Sorry, the title is a shameless ploy to get attention. Mini hits the rev limiter wall before turn 4 at PIR and is costing me time.

I have a problem with 05 R53 shorter gearing. At track days at PIR which is a small track I have a dilemma with gearing after the chicane (turn 1 and 2) before the next tight turn (at turn 4). The best gearing is 3rd, but before reaching the braking point at turn 4 I hit the rev limiter at 85 MPH. This is a situation where the "facelift" Mini's "better" gearing ratios is disadvantaged. Unlike Formula Ford, we cannot change gearbox gears to optimize for the given track.

I estimate I hit the limiter for about 1/2 second before the braking point. All I could do is just wait before reaching the braking point. The pre-facelift R53 3rd gear is about 5% taller so the top speed in 3rd is 90 MPH, for my tire diameter.




I infer the rev limiting is by mean of injector cutout, or with ignition cut also. I don't know what R53 MCS factory cutoff is at except circa 7000. My thought is to raise the cutoff by about 5% which I don't see any harm. I read that JCW has higher cutoff at 7225 and GP has 7250.

Where is the cutoff RPM for 05 MCS, and what software I can use to change that?

Someone said that the max RPM the factory ECU can be set at is 8150.

 

Moving you to the Mod section. Should get some responses.

 

you need a tune, 7500 is no issue with stock setup. I would just bounce off the revlimit for a half second, sometimes when I autocross I'll bounce off it for a second or two

 

Your rev limiter cuts in at 7000? My 2005 cuts in at 7250 or there about but it is past the first red hash after the 7000 mark, just like my 2004 Justa.

 

I actually don't know exactly where it cut out. I only glance at the tech with peripheral vision as don't want to fixate on it least I crash and burn.

It was somewhere in the beginning of the red zone.

 

Your best bet would be getting something like Bytetronik, you can then log in greater detail while on the track for post run analysis. Hit me up if you want to see the software/module in person.

 

I bet if you take it out and just leave it in 1st gear it will cut out at just about the first hash mark after 7000. So about 7175 7200? It's not like other fuel limiters, it's smooth and just maintains the limit, it doesn't bounce off the limiter.

 

It is actually a nice limiter. Your speed don't drop but I want to go faster for that split second instead of in cruise control. I used to not have this problem when I go through turn 1 & 2 in 2nd and lost time to upshift. Now with 3rd I maxed out a good distance before braking.

 

Bytetronik is too expensive right now for what I need. I do want to see it though. May be I can bring a Miniac too.

Shark Injector also allow you to change rev cutoff point but is more than I am willing to pay just to raise the cutout RPM.

I am looking for something much cheaper like NCS-Expert and INPA, but they may not.

I have been search and found this thread on Bimmerforum that the OP was able to.

You should come out to track days and play. The more Minis the merrier.

 

I hit up a few HPDE events early in the season this year, I was sadly the only Mini out there. I plan on going to many more in the 2018 season. If you ever want to meet up and chill over a beer I am down, I love talking about Minis, most of my other car friends are into the BRZs or Honda's.

 

I've found at high rpm in 1st and 2nd the tac lags a little bit

 

I have a late start this season as I was just beginning to make the Mini more fun. We are growing quite a group now. We definitely will keep in touch comes next season. I want to drive the Ridge too. The BRZ is very impressive. It is an affordable track weapon for sure. R53 is probably the only FWD that I would want beside a classic mini cooper S. Strangely I have never seen a Fiat Abarth at the track.

 

On paper the MINI and Fiats go like this from slowest to fastest:
Fiat 500
Cooper
500 Abarth
Cooper S
The performance difference between the 500 and the Justa is relatively small - a brand new 2017 Fiat 500 would have a hard time outrunning my 2004 Justa - I suspect it would be a little faster but not by much... if any. The difference between the Abarth and Cooper S is large. The difference between the Justa and an Abarth is not that big but again, my 2004 would not be too far behind the Abarth and I think that most Abarth owners probably know this. You sit oddly high in the Abarth. Hard turns at speed make you feel like you will roll at any second - you won't - but it sure feels that way. This may also be a factor. The sound of the Abarth is, in my opinion, hard to beat for a turbo engine. I think that the largest reason that you don't find Abarth's at the track is that the Fiat and the MINI - though sold literally across the street from each other here in PDX - have very different demographics to which they are marketed. As far as the Toybaru FRS/BEZ - I love the idea of the car and love that is exists but am surprised that it is still around. The number of people that would want one barely justifies that R&D let alone the actual manufacture and sale of the thing. I did toy with getting one though... my old house and vacations to far off locations around the world take my money though... fair trade off if you ask me.

 

I see a lot of fiats at the track, not as many at autocross I dont think the 500 can even autocross it is too top heavy without mods

 

Long before the Fiat 500 Abarth came to US I was quite excited that it would be a formidable hot hatch. I saw many in Paris in 2010 and one in the video I took.

500 abarth at 2:28

I gather Northamerica ended up a softer version than the European one. The other letdown is the gearbox only has 5 speeds.

You are so right about the BRZ development. That's why it is sold as Subaru, Toyota, and Scion. It is nice as it is atmospheric and low engine CG.

 

Indeed. We don't get front Brembos, Sabelt Seats, Optional LSD In the 595 Competizione Or the drool worthy Optional dogring gearbox in the 695 Biposto.




BUT I do love the rear Suspension in my R53 :P. Torsion beam FTL.

 

While I almost lust that Optional dogring gearshifter, the gate pattern in the photo intrigued me. I wondered if the right most down is 6th...

A few seconds of google image search...; a disaster waiting to happen for those hunting for the 6th