After reading more than a few magazine articles with varying Horsepower listed for the MINI, I decided that I had to find out what HP my MC was capable of...

I took it to a local shop that has a Clayton Industries dynamometer, which they claim is far superior to the Dyno-Jet. It cost $95 for the session. The technician did 7 runs up to the RPM red-line cutoff. Strangely, the cutoff varied between around 6700 and 7200 RPMs.

The average HP at the wheels around 6200 RPMs maxxed out at about 110 HP at the front wheels (of course). This correlates to an estimated 130 HP at the flywheel, so I was pretty pleased with this result. Max torque was about 112.

Things I learned:
The Speedometer seems to be linked to the rear wheels, and not the front (?). It sat pegged at zero throughout the runs. I found this to be kind of weird, since typically in most cars the speedometer cable is linked into the transmission.

Definitely turn off the DSC when putting your MINI on the Dyno. The car acted strangely (auto braking on the rear wheels etc) until we turned off DSC.

The runflat sensor & DML idiot lights came on almost right away (I pressed the runflat reset button before driving away, and the other lights went out after I had driven a few blocks).

 

Schweeet. I dyno'd my MCS and got about 145hp just before the rev limiter in 4th gear.

R

 

It's a blast standing almost right next to your MINI as it hits 100+ MPH standing still !!!

The engine roar was just incredible!

 

Sweet - good to learn she's got a little more under the hood than advertised.
Just got my MINI C last Saturday. BRG with white stripes and checks on the roof.
I'm having a blast - 650 miles this week - always take the long way
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR!!

This is my first post to a GREAT site

"Motering in North Central FLA"

 

Ronspike - welcome to MCO - "The biggest little (MINI) web site on the internet" to paraphrase the Reno, NV welcome.

_________________
Dark Silver S w/ White Top, Premium & Sport Package, adopted 6/13/02 - 14,500 miles and still motoring!

 

If you're at 130, how much hp can be attributed to the exhaust and CAI mods, 6-7? Most stock MCs seem to be near 123 (sea-level). The JCWorks brings the MC up to a reported 132, but does anyone know what their starting point was?

 

Helix is having a dyno open house saturday the 14th if you can make it to Philly; there will be several cars run, so comparisons will be interesting.

 

John,

I have the Rogue exhaust as well on my IB/W MC - posted some shots back in October. I have been wondering if anyone had put the Pipercross Viper on their MC yet - from what I have read, it seems to give the most gain in HP. Did you install it yourself? Does it change engine sound at all? I had read that the other Pipercross makes a nice little roar, but that the Viper is better performance wise. The cold-air intake is definitely my next mod. I would definitely say after having the Rogue exhaust on for 2 months and maybe 2400 miles, it is getting better. Car feels like it has more power (also, it is colder out) But it's getting better with age!

 

Yeah,
the Rogue exhaust is definitely money well spent. Love it!

Still not sure about the Pipercross Viper. Installed it myself - simple. The airflow pathway is less obstructed than stock, but still not a straight shot from the inlet to the throttle body. The S-bend from filter to throttle body is a bad curve, that I'm sure is slowing down the air flow..I may try to rig up a straight pipe there. Sound is slightly more throaty than stock airbox, but not much louder.

Not sure about HP gains from the Viper. Basic math says that if the MC is 122 stock, and I am getting about 130, then the Viper ain't giving me the promised +12 HP. Seat-of-pants-meter didn't register a significant improvement in accel after adding the Viper either. I didn't do a before & after dyno though..

 

I imagine at some point either Grassroot Motorsport or someone online will do a comparison of MC cold air intakes, the info I have read so far doesn't really give any hard numbers. Being that the car is still relatively new, I guess it may make sense to wait until spring and see what comes up in the intake department and such.

Do you have any other mods planned?

 

Anyone have a recommendation for a good dyno shop in Southern California that they have already worked with on their MINI (preferably an MCS)?

thanks,
tom@wigginsassociates.com
http://home.earthlink.net/~bmwmini