Hello to all.....I'm super excited to finally be a MINI owner as I've been looking at them for years. I am thinking of upgrading the exhaust and maybe a cold air intake. What brands are best and are there software upgrades? How do I get the most/best horsepower for the 2009 Cooper S?
Thanks,
Bennett

 

Seems to me that this is a popular combo:

RMW Tune
Forge Intercooler
DOS CAI (Although I think that the stock box & RMW Works best)
JCW Exhaust (factory OR tuning kit)

If you can deal with CELs then an Exhaust Depot downpipe is a popular item.

Those things, plus lowering springs and a 22mm adjustable rear swaybar seems to be what all the kool kids are doing (along with stupid blackout mods, but whatever on that).

Read the Gen 2 mod forums and you'll get an idea of what people are doing.

Good luck. Have fun letting the money burn a hole in your pocket.

 

You didn't mention it but the first thing I did was lose some weight on the corners by getting lighter wheels and ditching the run-flats. No Hp gain, but boy does it feel quicker!

 

Welcome to the forum, take your time with the mods, and learn how to drive your MINI first, then outside suggestions may make more sense in what you want to accomplish.

 

Agreed, I would "get to know the MINI" first. I am still running stock and you know what? It makes me perfectly happy...and my bank account thanks me.

Oh wait I did ditch the runflats. Best decision so far.

I do recommend "waiting and seeing" and coming up with what YOU want rather than what everyone else is doing. However, your car, your money, your decision.

 

R
M
W


.... now i just need to take my own advice

 

Feel free to give us a call so we can make a plan based on your use and sound desired.

WAY
www.waymotorworks.com

 

From what i've been reading, get yourself a tune and a heat shield.

 

Apologies Way - you're absolutely right - WMW is also a great option! Especially if you are in his area.

 

The biggest bang for the buck is to get your MINI custom tuned. That means make the effort to get yourself to a tuner with a DYNO. The three best tuners that I'm aware of (in no particular order) are Way Motor works, RMW and Mynes/ABF. The latter two are located within miles of each other in Orange County, CA, and Way is back East. All three will make road trips - I suggest you call each of them, discuss what you want, and choose based on your discussion.

The next best thing is to ditch the run flats and get better tires. If you prefer not to drive without a spare I recommend getting a used one from a MINI salvage yard.

After that, it really comes down to getting to know your car and deciding what works best for you. Just keep in mind that not all "performance" mods actually will increase performance. For example, just about all of the exhaust upgrades that are short of going completely catless will not gain you much HP - they MINI ECU simply "learns out" the changes (hopefully someday somebody will crack that map). Sway bars, CAI, intercoolers, lowering springs, etc - all are personal preference. The Gen2 cars don't yet have good, affordable options for cam shafts, etc - I'm sure they are on their way. Right now the number one thing limiting performance increases in the Gen2 MINI is the size/capacity of the turbo. No easy fix there yet.

 

Another thing you might think about is a short shift kit. That is by far my favorite mod thus far. You will notice just how crappy the stock shifter is once you change it. I went with the Craven Speed adjustable one with the nice shift well cover, but there are a few other options.

 

Just bought a 2010 MCS i put in an ALTA intake and now am looking for a good exhaust any suggestion??????

 

Invidia, DDMWorks, or Milltek. They all work and fit great. Don't expect any great horsepower/torque gains though. That's gained in the downpipe mostly if you're focusing on the exhaust system.

 

K&N Typhoon Intake is an intake I HIGHLY recommend, most gains you will see are from an intercooler, downpipe, and tune. If you are an early 09 build you can get an ED downpipe CEL-free. Also check to make sure you never had a dealer flash. I think one way you can tell if you have the dp-cel sensitive ecu is if your car as the torque limiter in first gear.

 

I just picked up a 2010 "S". I'm wondering why some of you guys are ditching the run flats. I'm gonna be changing my wheels and I'm thinking if there's a good enough reason maybe I'll swap the tires too.

 

I just did. Mixed results. Yes, the RE960's have tons more grip, are not as noisy and less harsh, but I miss the quickness of the steering and now have a spare tire mounted where my rear seat used to be. I went 205/55/16 on stock rims.

Watch out for the wheel weights. The larger the diameter and the heavier it is, the slower your car perform. I will take 16 Lb 16 Enki's over 20 HP and cheap 25 Lb 17's any day. Basic physics my friend.

My call is to fix the chassis first! It has plenty of power is you know how to use it.

So the VERY first thing you need is decent shocks. A set of HD's and you won't bounce in the air every time you hit a bump, won't bounce off the road in corners, and the wheel won't jump out of your hands. Really, the OEM shocks are that bad. When the chassis is right, worry about the sound or power.

 

hey, new to the mini forums,

ive been driving a 2.5i subaru impreza but im trading for a mini cooper s,

dont have the car yet but i am probably going to be getting the turbo instead of the supercharger...does anyone know if there is any opensource tuning/maps available?

 

Nope, say goodbye to the Subie world

No opensource tuning in this world. There are tunes you can buy though...just get ready for pricing to be higher than you're used to

 

facepalm...

 

Drivers education. The car is probably way better than you are, even stock... Nothing worse than getting lapped in your modded to hell car by a good driver in a Justa...

 

i guess??? lol

 

Or you can get chrome mirrors, chrome hoodscoops, chrome interior bits, custon chrome stripes, chrome wheels.

Cuz everybody loves the way the oem chrome looks

 

I opted to upgrade my suspension first. An adjustable rear bar along with PSS10 coilovers. I also did a full JCW exhaust from DP back. My next modifications will be intercooler upgrade and tune...just don't know when and/or who by.

 

@countryboyshane i have the full alta exhaust! in my opinion it is the cleanest and deepest exhaust sound available right now. it is a pain to align correctly but once you get it right its unmatched.