200 hp sure looks very temping!!! But with that extra power, won't that create "torque steering"? which is a very common problem for high output FF cars!!! Will that effect MCS's super corning ability?? Anyone who want to say anything about this cooper S works kit! Feel free to post your opinion, i think there's a lot of MCS owner like me who wants i listen to more opinion from u!!

 

too 'spensive for me

 

Welcome to MCO cooperjai-
No need to start a new thread on this topic. please check
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...pic=9564&1

Pay attention to Mister_S and Randy BMC's comments.
There are many opinions regarding this upgrade.
Do a google search for reviews of the JCW upgrade. Most of them are very positive. The car behaves like an S when driven on the normal road and comes to life on the track. It is very driveable. If it really needed upgraded suspension and brakes etc then JCW would have added it. My feeling is that it already was about as expensive an upgrade as the market would allow so for that price they did what they could to increase horsepower and torque. If they did much more then additional work would need to be done with the brakes, suspension etc which would increase the cost. Then there are some omissions that were practical. The JCW kit doesn't come with an upgrade to the intake- why? most likely because that is the easiest upgrade for owners to do themselves so no sense doing that and overlaping products.

An important detail to remember is with the JCW's upgrade comes the BMW warranty for 4 years assuming that you get the upgrade early in the life of your mini. It is very costly. It will be exclusive. There are limited numbers of the kit available in the US this year. No other upgrades you do will offer the dealer warranty support unless it is installed by the dealer in your area. If reliability and warranty are important and you want a mega performance upgrade for your MCS then start saving up. The kit is not available for the base cooper in this country.

Based on the reviews I read, the JCW S is the car that the S was supposed to be. To keep costs down maybe the stock S was detuned a bit but still is quite peppy. For most drivers the stock S is great fun. If you never drive on the track and you keep to the posted speed limit then a base cooper is a great place to start. If you do that PLUS you like the looks of an S, like to add performance mods, like to drive aggressively or race or learn more about driving on a track then the S is a good option but it will be about $3000 more. You can easily add performance mods to meet or exceed the JCW kit but you will lack the warranty and if you consider that BMW would not be interested in supporting anything that could be unreliable then you will have some peace of mind that your upgrade was well designed, tested, and approved by the company (Cooper Works) that has the most experience with the cooper since it's redesign.

Randy BMC states it correctly. There is a place in the market for the JCW kit and also for the other upgrades.
Feel free to choose. Personally I am working on the Randy Webb Works upgrade Kit for my MCS- it comes with a no added cost, unwritten but understood personal warranty based on trust (based on Randy's demonstrated honesty and integrity).
These are exciting times. :smile: Motor ON

 

I'd rather just put on some aftermarket perfomance options, for less money, and still get about the same if not more HP.

 

The advantage of SuperMINI03's approach can be a practical one-
You can add mods piece by piece, it costs less than to plunk down $5500 at one time, you can check out the results one by one, you can stop along the way and do some testing and comparing,you can mix and match what you like the best,
you can buy and trade upgrades easily with other like minded owners, you can install some upgrades yourself-for the experience or the fun of it.
Most people don't really need the WHOLE kit. And then there are some who think that the JCWs kit is seriously lacking in completeness (especially for the asking price). But that would be a job for the JCW plus upgrade kit for 2005- Right? :evil:

 

As minihune said, there are quite a few threads covering this already. It boils down to whether you feel it's worth paying an extra $3000 (by the time you add installation) to keep your warranty to get added power that, for the most part, you won't use. I think people should spend the money going to school to learn how to get the most of what they already own.