Do you think we could expand this to a world event for Mini tuners It would be intresting to see if Go Mini could arrange for all the different companies worldwide to participate as a annual deal with the same challanges but in there own countries .

At the moment Popular Hot Rodding has a yearly dyno shootout where engine builders from all over the states have to compete bulding to specific rules and cubic inch limits / pump gas etc. PHR receive loads of $$$$$ in sponsorship.

 

I, for one, don't think a Vendor Shootout would benefit anyone of us. The "winner", I'll predict, will receive a boost in sales, while the "loser," will see a loss and thus may have to close up shop. If he does, we are ALL losers since we don't have that many tuners out there anyway.

I think we have had enough dynos done with enough combinations to figure out what's good and what's better. A 15% pulley is a 15% pulley, same boost. A CAI is a CAI for the most part. Same for exhausts, although some are lighter than others and will improve real world gains.

Bottom line is if you choose smart, you win....don't just throw parts on. I mean, one exhaust may not give as much HP as the other but is lighter, so the real world effect may be the same acceleration, which of course also depends on the owners choice in wheels/tires...the combinations are endless.

Let's not put the Vendors in a pit to fight to the death, I'd prefer them to live on and create new and better products in the future.

 

While I agree there will be winners and losers and said that before, I totally disagree with your reasoning.

Why? Because the free enterprise system working ... the American way. The best of breed will survive, the worst will disappear. It happens all the time ... Just look at all the companies that have gone out of business ... for whatever reason. This is the American free enterprise system at its best.

 

Is that how you thing about products you buy?.....You dont care to see real time tests to see which is better.......Most "dynos" runs arent done correctly and/or people are giving us false info to make themselves look better to show there faster and they dont show the performance of the rest of the vehicle....Who cares if were puttin 3 to the wheels....Can our cars put it down is the Q....Can our cars take a 3-4g turn without losing it ( just throwing numbers out ) .....Can our cars, you get the idea........Do you think Consumer Affairs rely on feed back from others? NO.....They do there own tests to see whats whats.

This is a challenge for fun and not to put other companies products down. GM,Ford,Dodge and so on have these same contests all the time...One of the biggest to them are the Auto shows....They come out to show whos got the best looking car with the biggest wheels and the most HP......Someone has to come out on top and this is the type of test to show whos whos in the aftermarket world for Mini's.

You dont see FORD shutting there doors when they lose, do you?

 

that's right we just want to know really what our product real do, in compare whith others brands you allways make comdination of products to create your own combination for exp.M7 16% pulley with Alta cold air with mth software with obx header with invidia catback and so all.we just want to see our mini vendors and our mini tuner presents his best products and at the same way they compare their products and make new improvements and we can be benefit. SO LET'S TRIED TO MAKE THIS REAL.I SEE THE INTEREST IN A LOT OF VENDORS AND TUNER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. LET'S DO IT.

 

one thing that would not be tested is durability/ reliability...

for that i would love to host a 3 hour enduro run here in phoenix... if that doesn't test the durability, reliability, and performance of a car... i don't know what will

 

Your not going to see all the vendors running the same set up as you or anyone else out there.......There are alot of different combonations out there and wont be accurate if your looking at it that way.....None of the companies have a full line of prodcust which is theres so it would be hard to do that.

I think everybody is looking to see whos the sh*t out there with how they set up there own company cars. This is going to be about braggin rights and the one who wins will be looked at more which will push others to look there way when they want to do some mods to there rides.

All these companies products are good in there own way.

The one true thing that makes a company good at doing business isnt always there products.....Its the customer service they provide....If you dont have that , your product doesnt mean a thing then to the clientel.

 

I have been tempted to let this dying thread be, but I just got off the phone with TireRack. They have a test track in Indiana that they regularly lend out to clubs, etc. They agreed in principal to host a MINI shootout sometime next spring. We discussed other possibilities for sponsorship/spec tire as well. Anyway, the possibility is there...

 

Thanks for that Eric

Sounds like a great idea. Maybe Tire Rack would have interest in a tire test? Tire Rack's various tire tests have (to date) been performed on 3 series beemers. This is fine, but it would be nice to see how performance tires test on our MINIs. Maybe there are or will be a few new skins they'd be interested in testing then too?

Does Tire Rack have thier own 'Stig'

 

Thanks Eric!

So which vendors are willing to partake? Or do we need to have rules/categories set up first to get commitment? What if there's also a pulley-party as well? Would that help draw vendors from farther away, or would that just add to the cost for you to make it out?

 

Define vender.

 

How about making it a real Shootout? Each vendor drives his/her car in a "Thunderdome" area and carries a paintball gun.

 

Isn't that what those targets MINIUSA sent us are for?!

 

Thunderdome - Two man enter. One man leave.

 

Nice catch. LMAO

Why couldn't this whole thing be run on a similar format to what was used by one of the preformance magazines. They set up a course that tested acceleration, braking, handling, and top speed. Each car was run thru the course, shortest time won. No individual tests that would allow modifications to optimise for each test. Just one test. The answer would be a good overall preformer. Something that launches well, can corner and stop. Sounds like something I would like to drive on the street, or take to the auto-X, or a track day.

Three catagoriies:
1. Supercharged
2. Twincharged
3. Juiced (including supercharged and twincharged)

Spec tires would go a long way to leveling the playing field.
The use of a single driver, or better yet, a team of drivers that will drive every car, all times recorded. To take into account for "learning" the course some of the drivers would start with the cars from one end of the list and the other drives would start at the other end of the list. That way each car would be driven over the course by drivers that are already familiar with the course.

 

Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner With the site and the format taking shape, it would be great to begin seeing some more of the tuners signify their intent to participate.

 

I already said I'm in, but I want a "run what you brung" event. That seems seriously fair to me - if you can build it, you can run it against the other competitors.


I'm all about the pulley party - as you know .

Randy

 

Bumpatee bump

 

This would be a don't miss event for me. I would drive up from Atlanta just to "be a part of it all"

 

Is this event totally on?

 

bump


I hope so......A lil FYI for the venders and everyone wanting to join the shootout.

I've been talking to a friend of mine who works for SpikeTv and USA television and shot him some ideas about making a show out of this. I dont want to get anyones hopes up, but he is VERY interested in this with his new prodject he has going. I will keep everyone posted about it as i hear more.

 

WOW......Is this issue already dead or something?

 

I hope not. I think there's a big opportunity here for the tuners to showcase their products and demonstrate their performance. Clearly, the market for MINI performance products is varied enough and heaalthy enough to support more than a few vendors, more than a few tuners. It's not a one size fits all market. If this event can be put together, all the participants and the MINI community in general stand to benefit from it.

 

I think there is already an event set-up that would be perfect for showing off what we can do with our cars. Both Randy and I are going to be running the entire season of the North American MINI Challenge. For those of you who don’t know, this is a national event consisting of seven races all over the US, at such tracks as Laguna Seca. There are 5 classes, Cooper Stock, Cooper modified, Cooper S stock, Cooper S modified, and JCW cars. We are planning on running two cars in Cooper S modified, so come on out and "run what you brung".

 

umm ok.....Thats not what i had in mind but good luck.