Living/driving in FL and TX (even putting over 100k miles on my '94 Viper, dropped 1.5 inches with stock shock/spring rates) I have never bottomed out.

I ordered the KW Var3 coilover set for my X last week (spring rates and high speed damping almost identical to the OE setup), planning on a 2.5 inch drop. In the years driving my X I have never come close to bottoming because BMW designed the X to operate on much rougher roads then I drive. For my application there is absolutly no "downside" to the drop. If I lived in a local with severe potholes I would never lower due to the fact that going with higher spring rates and/or firmer shock damping actually DECREASES roadholding/performance on rough roads. The "fix" for keeping the suspension from bottoming actually hinders performance on those very road you are driving. This is a textbook example of modding like Martha Stewart (looks) and not like Colin Chapman (performance).

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'03 X5 4.4 Sport, last of the M62s (8-03 build date)
I believe in deadication to craftmanship in a world of mediocrity!