How does a La Mosca Turismo BC Racing coilover kit transform a 2002 Alfa Romeo Spider 916 2.0 TS?
November 2025 – In October 2023, I bought my Spider TS and have been using it as a daily ever since. At the time, I considered it a rolling project and expected to spend money refining it exactly the way I wanted. After a year and 15,000 reliable and fun kilometres, I started looking at serious upgrades to take things further. The rear was too soft, the scuttle shake annoyed me, and the brakes weren’t up to the task on European mountain roads.
By October 2025, the Spider went in for its annual service and MOT. Part of the complementary upgrade package included steel brake lines and better pads, a La Mosca Racing Turismo BC Racing coilover kit, a strut brace, and a thorough clean-up while my mechanic of choice was at it. Spoiler alert: the car is now fully equipped for long-distance journeys across Europe.
So, how does this transformation compare to the tired original car? My 2002 Spider had two previous owners, and with 225,000 km on the clock I never expected a fully equipped street racer. Fresh tyres, new bushes and rubbers, and an overhauled Phase 1 steering rack had already made a big difference. But still, every small imperfection in the road like bumps, cracks and uneven patches made my Alfa wobble, and in fast corners the limits arrived sooner than I liked. The leaning, shaking, and lack of precision simply had to go.
La Mosca Racing
The Dutch Alfa Romeo community has quite a few experts, each with their own field of knowledge, and some are well-known abroad. Hendrik de Vlieg founded his La Mosca Racing outfit ages ago, and he’s widely regarded as the specialist when it comes to 916 underpinnings.
Anorak note: Vespa means ‘wasp,’ Ape means ‘bee,’ and Mosca means ‘fly.’ And since De Vlieg translates to ‘fly’ as well, naming his 916 parts company ‘La Mosca’ was a clever move.
Hendrik offers BC Racing kits (and Supersprint and Pipercross and lots more) specifically calibrated to the characteristics of the GTV and Spider. His undercarriage set, the ‘Comfort Turismo’ (for 916 Spider / GTV Twin Spark models, 1994–2005), seemed like the ideal upgrade to give my 916 the long-distance comfort it deserved. I had already swapped the slippery leather seats for Phase 1 cloth, much to my wife’s satisfaction, so this was the next logical step.
Compared to the sometimes overly harsh standard 916 setup, the La Mosca kit offers a substantial improvement in comfort thanks to modern, customizable damper technology. BC Racing isn’t approved in Germany (and possibly other countries) because the kits are considered too racy. For that reason many 916 owners default to KW, Koni, or Bilstein to remain fully legal. But running 16” wheels with 205/55 tyres, I couldn’t agree with what, in my view, is their rather one-dimensional approach. With the BC Racing kit the ride height is adjustable to personal preference, with a minimum rear drop of around 15 mm, and that was the only compromise I made.
Cost-wise, this suspension set also means replacing the strut bearings and a number of other components. Since this is quite an operation, my garage cleaned, replaced, and refined the entire setup around each wheel before installing and calibrating the new suspension.
Installation
- Mono-Tube damper design
- Linear piston & damping’s curve
- LMR spring selection: choose Comfort Turismo or Turismo Forza
- Front height adjustment via damper housing, Not by compressing the spring!
- Rear height adjustment via lower mounts
- 30-Clicks damper adjustment (simultaneous Compression & Rebound)
This set includes: 2 front coilover struts including topmounts fitted with strut bearings, 2 rear coilover springs, coilovers (lower mounts) and adjustable rear shock absorbers, adjusting keys.
This LMR undercarriage kit, based on the BC Racing BR series uses hefty 46 MM pistons in a spacious 53 MM damper housing. This ensures optimum oil volume which contributes to lower peak temperatures and significant improvement in damping performance. Inside the damper, the oil normally heats up under driving loads and its viscosity also changes with increasing temperature. This can lead to changing characteristics of the damper. Besides the increased oil capacity, a high-quality oil is also used in these suspension kits to maximise performance.
Performance
Along with the LMR set I had the brakes enhanced with steel lines and better pads. I also had a strut fitted to minimize scuttle shake. This makes a difference. But the real gamechanger is the LMR set. Yes, the ride is firmer but also so much more comfortable. There’s still some unevenness in the front, more so with the summer wheels (16” Teardrops, Vredestein Ultrac) than with the winter wheels (16” Teledials, Vredestein Wintrac). But only at around 80 kmh. I suspect the wheels are different in weight…
Overall, my Spider now smooths out the road with a silky composure while still retaining the firmness you’d expect from a sporty car. The days of body roll are gone, corners are taken with ease and at noticeably higher speeds. I can comfortably say that entry speeds have increased by around 25%, and my wife remains perfectly content. When I really push on, the Vredestein Ultrac tyres begin to show their limits. I suppose I’ll have to wait another 25,000 km and then switch to Michelin Pilot Sport 5 to experience the next level in driving. For now, I’m more than satisfied.
Verdict
For now, I’m happy. Let’s see how winter treats my Spider. Come spring, I’m sure new possibilities and opportunities to refine the car will present themselves. But first, the budget will go toward European travels.