Edition Coilovers are one of the only truly custom built nationally competitive coilover sets under $2,000. Over the past 15 years we have spent a lot of time on the track and at autocross with our personal Subarus. We have also had multiple customers who have been SCCA national autocross champions as well as customers who have competed in global time attack, gridlife and many other regional events. During this time both with our own experience and with valuable feedback from thousands of customers we have learned what works on these cars. We sell all of the very high-end European options such as Moton, AST, JRZ and Ohlins. We have been spec’ing custom spring rates and valving for these coilovers for many years. These brands are great, but we wanted to offer something that was truly on par with them performance-wise at the track while only costing a fraction of the price. We knew we had the core technology we needed to achieve this with our Classic Edition X-1 Coilovers. We simply needed to upgrade a few key components. We developed valving specific to motorsport use, optimized shock and stroke length for the best possible performance and we offer a wide range of spring rates to suit a variety of motorsport applications. In addition to these upgrades we also use triple bolt camber plates for maximum strength and rigidity, and cinch bolt locking lower mount collars to prevent slipping under high G load track use. We also wanted to offer better, quicker, more cost-effective support in the United States.
We really didn’t have to cut any corners to build high-quality competition dampers at a better price point. We just had to build them in the United States using globally sourced components (the main components that matter come from Japan and Sweden). This is actually much more efficient cost-wise than building everything overseas and air shipping it here.

Although this version of the X-1’s can be daily driven its main focus is motorsport use. We also offer a Classic Edition (click here to view) for customers who want a setup that is still very track and autocross capable while maintaining better comfort levels on the street, and we offer a Comfort Edition (click here to view) if ride comfort is a primary concern. All Cygnus Performance X-1 coilovers use exactly the same technology that you would find on coilovers costing two or three times as much. At this price point we are the only brand to offer tunable European style digressive valving that was engineered with the best possible performance as a primary objective. Another thing you will not find on other options in this price range are the extremely high-quality components that we use where it matters. Our pistons are CND’d in Japan rather than hand drilled like most options in this price range which is critical for consistency, rebound adjustment range and ride quality. Our shims which are probably the single most important component on the shock when it comes to performance and consistency at the track are made by Ohlins in Sweden. Our shafts and radial bearings are both made in Japan from the highest quality steel. The oil used in our shocks is fully synthetic, features an extremely high viscosity index and is either produced in the United States or France depending on the specs you choose. High quality oil is very important for consistency, responsiveness and shock longevity. Our shocks also have a high oil capacity which further improves longevity. You may change your engine oil as often as every 3,000 miles, but shock oil has to last 60,000 miles or more without any significant shearing or degradation (with heavy track use this number will be lower, but quality oil is even more important for track use than for street use). Other options in this price range cut corners with these details. Our coilovers don’t just perform better than anything else in this price range. They also last longer.

Cygnus Performance X-1 Coilovers Feature:

• Monotube construction for superior performance, durability and a wider range of damping adjustment
• CNC’d pistons for maximum digression and consistent results every time
• Exceptionally high quality Swedish Ohlins sourced shims typically only found on shocks costing twice as much
• Digressive valving which allows the shock to both ride and perform better than traditional linear valving
• Independent ride height control which does not affect pre-load or travel which makes set up and ride height adjustment an easy process
• 4 different top hat options unique to these coilovers, all of which feature Koyo Japan radial bearings. You can expect silent operation and either maximum comfort, maximum performance or even adjustable caster depending on your specific needs
• 100% rebuildable, upgradable and revalvable in the USA quickly and for a reasonable cost
• Truly Application Specific. Spring rates, valving, shocks, top hats and other critical components that have all been either specifically developed or specifically chosen for your car. This is critical for both performance and ride quality.
• More Subaru specific R&D than anything else in this price range. We have been testing custom coilover options on these cars since 2006. We have been manufacturing coilovers since 2010. We have been daily driving, tracking and autocrossing these cars for two decades. We also have feedback from thousands of happy customers. We regularly talk to our customers about their experiences with our products both on the street and at the track.
• Hand built in the USA
• All shocks are individually dynoed to ensure consistency and performance
• 100% high viscosity index French or American synthetic oil used in all shocks for durability and longevity
• Truly Modular. These coilovers can be modified or upgraded anytime in the future. If your needs change and you want a more aggressive or less aggressive setup you can easily swap to any of our top hat options. Our valving will also accommodate a large spring rate swing if you want to change stiffness beyond just adjusting damping. If you ever want a revalve we can essentially convert any of our versions to another version – ie if you buy Comfort and later want to turn your car into a track car we can convert your set into a Motorsport set. You can also upgrade any of our X-1 coilovers to a double adjustable X-2 or triple adjustable X-3 (featuring Penske 3-Way reservoirs)
• An unrivaled 5 year warranty on most components
• Industry leading tech support both before and after the sale
• High quality, accurate, linear springs available in rates to suit every need. All of the springs that we sell with our coilovers are either manufactured in the United States or Japan.

No other coilover set will bring together this list of features at this price point. We firmly believe these are the best value on the market when it comes to coilovers and by far the best option in their price range.

Optional Upgrades

Top Hats
We offer two different front top hat options on the X-1 Motorsport Edition. Both feature a heavy duty triple bolt design to avoid any slipping on the track. The standard camber plates are the default option. There is no additional charge for these. They offer a large range of camber adjustment, and any potential for spring bind is eliminated with Japanese radial bearing upper perches. These are high quality camber plates that get the job done, but if it’s within your budget our High Caster Plates are one of the most beneficial upgrades you can make to these coilovers. They feature a best in the industry +1.2° of positive caster which has many benefits including better dynamic camber characteristics, more front end grip, less understeer, better tire wear characteristics, better on center steering feel, better overall steering feel, better straight line stability and better high-speed stability. Improving straight line stability is particularly beneficial when you lower ride height since this throws off factory steering geometry. They are also an extremely well made plate – they are very thick with fully recessed hardware and dual camber adjustment channels for more rigidity and strength than anything else on the market. They are an extremely beneficial upgrade if you are doing a lot of performance driving.

Spring Rates

We have preset spring rate options on both the Classic and Comfort Editions of our product, but for this Motorsport Edition spring rates are completely customizable. We felt that this was absolutely critical to compete with the high dollar built to order Dutch options. Our valving has an enormous amount of rebound adjustment which will allow you to change springs without revalving. If you are changing spring rates by more than 3k in either direction revalving is recommended. A huge advantage with our product over other built-to-order competition coilovers is the fact that revalving and upgrading can be done quickly and easily in the United States by the people who built the shocks in the first place. This is not the case with any European option.

Long Travel Option

This option will change your ride height range from the standard 0.75″ minimum to 3″ maximum drop to being able to run just slightly higher than stock at max height to a 1.5″ drop at minimum height. This option is popular with customers who want additional snow clearance. An added benefit of this option is longer stroke shocks. The only downside is not being able to lower the car as aggressively.

We are also one of the only shock manufacturers in the world to offer custom length shocks. If you are looking for a specific, non-standard ride height range please feel free to contact us. We can accommodate most needs whether you are looking for an aggressive drop or to lift your car.

Swift and Hyperco Upgrades

Upgrading to one of these two brands has many advantages. Swift and Hyperco make the highest quality linear coilover springs in the world. They offer more accuracy than generic springs which essentially means they match their advertised rate and do not deviate much from this rate throughout the entire range of compression. More accuracy provides significantly better handling. The car will feel very consistent whether you are turning left or turning right. Transitioning from corner entry, to mid-cornering to exiting a corner is all very predictable and consistent. They also have less rate distortion which means the spring rate does not increase very significantly as the spring is compressed. This gives you considerably smoother ride quality. Extremely high quality spring steel coupled with extensive cycling and testing at the factory means that both of these brands are much less likely to settle or sag than lesser springs. Years down the road these brands typically provide exactly the same smooth ride quality and exceptional handling that they did out of the box.

A spring seems like a simple component because it’s just a single piece of steel, but the reality is this is the second most important component on your entire suspension after your damper. Building a high quality, accurate spring requires decades of expertise which most manufacturers do not have. Cygnus Performance, LLC is proud to be a top level master distributor for both Swift and Hyperco. If there is one upgrade to get this is the one. If you have questions about which spring brand or spring rate is best for your goals we are happy to help!

Motorsport shock upgrade*
This upgrades the camber plates from a double bolt to a triple bolt design. It also replaces the single piece lower mount locking collars with a heavy duty cinch bolt self locking version. This upgrade gives you maximum strength and rigidity which is particularly important on a MacPherson strut front shock. For a street driven car there is no downside. Adjusting ride height is easier both during initial setup and during any subsequent future adjustment. This upgrade also virtually eliminates any chance of ride height or camber settings slipping.

*This upgrade is included by default with the Motorsport Edition

Concave piston upgrade
This upgrade changes both the working piston design and the shock oil. We use a design very similar to high dollar track oriented brands for a fraction of the cost. This upgrade further improves both digression and rebound adjustment. This valving can accommodate a 8k spring rate swing and offers one of the most digressive valving profiles on the market. This is not an inexpensive upgrade, but the last 10% of perfection are the most expensive. If you want to leave nothing on the table and want the best possible performance at the track this upgrade is worth every penny.

Remote damper controller
Also known as RDC this option gives you the ability to adjust all four dampers from the driver’s seat with the touch of a button. It features three separate presets. This option can also be retrofitted in the future. This is an excellent upgrade if you often track or autocross your car and want to change settings on the fly.

Rear extenders

Rear extenders extend the rear rebound adjustment which makes it much easier to access on sedans. Without these you have to physically remove the backseat every time you want to adjust damping unless you have the remote damper controller upgrade. This is not a necessary or recommended upgrade on hatchbacks, SUV’s or wagons.

Hyperco Metric Hydraulic Spring Perches
A Cygnus Performance exclusive. These spring perches perfectly fit a 60mm ID spring and ensure that forces are evenly distributed. A coil spring will inherently put uneven pressure on the lower perch. Having a fully independent free articulating hydraulic perch solves this issue completely. In the real world this equals dead smooth operation for better handling, better ride quality and longer shock life. These are sold in pairs, so you can upgrade the front or the rear or both. If you have questions about this upgrade or about whether it is better to upgrade the front or the back please feel free to contact us.

The Things That Separate Us From The Competition

Our European Digressive Monotube Valving

Because our valving is digressive it provides both soft high speed compression and stiff low speed compression. High speed compression is the valving parameter that comes into play during high shock shaft velocity events such as crossing over curbs at the track. When high speed compression is soft the suspension is able to keep the car composed which is critically important for the best possible lap times. Digressive valving also provides stiff low speed compression. Low shock shaft velocity events primarily come into play when you are cornering. Stiff low speed compression means that even though the car is composed while crossing over curbs or broken sections of the track it is also very flat around corners. Because of the high quality components that we use and the monotube technology that our shocks are based on we do not have to compromise between keeping the car composed over hard hits and keeping the car flat around corners. With Cygnus Performance X-1 coilovers you get the best of both worlds. Nothing in this price range will perform better at your next track day.

The best support in the business

We sell pretty much every coilover brand out there and there is a big problem with many of them which is not offering proper post sales support. Even some of the brands that have very good warranties on paper cannot make good on these warranty without very long lead times. If you damage a single shock and you need components quickly with most coilover brands that is not an option. With our coilovers all of the components are typically on the shelf ready to go in the United States when you need them. X-1 coilovers offer some of the best longevity of any shock set for these cars at any price point, but when it comes time for a rebuild this can be done quickly and inexpensively in the United States which unfortunately is not the case with most coilovers for these cars. At Cygnus Performance we have always prided ourselves on providing the best post-sale support in the business. We don’t disappear once we have your money. We will be here after the sale to ensure that your coilovers get set up properly, you are happy with the results and all of your questions are answered. You are always welcome to call, email or contact us on social media. This is true on the day the coilover show up, and it is also true years after you purchase them. Many thousands of happy customers will attest to this if you Google our name. You will read nothing but positive reviews. Spending as much time as required with each customer may not be the most efficient way of doing things in 2019, but it’s the best way and we don’t plan on changing. The truth is we enjoy talking about suspension for these cars. This job is our passion and has been our passion since 2006. If you are at the track or at autocross and you require assistance or if your set up leaves anything to be desired we are here to talk about alignment specs, tire pressure, damping settings, supporting mods and anything else that you may need assistance with.

A Better Value

All of this may sound too good to be true, but there is a reason that we are able able to provide so much value at a reasonable price point. When you buy our product you are buying it directly from us, so there are zero middlemen. This is not common with coilovers. Usually the manufacturer sells to a distributor who then sells to a shop who then sells to you – or with very high-end built to order European coilovers they have facilities and employees spread across multiple continents which is also not as efficient as building and supporting coilovers directly in the United States. We also rely entirely on word-of-mouth advertising. We spend nothing at all on advertising. Less overhead and less middlemen means more value. We focus all of our R&D and time on one thing which is offering the best possible suspension and suspension support for Subarus. We don’t try to be the biggest vendor. We don’t try to have the largest catalog. We don’t try to sell products for every car under the sun. We are heavily focused on one primary objective which is getting you more for your money with Subaru suspension than anyone else.

The History of Cygnus Performance X-1 Coilovers – Why building something that is truly application specific matters

At Cygnus Performance Subaru suspension has been our primary focus since 2006. We have been selling high end digressive monotube European custom coilovers solutions for many years. These high-dollar European options are an excellent choice if money is no object. They give you night and day better performance than stock while maintaining excellent ride quality, but for many customers it is not practical to spend several thousand dollars on coilovers. Unfortunately most of the lower-cost coilover options use harsh valving that is not application-specific, cheap pillow ball top hats that can creak and make noise, low-quality springs with very little consistency and poor ride quality and short travel shocks that are also not application-specific. The European (and private labeled) coilovers at lower price points are often twintube and some of them even use plastic spring perches. At the entry level price point corners are always cut in all the wrong places. We wanted to fix this. We wanted to offer customers coilovers that were designed similarly to high-quality European options that also used similar high-quality components and we wanted to do this for a fraction of the price. This was a tall order, but with Cygnus Performance X-1 Digressive Monotube Coilovers we have achieved everything that we set out to accomplish.

In 2010 we began work on our own coilovers. To develop these coilovers we worked with our long time suspension partner Fortune Auto North America. We work with over 30 different shock manufacturers. We chose to work with Fortune Auto for several reasons. They offer better US based support than any other coilover manufacturer at any price point. With any kind of shock absorber good post sales support directly from the manufacturer is extremely important. Not all customers consider this when they are deciding what coilovers to purchase. Our coilovers can be rebuilt and upgraded quickly in the United States, and it can be done by the guys who built them in the first place. Fortune Auto has four roehrig shock dynos which both gave us the ability do all of the required R&D and to ensure that every single shock we sell is tested and perfect. They also had a lot of experience working with monotube digressive shocks which is the best possible shock technology for these cars. Our basic goal here was to offer coilovers that used the latest and greatest technology, had a valving profile similar to the high-end European models we sell for thousands more and also to allow customers to select from multiple different top hat options so that these would be modular and perfectly fit their needs. One other critically important goal was that these were not a throwaway shock like many are at this price point. They had to be serviceable and rebuildable quickly and for a reasonable price in the United States. When you buy X-1 coilovers you never have to buy them again. The results of all of this are a $1865 coilover set that gives you very similar results to coilovers costing twice their price.

Have Questions?

If you have questions about these coilovers we are here to help! Please contact us by clicking here