Bilstein, the manufacturer behind many Porsche drivers’ favourite shock absorbers and springs, is a German company, with a massive footprint in the UK thanks to the popularity of their products. Here, we look at their backstory and check out the best Bilstein for your Porsche.

Westfalia is the spiritual home and manufacturing hub of the Bilstein dampers, springs and suspension empire, but the UK’s love of aftermarket mods – and a thrash around the track – ensures Bilstein has a significant presence here, too.

Bilstein: a catchy name.

The Bilstein brand is now 140 years old but their entry into the motorsport arena is comparatively recent. Having been opened, so to speak, as a specialist window catch manufacturer, August Bilstein was encouraged by his son Hans to hit the road instead. After focusing initially on chrome-plated bumpers, Bilstein moved into shocks instead.

At the time, the moto-tube gas-pressurised damper was a daring innovation and Mercedes-Benz was the first tier one motor manufacturer to fit these new shock absorbers to their production cars. Since then, the distinctive, bright yellow ‘billies’ are standard issue among the industry’s premier marques, including Porsche.

The full Monte!

Mercedes’ customers were impressed by the smooth ride, so the Germans took the next logical step and augmented their motorsport cars with the same technology, entering a 220SE in the 1960 Monte Carlo rally. Having won that race and the subsequent championship, competitors, including Audi and Ford, were quick to add Bilstein dampers to their iconic Quattro and RS200 cars.

The move from rally to circuits seemed natural and in 1962, Dan Gurney won the 1962 Rouen-Les-Essarts Grand Prix driving a Porsche 804 and the winning partnership was forged. The cross-pollination between motorsport and road cars continued as fans wanted their domestic drives loaded with race-tuned dampers, coilover kits and other shock absorbing technology.

Want some Bilstein for your Porsche?

Of course you do. What Porsche driver wouldn’t want a little of that race-ready fairy dust sprinkled on their car? Luckily, Design 911 stocks an enormous range of Bilstein hardware and with the Bilstein UK base stacked from floor to ceiling with bright yellow components, fitting Bilstein to every corner of your car has never been easier.

Driving a 997? Step this way.

Finding what you need is straightforward, thanks to our digital database. If you’re thinking of replacing the standard issue shock absorbers at the rear of your Porsche 997 C2/S and C4/S, then check out 26-147543 for a number of options, including Bilstein. If you need shocks for the front of your Porsche 997 C2 (2005-11), it’s 22-147530.

Maybe a Porsche 986 Boxster?

No problem. Bilstein shock absorbers are available as front single units, front twin packs and replacement packages for your 986 Boxster. It’s 22-113313 for the front assembly and 22-113320 for rear shock absorbers in the same formats.

No PASM? No problem!

Not every Boxster or Cayman is blessed with Porsche Active Suspension Management, or PASM for short. (It’s the nifty technology that tweaks the dampers to create a best-of-both chassis experience, a sporty yet comfortable chassis for long journeys and an exceptionally sporty race track variant). A pair of Bilstein front shock absorbers are available for the Porsche 987 Boxster and Cayman models. It’s 22-147578 for the front and 22-147585 for the rear.

They think it’s coilover…

As Bilstein themselves helpfully explain, a change in driving conditions or purpose (ie road to track) demand a different damper setup. Air and coilover suspensions are needed here. A coilover sports suspension uses a screw thread for swift adjustment by hand. Design 911 retails a coilover suspension for the Porsche 993 as a kit containing all four units. You’ll just need to search 48-132688 and it’s 48-132626 for your Porsche 964.

Driving a Porsche 996? We have a shock for you!

We have many. If you need a front shock absorber only, complete with spring sealing bracket – or a full front and rear package for your 996 C4/C4S and TT, then it’s part number 22-113344, and rear singles, twins and packages are available using 24-113359.

And for the icon in your life?

A reviewer for Classic Car magazine describes the 1974-89 iteration of the 911 as ‘mature, with a longer wheelbase, tougher bumpers and a robust, powerful engine’ and being ‘sensational

in the hands of a skilled driver’. Not surprisingly, the market for this nailed-on classic is lively, and their handy guide is a go-to resource for those of us who like our Porsches old-school. One of the lookouts, according to the magazine, is ‘soggy dampers’, which are replaceable without undue fuss or expense at Design 911. Bilstein sport shock absorbers for the 911 are available as singles and twin pack for the front using part number 34-050019 and the rear entering 24-001694 on the search function within the Design 911 site.

Bilstein – it’s a cultural thing.

The worlds of Bilstein and Design 911 are not so far apart. We both exist to help our clients get every ounce of motoring joy – and performance – from their motoring investments and there is a huge amount of crossover.

An obvious example of this is how drivers of Porsches and other top marques seek to get that sporty, racetrack vibe in their everyday motoring. While Design 911 will look at the whole car to achieve the feel the driver is after – think more Nürburgring than ring road – Bilstein are focused exclusively on how dampers, springs, coilovers and every other weapon in their collective arsenal can be integrated to create a ride for every situation.

Get set, go: Street, track and race.

The Porsche driver can, of course, choose from an impressive range of suspension technologies at Design 911, including Porsche Originals and OE options. There are simply no bad choices at Design 911, including the full Bilstein range, which includes street, track and race configurations.

To learn more about Bilstein, their products, and special events including 2024 track days, visit their site.

News