Keep me in mind too, my car is EU specs

 

Perfect- that's exactly what I'm looking for (at least until the car's out of warranty). I feel like the majority of tuners offering this type of solution have a tendency to dyno with "the works" to a) advertise the largest possible horsepower gains with "supporting" mods and b) encourage people to shop their intakes, exhausts, etc.

Certainly there's a market for hard-upgrades (and I'll eventually be a customer in that market), but for the time being I love the idea of getting a quick-kick at a reasonable price in a piggyback system.

 

I agree 100%. If you show HP gains stock with just the box then you know the minimum to expect. Secondly I hope there is a mild tune creating 15HP and a more aggressive one at 20-25. I would gladly pay 500 dollars for something that gave me 15 Hp but most of all smoothed out the power curve and improved drive ability. I assume the same box would work for both the Auto and 6 speed.

And most importantly the ease of taking in and out for service.

If you make it dummy proof and give it the ability to be installed in 10 minutes or less you will have a winner on your hands.

Good luck- I'm in Orange County and if the JCW Kit does not come out for the automatic before your product I will be trying it if it is very easy to install. It sucks having the suspension without the extra HP.

 

We're still fighting the misfire issue (the dealer wants me to bring the car back after the 1200 mile "break in" period), but made a bit of progress.

I've verified that both the map and tmap are used for boost control, so any tuning device will need to intercept both sensors. This eliminates any sort of simple "Turbo Tuner" style device for the R56.

Right now I've setup our system to run ~2psi over stock, but boost is pretty inconsistent. Part of the problem seems that boost is inconsistent stock, so using the stock boost as a basis makes things even more confusing. It's hard to tell when we're in over boost and when we aren't.

The first order of business is nailing down the boost control system! I guess if this was easy everyone would be doing it?

Stay tuned,

T

 

Hi Terry - Our garage is graced with a 335i sedan (step) for my wife - I drive a 2007 Mini Copper S (manual) - What are your first impressions of your new ride? In detail please -

 

Very nice combination!

I enjoy the MCS, but to be honest it's a bit slow for my taste. I did a few baseline vbox runs and recorded a best stock 1/4 mile of 14.9@93, with a 6.6 0-60 time. I think another 20-30 whp will really wake the car up.

Aside from that I love the handling, brakes, and overall feeling. And the gas mileage is second to none, which comes in handy now that we're paying $3.80 a gallon for 91 octane here.

I went with the posi option and the torque steer isn't as bad as I thought it would be, although with more power that might become more of an issue. The factory boost control system is somewhat of a mess, always hitting different boost targets for no particular reason. The interior is nice but as you know its not a 335i.

But overall, I like it!


T

 

Thanks Terry - I agree with you - How about driveabilty - Mine seems to hang on to revs between gear shifts - The 335i is a very special car - But this Mini tugs at my heart and my steering wheel!

 

So any new info to share Terry? I'm getting impatient

 

Our car is at the dealership being repaired. As you can imagine, we're anxious to get it back to continue development!

 

So car they've replaced the plugs, coils, and fuel injectors, and still get misfire codes on cyl #3. I think they are going to try the fuel pump and CPS sensor next. :(

 

Woohoo, we're back in business!

They replaced the plug, coil, fuel injector, with no effect. They finally pulled the head and after finding nothing noticed a rocker was defecting/binding.

I went out to a private track for some baseline VBOX runs and came in around 14.7@95, on 91 octane. Not bad!

Now back to tuning.

 

Sweet! I might just hold off on that Alta ECU after all.

 

Dang, I get that MPH, but not that ET. What tires did you get? (Though, you're probably just better at launching the little stinker)

 

I was able to get a 14.1@ 98.8 with the mods below.

 

The launches were pretty bad, 2.3 60' times. It's a manual on the stock tires, car is 100% stock on 91 octane gas. Weather was pretty cool, in the 50s at sea level. I think the car has a 14.50 in it under similar conditions with a better launch, but we don't have any sea level tracks around. :(

I'm mainly focused on timing the 40-100 and improving that via the tuning. The 1/4 mile stuff was just for kicks. The nice thing about 40-100 is you take the skill out of it.

 

I was only able to hit 14.7 with a 2.21 60 Ft with my R56S Automatic. I think from all I've read 14.7 for a stock manual is about the best I have seen.

 

Yeah 14.5 might be optimistic. But I figure I can get down to a 2.1 60' with practice.

 

Mine did that to me twice on the first day, once on a 1/2 the second time about 10 minutes later on a 3/4. It hasnt done it since, and I dont think Im shifting any softer. I was wondering if it was just me, but at least someone else has done it!

 

Yeah I think I will pull it off and glue it back down. It's happened a few times and slightly distracting when you're trying to shift.

 

I'm hoping the short throw shifter will take care of it, like I said, it only happened those two times, and if anything Im shifting harder now than I did then. Well, maybe not harder, but just as hard! I smalled the shifter back in hard the last time, maybe it seated correctly or something...

 

Come on Terry - I know that you are tweaking - Give us some insight - Does the Mini add boost to compensate for altitude?

 

add boost? no.
Keep the same boost pressure even though air density decreases? yes.

 

I am itching to get a piggyback ECU but I am waiting to see what the Burger Tuned Version is like. I see he has a great product for the 335i guys and am curious about how ours will turn out. The install on the 335i juice box seems a little more involved then I'd like since my mini seems to see the dealership for regular maintenance or issues every 3 months or so. One question I have is will the system be a piggyback and will it be a 5 minute install. I will need to remove the product for service and my number 1 concern in a piggyback is that it improves drive ability first and horsepower second without rough idle, hesitation, and no check engine lights, the second concern is ease of installation and removal and a distant third would be price. Saving a few hundred dollars on a 30k investment is not a good idea

With all of this said is it possible the Burger Tuning Product will be more reliable and easier to install than the Unichip PnP or am I waiting for something that will be more difficult to install and not more reliable

 

I don't think the BMS product will be too complicated to install. While looking at the video install of the 335i products the ECU is pretty well hidden and needs a good amount of parts removed. Our ECU and harness are in plain sight and held by a dummy cover and both MAP & MAF sensors easily accessible as well if needed to be messed with.

 

It would be nice if it did but no addl boost for altitude or temperature like the N54. :(