http://www.mini2.com/news/news.php?id=157
Opinions?

 

Well ... Getting a new head helps explain the high price on the kit. I would expect they could do better than 200bhp with a new supercharger, higher compression heads, new intake and new exhaust. I wonder what's holding them back.

Keith

 

Cool !

 

Looks like, as expected, JCW is using a smaller supercharger pulley. Here's a stock one for comparison:

 

Yippy!!!!! I am burrrning with desire now. Looks like the 5K is for the new head, huh?

 

not sure if I'm a fan of those wheels yet - I guess I'll hold off judgement until I see them in person.

 

I gotta say I'm a little perplexed as to why only 200hp? Wouldn't you think with all that hardware and I'm assuming ecu tweaking it's still just 2oohp... reliability/durability issues perhaps? Are there some underlying BMW concerns about the toughness of the powerplant?

I know the MCS motor is beefed up but I'm left a little puzzled. It would seem the 200hp benchmark would be easily exceeded by the mods they are presumably offering.

Anyone else share my puzzlement...

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<IMG SRC="http://udel.edu/~mm/anime/speed/pict....jpg">

 

I'm very close to placing an order on a Cooper S - just a matter of picking a color package - then I saw this story last nite. I called the dealer and was told that this is available as a dealer add-on option. It takes 2-3 days to be installed and will cost $2,500.

Obviously I want it.

Just quickly polling opinion. Is this something you would trust a dealer to handle or would you insist on it coming from the factory? I was told that the upgrade would be fully covered under Mini warranty.

Is anyone concerned over reliability problems with the added goodies? It seemed to me that the engine was somewhat underachieving. I had a stock 2000 Honda Civic Si that was 1.6 liters and turned out 160 hp with no forced injection. I would imagine there should be considerable room for improvement for the MCS.

 

>>Cool !
>>

 

$2500??? Is that installed by the dealer?? If so this is way lower than the rumors that have been circling that it would be in the 5k range...

Can you talk to the dealer and get complete details please...I'd truly appreciate it.

 

>>>>
>>Just quickly polling opinion. Is this something you would trust a dealer to handle or would you insist on it coming from the factory? I was told that the upgrade would be fully covered under Mini warranty.
>>
>>

If you had a leaky head gasket, you'ld trust the dealer to fix that, right? ... this is the same proceedure so just believe that they all passed MINI school and turn 'em loose!

 

My personal opinion is that the dealer should be more than capable of doing the install on all the componants in the "upgrade"...it's not like it's rocket science. So if your dealer's service department is competant it should be no problem.

I'm curious about the $2500.00 price mentioned, prices bouncing around here and other boards seem to indicate a much higher price, somewhere around $5000.00.

 

>>>>Cool !
>>>>

Actually, they look quite different, the orientation of the mufflers is not the same.

 

Whoa - you were quoteed $2500? It's $3700 in the UK which is at the very least $5000 USD. I hope your dealer's correct because the package makes much more sense at the $2500 level.

>>I'm very close to placing an order on a Cooper S - just a matter of picking a color package - then I saw this story last nite. I called the dealer and was told that this is available as a dealer add-on option. It takes 2-3 days to be installed and will cost $2,500.
>>
>>Obviously I want it.
>>
>>Just quickly polling opinion. Is this something you would trust a dealer to handle or would you insist on it coming from the factory? I was told that the upgrade would be fully covered under Mini warranty.
>>
>>Is anyone concerned over reliability problems with the added goodies? It seemed to me that the engine was somewhat underachieving. I had a stock 2000 Honda Civic Si that was 1.6 liters and turned out 160 hp with no forced injection. I would imagine there should be considerable room for improvement for the MCS.

 

I am also perplexed at the modest hp from such an extensive parts package. Also, why the entirely new supercharger? Wouldn't just the pulley mod on the stock SC do the trick? If the head has been flowed, (I assume that is why the new head) why not a header? It seems that would be the logical extension for getting the best flow. I would have guessed the package of pulley, head, header, intake, ECU, and exhaust would be the most complete solution.
Don't get me wrong, I love that this is coming out, but I would sure like to understand it better.
Anyone with more info, please post it!

 

I compared the length to width ratio of the JCW pulley in the pic to the ratio of the pulley on my car. Looks like 15% to me.

 

I know this is an MCS thread, but I did see a little info there regarding the MC as well. There was some talk a few weeks ago about dealer upgrades for the Cooper (intake and exhaust) - is it possible this is what they meant? As a Cooper owner with the standard seats, I'd love to put those sport seats in my MC.

 

>>I'm very close to placing an order on a Cooper S - just a matter of picking a color package - then I saw this story last nite. I called the dealer and was told that this is available as a dealer add-on option. It takes 2-3 days to be installed and will cost $2,500.
teldon,
My dealer says 2-3K for installation. Thats in addition to the 5K cost. That's your cost breakdown. A dealer install on new MCS is no different than on an existing MCS. They are just rolling the cost of the kit into the price of the car. If not, then tell us who your dealer is -- there will be no shortage of customers lining up.
Bluesmaster

 

Only 200 hp from the John Woods Works kit, I don’t get it either. MINI Madness offers a Stage 1 kit for the MCS that gets a reliable 200hp without changes to major expensive components like the supercharger and cylinder head. Now I understand that the John Woods Works kit would have to take emissions and noise levels into consideration whereas an after market kit may not, but I wonder if 200 hp is approaching the upper limits of engines capabilities from a long term (4year/50,000) durability stand point. Or is it if they develop much more power there would have to be changes to the cooling system, engine bottom end, brakes, suspension, clutch, transmission, etc.

 

>>Only 200 hp from the John Woods Works kit, I don’t get it either. MINI Madness offers a Stage 1 kit for the MCS that gets a reliable 200hp without changes to major expensive components like the supercharger and cylinder head. Now I understand that the John Woods Works kit would have to take emissions and noise levels into consideration whereas an after market kit may not, but I wonder if 200 hp is approaching the upper limits of engines capabilities from a long term (4year/50,000) durability stand point. Or is it if they develop much more power there would have to be changes to the cooling system, engine bottom end, brakes, suspension, clutch, transmission, etc.


... btw ... that's 'John COOPER Works' ...

 

Some thoughts - A lot of people on MINI2 said their engines were underrated and produce something more like 175 HP. This was in England, and I haven't heard anything about the same situation in America, though. What I'm getting at is this system may be underrated, and may produce something more like 220. That's where I would peg it personally, but I have no hard evidence, obviously.
Before we flip out on this, lets have Randy or someone put it on a dyno and see what it really produces. If MINI owners pay $7500 for it, then find out it's only making 190 HP there will be a lot of angry complaints.
Anyone agree at all?

 

Yes both the MC and the MCS have been found to make more power than advertised. I've heard more about this regarding the MC though.

>>Some thoughts - A lot of people on MINI2 said their engines were underrated and produce something more like 175 HP. This was in England, and I haven't heard anything about the same situation in America, though. What I'm getting at is this system may be underrated, and may produce something more like 220. That's where I would peg it personally, but I have no hard evidence, obviously.
>>Before we flip out on this, lets have Randy or someone put it on a dyno and see what it really produces. If MINI owners pay $7500 for it, then find out it's only making 190 HP there will be a lot of angry complaints.
>>Anyone agree at all?

 

Spoke to my dealer this PM.
Yes all the dealers were advised about this approx 1 month ago...
all hush..hush.... though.

He said late 2nd quarter, but will confirm date a/s/a/p.

He also stated that the $5k price is ...a good ball-park figure...installed.

That's all the news that's fit ta print

Peace,
D

.

 

It looks they are still using the top mounted intercooler and could be part of the problem for getting only 200 hp. A larger front mount intercooler would be much more efficient.

 

I really like the exhaust design - very similar to the Magnaflow with in and out through the front and rear of the muffler cans, but wtih a proper Y piep instead of a T.

Hey Andy - that photo looks familiar - it's in my shop!

As to the kit only being 200 hp, there's just no way. I have a flowed head here that will be going on this week, as long as time permits, so I basically have a JCW kit here. It's the head, the pulley, the intake, the exhaust, and an ECU mod. Without the head I'm already over 200hp at the crank.

There is definitely room for improvement for the supercharger flow, but you don't really need it for the horsepower they are looking for, so that puzzles me a little too.

The price has been whispered throughout the dealership network at $5000 plus labor. That is just a lot of money, but you do keep the warranty, so think of it as a purchase that includes the extended warranty package.

I want 230 out of the package I offer - and I'm well on the way. I'll keep everyone posted on the package, cost and power.

Head
Header and cat-back
Pulley
ECU
Intake
Throttle body

We'll see...

If they do come out with the parts, I would definitely get my hands on some for some testing to see how it compares to the aftermarket.

I do think that with this package, at the very least you would want to change the pad compound and fluid.

Randy