Im new to the MINI world... and i am having a hard time deciding if modding 1st is better than the 2nd gen. Ive heard that 1st gen has so much more potential over 2nd gen... I want to say that's BS since 2nd gen hasnt been matured as much as and just needs more time for tuners to develop kits that will be produce great gains for your money.

Ive been following up the ALTA turbo kits and im really excited about it... any comments?

 

Dangerous ground...
I think its fairly safe to say that in real world driving (ie not driving the nuts off it!) the R56 (2nd gen) would be quicker due to its low down torque.
A highly modded 1st gen can put out a LOT of bhp though so its hard to say.
You'll spend a lot of $$$ trying to mod up a 1st gen to the absolute optimum whereas a 2nd gen can just have an eECU remap or piggy back unit and get big bhp gains for relatively little expense.

MPG wise (if this is an issue) having owned both 2nd and 1st gen, the 2nd gen is massively more economical. I used to get 25/26mpg in my 1st gen as opposed to 41 in my 2nd gen, driven similarly.

As you say the market for 2nd gen is relatively small at the moment and to be honest the biggest gains are going to be seen from adjusting the ECU so a 'modding market' may not grow as big as the 1st gen but more and more people will no doubt offer ECU services...

Having owned both a highly modded R53 (1st gen) and an R56 which has most of the mods currently available... I would say that the 2nd gen is heaps faster than the 1st gen. The torque and low down (and high up) power of it is just immense and makes it such a driveable car everyday.
Handling is a different story though

 

I'd also add, having owned both that I find the 2nd gen more refined and more comfortable in daily around town driving.

I understand that may not be that big of an issue since you're looking to mod your choice a fair bit, but then again it may be something you want to consider.

 

__________________

 

Pulls chair up to Gil. pass the popcorn over here buddy.

 

you'll never get an unbiased or unanimous opinion here Doc. You really need to test drive them, compare the driving experience and specs and decide for yourself.

Here's a really fun idea if the performance aspects are very intriguing to you:

If it's possible in your area, check out a BMWCCA autocross event and ride in a few 1st and 2nd gen cars to really see what they feel like at the limits. It should be free to hang out, watch, and ride, and they should have loaner helmets.

BTW the Alta turbo concept has gone silent for about six months now, but it's only a matter of time before somebody comes out with a marketable Garrett strap-on to help us blow out a few pistons on the track. You'd have more turbo options on a first gen car without investing in development at this point.

 

Two totally different animals, IMHO.

FWIW... MINI beefs up critical engine components on the Gen2 factory JCW car, because they're not confident that the stock parts can withstand making the power that the JCW car produces.... that doesn't bode well for folks who are expecting to make mad power with their Gen2 MCS's just with exhaust, boost and ECU tune...

Meanwhile, stock pistons and rods on Gen1 Tritec cars are cranking out pretty big power with a head, exhaust, pulley and tune...

I believe the Prince engine is an awesome thing, in its stock configuration. Fantastic balance of power and efficiency. But the jury's still out on whether it can take a beating like the Tritec when you let the mod beasts loose on it, IMHO.

 

Thanks for the info guys! I did order the Gen II MCS... but ive been hearing all these "talks" about both generation cooper S.

I have driven both generations. Didnt drive it hard enough to notice major difference (only 4th MCS driven in my life time).... the only noticeable difference was the sound of s/c whining and quieter turbo sound....

I'll probably end up doing some ecu and other bolt on kits until they can come up with some nice reliable kits to unleash some power...

 

Congrats on the order! Performance mods for the R56 are still few and far between, but I think once the ECU is fully unlocked that we'll start to see a lot more options for the car.

The good news is that there are plenty of suspension mods for the R56 available, which is a good thing because the stock suspension is too high and too soft

 

I was thinking about JIC CROSS coilovers... and getting some wheels and some "real" tires..

 

you'd fall even more in love with your car with the cross coilovers.

 

really it is a matter of time before comp. start to make mod parts for the r56. i am sure the r53 took time as well before there was a lot of stuff for it. if you look at the number i would project that there will be far more of the r56 based car out there then the r50/53, over the next few years. plus with the new car people are slow to mod because of warenty. so what i guess what i am trying to say is that it will take time and there will be more stuff out there.

as for the cars to me the feel very smilar in the way they handle. however the power cover is totaly diffrent.

 

I don't think that is a supportable statement.

 

Which part?

I suspect the part you take exception with is the "MINI beefs up critical engine components on the Gen2 factory JCW car, because they're not confident that the stock parts can withstand making the power that the JCW car produces" part...

OK... maybe that's a little strong... they DO upgrade the pistons. And the clutch. And the tranny. And the turbo. Can the OEM equivalents of the same parts be reliably pushed to achieve even more power than the JCW upgrades? No one knows yet. Time will tell. What did the Gen1 JCW cars get? Intake, exhaust, injectors, and a wimpy head. How do gen1 folks typically beat Gen1 JCW performance? Better head, bigger injectors, better tune, more boost. Though many do it with the stock head.

I suspect, due to the higher inherent torque of the stock R56, that, in it's stock form, it treads closer to the limits of various other components (like clutch and tranny). The Gen1 cars at least had some headroom for tranny durability...

Again, just about everything in this thread about R56 tuning is speculation, because it's early yet and most aftermarket options are yet to emerge.... that was the point of the thread, though, or so I thought.

 

I'm sorry but something about that made me chuckle.

sounds something like, "sure this car doesn't have as much power but at least you can do alot of mods before you can burn off the tires"

( I don't mean this as an attack or negative remark - just kinda funny)