Hello and greetings to all from Florida. I joined here to learn more about the Mini Cooper as we are considering purchasing a couple of them.

It appears that there are so many versions and configurations. Can anyone point me to a source of data where I can review the different engines / tranny combos? (I went to Mini Wikepedia and it's very confusing.)

To cut to the chase - which Mini is going to have to best 0-60 time?

Do you guys (and gals) have a source for flashing the PCM?

Are there many supporting vendors for aftermarket upgrades? i.e. intake, exhaust, etc.

We have the SRT Magnum and Viper Ram currently and really like the performance. But the $90 fill ups twice a week are just nuts. We have been thinking that maybe a switch over to a Mini. But we would want the one that hauls the most a___. Respectfully.

Thanks - and all comments appreciated.

 

Welcome aboard maybe. Start here with these and on that same site is lots of reviews. We are also here for you when you get yours. Keep us posted.

http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

http://www.motoringfile.com/index.ph...6+buyers+guide

 

Welcome, MINI's really aren't drag cars. If your looking a new MINI's then your going to want a JCW, and with as few options as possible to make it lighter. That will give you the best 0-60 time out of all the MINI's currently for sale, there are mods to make it faster. But keep in mind it's not an american V8 muscle car like your previous cars.

 

Bram - thank you but the links are hanging on my machine. Could their location have moved?

Wayworks no man I'm good on the V-8 muscle thing. It's just that when you look at this Cube, and that other one and they go like 0-60 in10.5 flat I'm thinking that's probably not going to do it for us.

I like to buy 1-3 years old and then mod. In your sig it says you flash. So that will allow the fuel, ignition curves to be modified, trimmed, etc?

Is a 7 second 0-60 Mini unrealistic? Orlando is nothing but combat driving. You gotta get it or "get got".

 

I'm brand new to the Mini world so my opinion may be way off. The Mini really isn't a 0-60 car. Even the John Cooper Works is quick but 0-60 times are nothing spectacular. Where the Mini shines is in the twisties. This car sticks like glue, twists turns on ramps, the car is a ferocious little demon.

Matt

 

Hahahaha

I'm from Tampa and this is the mentality throughout most of the states. You have to look hard for twisties so everyone is just very focused on straight-line speed. Drives me bonkers.

Get the JCW. Mod the hell out of it and hope it does what you want.

Cheers man!

 

Well here in Mouseville - there's not a lot of twisties. Just on ramps and merges with people dropping in on you. That's why the 0-60 is somewhat important. I went to a site that was called zeroto60times.com and it seems to show that the Minis with an S attached to their model perform in the 7 second range. That we can live with. I'd really like to learn more though on the engine / tranny configs. Like, 5 or 6 on the floor is nice - but how do you guys like the paddle shifter option? That's a no clutch set up right? Because it's an automatic.

But are there header or intake manifold options? What about cam upgrades? And the flash alone should be worth 30 foot pounds I would think.

Starting to look forward to this a bit...

 

Lots of header and cam options. There is a company in Florida called Thumper Performance who ports and polishes mini heads and intakes the owner is very active in the Mini community as well. You could also look at RMW for performances options.

 

no disrespect intended but I just don't think you 'get' the 'MINI thing'

this is not a drag racer. I would not buy an Italia for it's 1/4 mile time, nor would I buy a Hemi Charger to enjoy on the Dragon. When people ask me how fast my '79 will go I tell them I don't know cuz I close my eyes after 55 but inside I'm thinking "you just don't get it."

If you want to figure out the engine and tranny options well it really isn't that difficult because the options were few

all the MINIs of a particular GENeration use the same block. GEN1 was a Damlier and GEN2 is a Peugot, 4 cyl fuel injected and under 2 liters

An S has a blower. A Justa (just a Cooper not an S) does not. GEN1 was a super charger, GEN2 is a turbo. Both have intercoolers. You won't want to look at anything that's not an S.

All S with manual have been a Gertag 6 speed since day 1 (original S in 2002 did not even offer an auto)

Later the GEN1 S was availabe with auto and a flapper shift was too, but I don't really pay attention to auto shifters

in both GEN the JCW package was at its core a HP improvement package. On a GEN1 it included a change of the superchargrer with a reduced pulley size providing increased boost and HP. JCW kit provided an strengthened supercharger (and other stuff) for $$. MANY GEN1 S owners changed their own pulley and got the boost w/out the +'d supercharger (saving $) JCW and others also offered exhaust systems, ignition upgrades etc

A 'pulley job' was a quick and easy way to kick a GEN1 in the butt. Sadly there is no similar cheat on a turbo which the GEN2 has . . .

ECU re-maps are available.

play around with the MINI configurator on the MINIUSA site and 'build your MINI' with options..... you can see what's available today.

There's a ton of aftermarket stuff. Check the vendor list here. See MOSS or MINIMANIA or WAY's site or or or

You can check out SunshineMinis.org for others around Orlando of similar ilk. In particular you might want to contact 'Chad'

 

Well said Capt.

 

Welcome fellow Floridian. It sounds like you want a gen 2 MINI. If you want ECU tuning ability I would stick with a car with the N14 motor ('07-'10 hard top or '09-'12 JCW) The '11 MCS and '13 JCW got the newer N18 motor which makes a hair more power but the ECU needs to be bench tuned, not through the OBDII port.

Orlando traffic is crazy but there is a great base of MINI folks, check out Sunshine Minis
(SSM) http://sunshineminis.org/ for some local events. While the MINI is no SRT type car in a straight line it can surly do what you need to do to get on I-4 or weave in and out of the sea of minivans trying to get off at exit 62, 67 etc. There are quite a few nice sweeping turns east of I drive or west of Disney and any on-ramp can be your personal launch platform to be up to speed with traffic or better by the time you merge. Go drive a MCS or JCW if you budget allows and then you will fully get the MINI thing.

 

Capt - maybe re-read my opening post. There is reason I came on here - to get a better handle on the mini. Thought maybe a forum would be good place to start. Maybe I'm wrong. Only you guys started saying "drag car". An SRT anything is not a drag car. So yeah in theory maybe right now I don't "get it" - But is wanting a car to do better than 8 or 9 seconds in the 0-60 mean someone doesn't get it? I have never had a mini be anything other than a rapidly disappearing set of headlights in my rear view - in any application - on ramp, sweeping turn, or any other. So maybe the mini is not for me.

Acallahan / yetti96 thanks - that's the information I'm looking for. I've heard of Thumper from someone else. It seems like the S in a manual trans configuration is a good start for us. So I think for now that's the set up (we actually need two) I'm going to start looking for and test driving. We're going to test drive a couple new ones too.

 

Stock a MCS should be in the mid/upper 6 sec range for 0-60.

Some folks might be letting you know these are not 0-60 or 1/4 mi cars because it seems like every couple of weeks you get the teenager who just wants to race cars and they have a buddy who has/had one and it was quick, but they want to put down killer 12-13 sec runs and sub 2 sec 60' times but these are just not the cars for that. A RWD or AWD car can easily make and put down power for the purpose of a drag but be nowhere near as fun as a MINI in the bends. Even in flat and boring FL we can find our select few fun roads and really feel the car and love driving.

While I can keep up with traffic I am by no means a fast car, but I was able to make a buddy puke on the Dragon last fall...not too many cars that I know of in a stock form that can do that, let alone get 30mpg and be in a $20k range.