I'm no expert but NOS will give you the biggest hp gain for the buck. Because it adds significant HP means that if used incorrectly it could cost you a motor.

The PRO is BIG HP (ala fast and the furious) at a relatively small dollar entrance (700 bucks) -

The CONS are - cost of refills, used incorrectly can cost you the motor.

you could talk w/ Peter of M7 who sells a kit for minis.

 

When I modded my car my fuel consumption went down. I live in australia and we work on Kilometres. I went from 550 down to about 480 Km out of a tank for city driving. Which is what I expected!! You mod the car you are going to use more fuel simple as that!! But you will use more if you can't keep your foot off the pedal. Didn't make any difference to me if I drove lightly and tried to conserve, I still went down with fuel consumption. The question is the same as "How much is that ferrari?" If you have to ask what the price is, then you can't afford it!!

 

I am averaging 350 miles per tank during the week but weekends I dont do so well.

 

Man that just boggles my mind--to be getting 100 miles more than me, and most of what I do is freeway driving.

 

I have a 100 mile commute every day (50 miles each way) and it is all highway besides 3 miles.

If I was getting 250 I be crying but I have a friend(MiniStupidFun)doing a similar commute and is getting like 270. I do drive the car hard so it isnt like I am driving it to get the best mileage.

 

That's what boggles my mind. I'm the same way--I cover 600 miles a week--6 days a week I'm at the shop..so I'm filling it up pretty much 3 times a week at $50 a pop.--much at the same speeds as you are. I could get 280 at the most if I run it nearly empty--but I usually fill it at 250 so that way I can get home---there isn't enough gas in the tank to make the commute home or back to the shop, and I don't want to stop on the way.

Do you have a pulley??

Richard

 

Man that is a big difference. Have you always gotten the same mileage? How many miles do you get before the gas light comes on?

Engine

• Alta Cold Air Intake
• Helix 15% Pulley
• Milltek Cat Back Exhaust
• OBX Header
• Detroit Tuned Bypass Valve
• Engine Damper
• GIAC Tune (Jan's Tune and 380 injectors on Sunday)

Suspension

• Spax Coilovers
• Helix Control Arms
• Alta 22 Swaybar
• Camber Plates
• M7 Strut Tower Brace
• MSW Wheels
• Yokohama Tires

Interior/Exterior

• Whalen’s Shift ****
• Aero Grill
• Tinted Windows
• GPS
• Harmon Kardon iPod Controls
• Boost Guage

 

Light comes on at about 260miles. Yes I know I have a lead foot--but can it really mean 100mile difference??? lol.

Haha I compared yours to mine in Red. I guess it's all about the driver, lol.

 

I get 400 to a tank if I run it to fumes.

Gas quality is probably factoring in here. Isn't Ca limited to 91 octane?

 

holy cow---yeah, 91 is the best we got here--well I found a place down the street that sells 92--not sure if that makes a difference at all. lol

 

I followed the right girl home, and I was fortunate enough that she kept me. Of her own initiative, she ordered the Borla "loud" after hearing it at the first Dragon Exhaust shoot-out.

Now that it's on the car, when we're out motoring about, she leans over next to my ear and says "see- I told it wasn't too loud!"


Did I mention that I love my honey? I'm so spoiled.


Back to topic, our car has the following mods:
19% pulley
Borla "race/loud" exhaust
NGK BKR7EIX-11 plugs
BFG KDW2 205/50R16 tires (approx. same rollout as the stock 17" runflats)
Panasport 16x7 wheels
B&M shifter
Red Line 5W-30
Red Line MTL
stubby antenna (lower coefficient of drag )

I can still get 30-32 if I drive it as gingerly as I do our Prius. If I drive it like it begs to be driven, but not so as to be deserving of a traffic stop, consumption goes to 26-28.

 

I got better economy after GIAC, JCW injectors, and 19%. Avg went up from 26.5 from june 07 - march/08 to a little over 27 since then. Lime rock in three days is not going to help. I drive mostly highway, at 55mph, and get 29-34 every fill up (calculated, not what my computer says), but the track events are what kill it.

 

In an apples to apples driving style comparison, I think that the in-town fuel economy is about the same and the highway mileage is about 3-4 mpg better with the mods. The problem is that if you have the extra power, you tend to use it. That can drop the fuel economy by as much as 8-10 mpg, if you are driving it hard.

 

Get this girl a header for Xmas -

 

Yep... I would imagine IF I would drop to 70 vs 90 I would pick up more MPG!! But , I cant!! The road trip turns into a boring , getting passed by semi's trip here in the SE on I95.
I am happy at 27-28 mpg @ 90mph!!
The wifes 330i gets 26.5 at 90mph... now to me, THAT rocks!!

Just me.....................................

Thumper

PS: town traffic is rotten as stated above... foot to the mat, Supercharger screaming, tire smoking get-goes.. really sux when you are over the 200WHP mark!! BUT>>... oooohhhh what fun!!
Tpr

 

Damn. At what point does your gas light come on?

 

Any Mod that leads to more fuel consumption could affect mpg.

larger fuel injectors with or without ECU tuning (Depends on how much you drive at wide open throttle)

My 2003 MCS got about 33 mpg at best when stock.
19% pulley GIAC, Alta intake, Miltek header and exhaust- about 25 to 27.
Add stock 15" wheels and tires- 29 mpg at best.
My worst mpg is at the track, about 11 mpg

Any mods that lighten weight would help mpg.
Any tires that decrease rolling resistance would help mpg.

Mods that don't have to affect mpg by themselves-
pulley upgrades
CAI
Exhaust or headers
Spark plugs and wires
Any brake upgrade
Suspension upgrades
Wheels at stock weight or lighter
Tires in stock size or more narrow
LSD

Many of us use our MINIs for daily driving but at the same time it serves a dual role as performance weekend car.

 

city 31 hwy 31 ... gettin' better with time. Last night got a 400 mile tank, down to fumes. 15% pulley exhaust and intake. Don't overlook a good alignment, it takes alot of fuel to wear off the edge of those new tires!!! MINI cd is poor, (.33) so speed is a killer for mileage. My two cents, good compromise between fun and practical. I don't worry about mpg in the mountains!

 

I think this one statement pretty well sums it up. This last week I added an exhaust. Yesterday I added the 15% pulley. This week, hopefully a CAI.

In reality, one of the things that attracted me to the Mini was gas mileage.... having said that, I don't want to mod so much I lose tremendous amount of mpg.

I think it's this simple. Minor mods, (ie. pulley, cai, exhaust) will probably net you the same mileage you were getting. The variance may be a mile per gallon one way or the other.

The problem is, whether you like the performance or just want to hear the sound of the exhaust, that particular mod will affect your gas mileage negatively only because you are now "getting on it" where you may not have done so before.

So, as RedSkunk has said.... a modded car will get you lower gas mileage because you will tend to flog it now.

Fair trade-off for me....

Mark