Hi to all. I'm hoping for some help since this place seems to be a spot for any advice.

I come from a background of muscle cars and hot rods. So when I spend money on a mod I expect there to be a noticeable difference.

I'm having trouble seeing very many mods for the R56 turbo car to get anywhere in a hurry. Maybe I just haven't found them and so this would be the post to help in the aspect.

I look at the cost of mods and weigh the power gains and honestly I'm having trouble seeing a reason to purchase any when it costs a fortune to gain 30whp. I realize a 1.6L engine won't perform like a V8 in power gains but that is my problem. I've come to expect more for my money. I can go out right now and buy some cylinder heads that will boost my HP a good 80+ over current setup. I can throw on a turbo and easly gain 300hp.

But that isn't why I'm buying a Mini. It's not a drag car and I want it for SCCA purposses.

That being said, which mods are available that can take an R56 to roughly 200-220 whp and the right suspension mods to win some races (theoretically speaking if my driving skill is up to par). And what kind of 1/4 times can be expected from that power range, just for kicks?

Thanks a lot to anyone who has a comment or advice.

 

Hmmm, I wasted a ford mustang today, both light to light and top end speed. Are you looking at a "justacooper" by mistake? The Mini S comes w/ about 172 hp 200 ft lbs overboost and weights about 2600 pounds. This is not a small block or a big block, you cannot have the same 1/4 mile expectations, the MINI lives its life much longer and fuller than just 11 seconds.
You need to spend money when you deal with imports. Look too add intake, exhaust, and a ECU tune to start with. I recommend not going with the piggyback style ECU as many of us have issues with the item. ALTA makes good parts, shop around, you save some cash. Welcome to the small displacement, boosted and able club.

 

Oh I understand fully the difference. I've been around long enough and I've read a lot of import magazines as well as domestics.

I have an SVT Focus now so the power is nearly the same. 170 hp, 145 tq from 2K rpm+ non-turbo. I've beat a v6 mustang also, they're slow. I'm just not pleased with the handling or the power and I don't want the expense of having to turbo it.

The Mini is just so much more fun and cooler in every way. But I was hoping to spend the least to make it over 200 whp (reliably) and mod the rest into handling performance and style. I still like to go straight quickly and it will be a daily.

I read into the GIAC ecu but it doesn't look like it's doing much yet.

 

Look at Helix - they have ECU tune and a bigger intercooler - add a lower restrictive exhaust and a bigger downpipe..

That said - if you wanted more than 200 hp should've bought a JCW. :-)

 

The world of low-production small-displacement cars is a whole different financial world than old-school muscle cars. Expect to pay many times more to get many times less power. Old school muscle cars are SO choked off from the factory there's practially nothing you can do to lose power. Small displacement stuff, in general, requires more precise tuning work to make good use of your money.

You'll be hard pressed to get quicker than high 13's in the quarter with the best pieces and the best tuning. This is a 98 cubic inch engine in a front drive chassis; you have to get absolutely nuts [like the ABF MINI dragster] to get big results.

As a quick rundown of the engine mods you'll want to persue:
*high flow intake
*hard boost tubes
*bigger intercooler
*exhaust downpipe and catback
*ECU tuning to run more boost and perfect fuel and ignition

...and if you want to get creative, a larger turbo to match your outright power goals at the expense of turbo lag. Be forewarned the ECU does not use typical turbo boost control methods, so the larger turbo implementation will be extremely difficult.

Good luck,
Ryan

 

The Stock Cooper S is already making 105 HP per liter. The Factory car has a new head and built internals as well as a new turbo and built tranny and it makes about 120 HP per liter. Unfortunately, you will not make over 210 HP reliably out of the stock cooper S. To make 200 would be best case scenario

1.Exhaust including downpipe ( Exhaust Depot 1000 dollars) 15 HP

2. Intake with boost tubes (Alta 400 dollars) 5 HP

4. Intercooler (Alta 800 dollars) 10 HP

That should take you to 200 safely and that is all you are going to get if you expect to run the car a full heat in the summer at a SCCA Road Course Event.

The factory car could get to 230 safely but after that your talking about a car that makes 130 HP per liter. That is supercar motor performance based on displacement.

I sold my 2005 steeda mustang gt to get my mini and have never looked back. Invest in JIC Cross Coilovers, JCW Factory Brake Upgrade, Carbotech Pads, and 15 pound wheels and save your money your car will never run under 14.0 reliably.

 

If you are asking about the MINI, then what have you been doing to the SVTF? They have very little parts that actually add a fair amount of power to a FSVT too. They are in fact A LOT slower than a MINI S. My Contour SVT is even substatially faster than an FSVT.

 

get a first gen cooper S 200whp is easy

 

Thank you all for your replies. I truely appreciate it.

I wasn't expecting the car to make low 13's or faster. Thats not what the car is for. But I would like to make at least low 14's because I like going straight quickly...it's a habit.

However I don't need it to be fast. I'll just fire up the '69 Camaro if I want to go fast.

What I really want is a fun car that can SCCA and take the twisties with a big grin. Now that is what the Mini does best! And it doesn't "need" to be fast in a straight line for cone racing, but it's still fun to have. So handling and braking are priority. Would the JCW brakes be just as good as the Wilwoods or would they be better?

I don't want to buy a JCW because I want to modify the car, not buy one already done. Which is one reason why I didn't choose any JCW parts because I want aftermarket. I haven't ordered the car either, my wife's just finished being made at the factory so we're getting her's first. Then mine in spring time.

I guess I was expecting to see turbo upgrade kits and what not, but Derosi you make a good point, it really is pushing a lot for the size of the engine.

I would prefer a supercharged also, but it's not likely to find one with very few miles and I want a new one. So hopefully the aftermarket bov isn't an issue so I can get some sound out of it.

Any other advice would be most appreciated! I'd like to get the right parts the function together for best results. I plan on turning my Mini into a real contender and I really want to be apart of the community and go to events and everything. To be honest car shows are getting old. I get tired of just parking the Camaro with old farts that probably think my parents bought it for me, since I'm only 25 and bought it when I was 20. I want to hit the road and race!

Thanks again to all!

 

I just got another hobby.

 

It seems like you have a good idea of what you want and low 14 second passes are possible with the Full Exhaust, Intake and tubes, as well as an intercooler.

It seems though you may be better off with an R53 with the Revolution Mini Works Stage 1 Motor Kit. One of the guys in our Mini Club has one at it dyno's at 230 whp. It is very reliable and very fast. This kit has major mods including a new head. Just a thought because you have not taken the plunge yet.

 

I'll keep that in mind. I'll have to look around and see if I can find one like I want. But knowing me I'll just end up going the R56 route just because I want a new one. I've always bought used cars before and the price of a new one isn't much more than a used Mini.

 

Ryan, when you suggest ECU tuning, who has a reliable setup? The Unichip still seems to have some 'bugs' (CEL's).

 

John at Lucky Dog Garage (www.beheperformance.com) has been successful with an R56 tune and should easily be able to get you 200+ hp at the wheels without any mods, and a bit more with injectors, intake and exhaust.

 

Look at my sig for engine stuff that'll make your MINI scream and not break the bank.

Don't expect real high HP numbers but you can get some killer torque across a 3500 rpm band.

 

If you are looking for high horsepower numbers in an r56 you are in the wrong spot, the r53's are much cheaper to buy used and there are mods to gain a substantial amount of horsepower. The r56 engine is still fairly new and no one has been able to completely unlock the engines ecu. That is where any turbo car gets its power easily and no manufacturer has came out with a "GOOD" solution to the lack of after market ecus. In a few years im sure the r56 will have alot of parts, but as of now you are better off with a r53. Alta has said there turbo kit for the mini is ready to go, minus the proper ecu to tune it, the unichip just wasnt good enough, and if you havent noticed alta has stopped suplying the unichip for the r56. As for suspension for the r56 if you are autocrossing or tracking your car definatly get the cross coilovers, Cross is part of jic magic, and is a well know company for many coilovers for many different cars. I wouldn't trade my cross coilovers for any other suspension set-up.

 

Having driven a couple high HP R53s (~250 HP and ~300 HP) I wouldn't trade my r56 for one. If I was a drag strip or long track racer maybe, but both of the high HP cars I drove had very little power below 4000 rpm which would totally suck on a day to day basis. I love the super torque the r56 has in the 2k-5.5k range.

 

I would love to know what he uses to tune them. I emailed him about it, but he would not say....

I somewhat 2nd you on this. The R56's torque makes is much quicker, and once you are used to the low-end torque they have, getting back in a high horsepower R53 feels slow and does nothing unless you're revving it to the redline. I still like both though, and each has its advantages/disadvantages!

But even an R53 that has 230 whp, should not be able to beat an R56 with all the basic bolt on mods currently available. The R56 has much, much more torque.

 

I own an R56 but to say 230 HP R53 would not be faster than a 200 HP/230 torque bolt on R56 is wrong. 230 HP is 230 and 200 is 200. Torque is good from a dig but for SCCA road racing Horsepower is king. The 6 speed allows you to keep the motor in the sweet spot. If your suggestion is at half throttle driving on a street from light to light the R56 is faster you would be correct.

The R53 is still King for power on a track. However, I do feel in a year or two things will change

 

Fpr SCCA, I would put better tires and rims on the car first. I have used the new Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec and they worked much better that most tires I have tried without going to r-compound. They are SCCA approved. Also lighten the car with a rear seat delete and removing anything else you do not mind removing. Also, I have tried EBC Yellow brake pads. Can last perhaps 4-5 races. You should not use the stock pads as you will burn them out in one session. I heard that carbotechs are aslo good. Also, put in some cg-locks for safety if you do not have harnesses. If you do more, you will need a cage eventually. Generally, MCS are considered monemtum cars and trying to make it a high HP car is not so cost effective.

I went standard JCW on my power setup because this doubles as a daily commuter. So my mods are pretty straigtforward. I do not too many track days so this works fine.

 

My R56 has 166hp at the wheels. I raced at the strip multiple times one night my buddy who has an R53 with 210hp at the wheels. I beat him every single time. I have an intake. He has pully, headers, and a ton of other stuff. I was always finishing at 91mph and him at 89mph.

That said Lessk...don't worry about the power. My last car was a C6Z06 modded to 600hp. I was running 11 flat at just about 130mph in the quarter. I missed the power for a while but now I'm good. This Mini is way more fun. I was all about looking for mods, obsessing over it even. But I came to realize I need to wait till someone breaks the ECU finally. I'm alright with that. Grab an R56, do the suspension up and a couple cheap power mods. Hopefully after that we'll get some better power solutions up in here.

 

A question about Exhaust Depot, are the R56 turbo back exhaust made by ALTA, or is it a Clone? They seem to have really good prices compared to Alta. What would be needed to duplicate the Alta parts?

Thanks

 

Your question is worded oddly so I hope I am understanding you and my answer helps. Exhaust depot keeps cost down as far as I can see in two ways, they use one cat instead of two and they use aluminized or raw ss tubing instead of polished.

 

Is it legal to use one cat or do we need to have two?

I guess to duplicate the ALTA turbo back exhaust by buying from Exhaust depot, I would need to OPt. for the 3 inch tubing and polished stainless steel. Will it yield good power? anybody done a dyno of the setup that most closely resembles the ALTA unit?

 

I haven't heard whether or not exhaustdepot's setup passes emisions in CA, but it will in every other state.

I cant imagine the would be any notable difference in flow between the two 3" systems. They have the same bends and are the same diameter.