Read a post on Roadfly in one of the BMW forums that Steve Dinan waould not be working on a cold air intake for the 3.0 X5 because he's too busy working on M3 and MINI Cooper stuff...don't know how much truth there is to it - we are talking the internet here.

 

are you implying there would be people on the web who would post something other than the truth?

:smile:

David

 

I gave personally gave up on Dinan. After calling them on the phone, checking their website, and finally stopping by their shop two weeks ago, I still got no answer other than "we are developing products for the new MINI, just keep checking our website."

Randy will be installing the pulley and EVOTECH on my car this week.

 

I have not personally given up on DINAN upgrades for the MINI. I think it is logical for them to do it and I know others that have posted on MCO that they have been to DINAN and that work is progressing. Maybe even more than you know.
So I am saving my pennies for whatever DINAN has to offer. It will not be cheap and might make the JCW kit look like a bargain. I will wait up to one more year.
Expect an engine performance kit, a suspension package upgrade, and a brake kit upgrade. Maybe not all at the same time. Should be good.
Yes you can do these upgrades cheaper but it won't be DINAN

 

Oh Yeah,
And don't forget-
This is ALL rumors. Based on some minor postings I have seen here. I have not been to DINAN myself.
Remember-

* TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT---Be skeptical.---"I would take what he says with a grain of salt."---Salt makes food a little easier to swallow. John Trap's commentary on the Bible: (1647). "This is to be taken with a grain of salt."

 

Im seeing him this Saturday in NJ, and I will ask.
MotorWorksWest

Mike

 

I just talked to Chris at Dinan in R&D:
-Steve Dinan has 3 Coopers for R&D (S & normally aspirated) and the team has been working on products from the get-go.
-Products will be ready in Dec. (not everything all at once.)
-No mods will involve engine internals (no head work, Eaton SS. mods, cams etc.)
-Expect suspension, intake , reduction pully, ECU, tower braces, throttle body & full exhaust.
-I hope there will be Dinan wheels(extreme light-weighters) but these are typically very $$$
FYI: I own a Dinan Signature BMW E46 coupe (330ci) & it is an awesome car & VERY expensive !! (app. $22K worth of kit.) I will be using Dinan products on my Cooper S as an addition to my current JCW kit and other mods. I expect the Dinan products to be as good as everything else coming out of the company because of the intense R&D :Time, money and lots of care taken before anything is released.
The Dinan motif: Synergy between the elements (nothing brutish and unrefined about Dinan cars!)

 

This is exciting news as I am very familiar with their products, top-of-the-line....damn, if I'd only had been more patient! Nothing against the JCW crew but I'd personally be more comfortable with the money spent on Dinan products, they are no joke.

 

Any more rumors? :smile:

 

Nope, You can go spy for us.
Maybe something will emerge by the end of this year or early next.
They'd better hurry up or we'll be mostly driving turbo MINIs with 1.8 and 2.0 liter blocks.

 

I understand the issue of quality, but these mods don't seem like anything to be excited about. We already have great reduction pullies, possibily the ideal aftermarket throttle body size and now, a wide range of exhausts in terms of looks, weight, finish, sound and power. And intakes have proved to be not that big of a factor on the S. With the new powerchips ECU and the up and coming GIAC chip, I don't think you'll see much if any improvement. I don't know what I'm really saying here but...I guess it's that I wouldn't be upset, nor am I, that I didn't wait for their parts when these things are already out on the market. THen again, I'm very new to this stuff so take it with a grain of salt!

 

>>>>I understand the issue of quality, but these mods don't seem like anything to be excited about. We already have great reduction pullies, possibily the ideal aftermarket throttle body size and now, a wide range of exhausts in terms of looks, weight, finish, sound and power. And intakes have proved to be not that big of a factor on the S. With the new powerchips ECU and the up and coming GIAC chip, I don't think you'll see much if any improvement. I don't know what I'm really saying here but...I guess it's that I wouldn't be upset, nor am I, that I didn't wait for their parts when these things are already out on the market. THen again, I'm very new to this stuff so take it with a grain of salt!

 

[quote] In the end the DINAN badge is not so bad either. Looks nicer than the JCW badge to me. :smile:

 

>>[quote] In the end the DINAN badge is not so bad either. Looks nicer than the JCW badge to me. :smile:

Supertuner badges carry prestige and exclusivity. That's the attractiveness but also the drawback. You have to "trust" that the "supertuner" has the committment, resources, planning and foresight to do a decent job and not just roll out another kit or package. They have to really think about what is being done to make the "complete and balanced package" within the constraints of production costs and time to market. It is a tough thing to do well and prices will tend to be very high. Dinan has probably more resources to tap into as far as custom tuning parts if really needed as opposed to just taking parts off the upgrade parts bin and slapping them together in different combinations. It is their option to do fine tuning.

On the other hand- does one really need this sort of supertuning for an MCS? Probably not the average owner- not for everyday use. Better for the enthusiast or the "collector". Think of it as functional Art that you can drive around and sit in to enjoy. Hey if some people can buy art for their living room for several $1000 then a DINAN kit for a MINI might be joy in another form!

 

DINAN is a great company offering superior BMW performance upgrades, especially for us in California (ARB issues, etc.). But I am still disappointed that Dinan has still not announced any products to date for the MCS. I am glad that I did not hold my breath, my last post I did on this subject was July 13th. Patience will probably pay off for those who are waiting.

 

If you think the JCW upgrade is too much money, wait till you see what Dinan would charge for the samething. I am not knocking the quality of their work its topnotch, but the cost of their products, at least for BMW upgrades is very, very pricey. I don't think they know how to do that type of work inexpensively.

 

Doesn't Dinan carry the same warranty on BMW products as OEM parts? Wouldn't that apply to MINI as well? Unless of course it's too directly competitive with the JCW package. Any opinions?

 

>>If you think the JCW upgrade is too much money, wait till you see what Dinan would charge for the samething. I am not knocking the quality of their work its topnotch, but the cost of their products, at least for BMW upgrades is very, very pricey. I don't think they know how to do that type of work inexpensively.

I don't know if I would say that the JCW kit upgrades are "too much money" since the prices are what the market can bear. If there is short supply and enough interest like anything else in a consumer market then it is surely no bargain when the hype is on. (case in point- buy the newest laptop computer today sept 03. Great stuff- high prices: shop again in March 04 only 6 months later- an eternity by computer time in terms of progress, what do you get for the same price and what do you get for roughly $500 to $800 less?)

Things don't move so fast for deluxe upgrade kits for the MCS as 6 months but the market is maturing and many options are now available that didn't exist last year. Figure within 6 months there will be info from DINAN. Great- that is a start. I'm sure they will do something nice for the MINI- they have their standards and pride.

Is it worth the higher cost? Depends how much you really trust them. When you go to your Cosmetic surgeon or Cancer surgeon are you shopping cost? Maybe not. There may be some skill and some expertise involved here.

On the other hand, these businesses are out to stay in business. If the prices were really low and affordable then what do you expect to get? Off the rack upgrades bundled together not unlike what any of us can figure out after studying up on MCO- little or no warranty and support and when troubles appear- good luck.

I kinda like the idea of thoughtful engineering and fine tuning that enhances the essence of the original car. I'm not out to morph a mouse into a moose. I'll take a mouse with big claws and a wicked bite.
Bring on DINAN.