FYI the Works kit produces the max. turbo over-boost increases (over stock) in the 1600-4500 rpm range. Might be as high at 215 lbs of torque in short burst. Over 5400 rpm the boost trails off quickly (as it does in the stock car) and over 5600 rpm the R56 looses boost fast. So it is a bit of a mis-conception that the R56 benefits from "winding out" the rpm's. All of the modern direct injection turbo engines work the same way & produce boost at very specific points in the powerband. The best hope for added power gains in the JCWorks tuning kit will come from a good turbo-back exhaust & bigger injectors. We don't necessarly want the added thermal stress(es) of more T.boost via software tweeking w/o 1st exploiting the T.back exhaust systems.
Still, my newly modded R56 Works kit produces buckets of useful power in a very broad RPM range that makes 80% of daliy driving smoother w/ deep reserves of torque. Really very impressive.

 

good thing i got my alta 3" turbo back exhaust! tons of power felt!

 

Update: After a few good days of driving there are a couple other things I've noticed about the kit that I really enjoy:

In stock guise, there had been a NOTICABLE dip in power (but a rise in fuel efficiency ) right around 3000-3300 RPM. It felt like turbo-lag... but not quite (since the turbo spools up so fast off idel). In Europe, the cars are tested in this RPM range for emmissions and fuel economy data. My guess is that MINI most-likley leaned out the fuel map in this area to produce higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions during this testing process. It was my biggest complaint about the stock fuel map as it was a noticable dip in power . That's all but gone with the JCW kit. The HP and Torque curve feels much flatter than stock, with not hiccups to complain about. Smooth delivery, pulling 'till redline .

Secondly, I've noticed that the pedal responce is more sensitive. Almost as if the sport button is on 100% of the time . Turn the sport button on and the steering still tightens up and the overboost kicks in a hair quicker than with it off. It's a hoot, but I feel there's less of a need for the sport button under most conditions.

Its my guess that this "smoothing" of the power delivery probably wouldn't be felt by just adding power through an intake and exhaust. Without some other type of ECU remap (JCW or other), you'll probably just end up with a more powerful car running a similar power curve as stock (dip and all).

 

Hey Msh,

This might have been covered earlier, but how did you find the cost of the kit including install - expensive, not too bad, satisfied? What about cost vs. return?

Can't really argue that the JCW kit is probably a more seamless upgrade for power. I'm just not sold on the cost vs. return.

As an aside, you're putting together a very nice little screamer. Cheers.

 

I think one question you have to ask yourself is, if you were buying the parts separately, is that the exhaust you would want? The intake? Are you willing to pay a premium for having the JCW badges?

I think the greatest value to the JCW kit over other solutions is the warranty. I think the greatest advantage of the JCW kit is that it was developed by people who know that engine better than anyone else.

 

ecu upgrade should be free!!

 

I had the JCW upgrade installed and picked up the car Saturday. Put about 200 miles on it so far and I agree 100% with marksmith's assessment that it "produces buckets of useful power in a very broad RPM range that makes 80% of daily driving smoother w/ deep reserves of torque." I also agree with msh441's comments about torque curve, smooth delivery and responsiveness.

For the record, I do not track my R56 and I am far too old to challenge modded Hondas on the highway (however my last fun-to-drive car -- which was stolen -- was a quietly-enhanced 1999 si and god knows they challenged me). I am just an older fellow who enjoys, and has always enjoyed, a spirited ride.

My bottom line on the JCW upgrade is this: Forget dyno numbers, forget dollars per additional horsepower, forget a coupla' tenths of a second going 0-60. There's something that the kit does to the overall gestalt of the car that just makes it even more fun to drive than it already was. Tough to imagine, but true. And I don't think anyone but Cooper will be able to pull that off as well.

 

Or at least available for purchase separate from the intake and exhaust.

 

They'll say...' ah , the package was designed to be installed as a whole and will perform the best when all the components are installed'.. But you can buy summer performance tires without buying the sport suspension or the LSD. Why couldn't we just pick each component by ourselves?

 

$$$$$

 

I would probably most closly agree with jascooper's comments...

...but with a little different slant.

I think if you are in the market for the R56 trifecta (intake, ECU flash AND exhaust)... the JCW kit is between $300-500 overpriced for what it is (depending what kind of price you work out with your dealer). Many (like it or not) will gladly pay that premium for badging alone. Add the fact that it's covered under the 5-year warranty and it's pretty easy to justify the greater cost of the JCW kit.

I definately felt the car needed an intake that utilized the scoop (for legitimacy, if only marginal power gains) and ECU flash (to smooth out that valley in the power curve). I wasn't be comfy playing with the ECU in the aftermarket... and in hindsight, MINI's JCW ECU re-flash makes the kit aces in my book. The exhaust might not sound as pretty as some, the intake may not have utilized the scoop like I hoped... but that increase in top end combined with the smooth torque curve is sublime. The JCW kit delivered IMO.

 

Would the JCW kit be less susceptible to hydrolocking in standing water?

What could the kit have done better with the scoop? I don't recall exactly how it is set up.

 

puhleeze...

go ahead and get one of those fancy intakes that utilize the hood scoop. Then drive through 6 inches of water at 40mph.

 

I highly doubt utilizing the scoop (as in the DDM Works set-up) would be detrimental to the engine in any way. The volume of water necessary to hydrolock an engine is enormous.

What little moisture would come thround the scoop and into the airbox would be neglidgable (rain water & washing), and easily eliminated by a couple carfully placed drain valves from the local dirt bike parts counter. An oiled filter, or filter skin would pretty much eliminate the possibilitly alltogether (provided your not planning any full-on creek crossings with the MINI).

Benifits of using the scoop are debatable (probably most appropriatly in the DDM Works thread) but I think there's at least some power to be had adding a little more fresh air into that box and by keeping the intake filter sealed away from the ambient heat of the engine bay as much as possible. The more cold/dense air you can get into the system, the better.

I'm thinking my next mods (waaaayyyy down the road) will be the silicon Alta Boost Tubes and Intercooler. I might toy with the idea of modding the JCW box to mate up with the DDM Works "funnel" in order to channel a bit more air, too. We'll see.

 

It's probably been said before, but I would like to see a side by side dyno comparison of the JCW and an Alta solution.

 

I don't think Alta has released an ECU portion of their 'solution' yet.

 

What kind of shop did you get to install your alta? or did you do it yourself?

 

I did mine and aside from the heatshields it was easy...The most time consuming things are getting to the heatshield bolts (and putting them back).

 

Mine was in the shop for 4 hours (for turbo back).

 

I ordered a JCW engine kit on the 19th. I was told it was on backorder. Well, it came in today.. I made an appointment to get it installed in two weeks.

w00t!

 

I'm sure you will enjoy it!

 

How could you possibly last 2 weeks?!?!?!?!

 

I've been waiting longer for tires that don't suck. I ordered some custom wheels two MONTHS ago with a tire/wheel package. They finally arrived last night.

The main thing is the engine tweeks and wheel/tire package will be in place before my first track event.

 

^ Where did you order from, because I need snows soon and was gonna go through tirerack.com...

 

I got wheels and Dunlop Winter Sport M3's and they showed up in a day. Tireracks website will let you know where they are in stock before you submit your order. Shipping charges vary based on location you order from.