Howdy folks! Thought I'd pop on and let everyone know how it went.

For those whom are not aware of what I'm talking about, check out http://www.mini-madness.com/SUPERTUNER.html for more information.

For those in the know, or whom have just read that link here's the update:

We came in FIRST for 130mph-0mph braking test!!

We came in FIRST on the road course!!

In fact our time thru the course was so good, it was only 0.3 seconds behind a tuned EVO VIII, which was the fastest of the day in either class!!!

But what were we up against you ask? Let's see:

Neuspeed brought a sick GTI
New SI with big motor with supercharger
Wicked 2.7 litre engine shoehorned in a junky Neon (driven from WV to CA, will be lucky if it makes it back home, ya..THAT pieced together...ha!)
3 RSXs in various levels of tune (including a turbo entry from HKS)
2 Focuses, one all tuned, one way more show than go
...who else am I forgetting??....

Photos and a full write-up will be in an upcoming issue of Car & Driver magazine, when I know the exact issue I'll let you all know.

Ok, some more random bits of info.....

The tests were a 0-60, 0-130, road course and 130-0.

We had the best 130-0 time of any of the cars out there, FWD or RWD/AWD!!

Our 0-60 was 5.9 seconds.

We had a NASTY headwind on the 0-130 test, and the blocky shape of the Cooper didn't help us much here. Not to mention the smallest displacement engine there (1.6 liter).

A Ford Focus blew up.

The HKS RSX (300hp turbo beast) had the best overall time (all test times combined) for the FWD class as it could so quickly accellerate and win back points it lost from us in the road course and braking sections. Sure go fast off the line, we'll beat you in the corners and coming to a stop.

We're really happy with the results and have some awesome videos from inside and out durring the testing to share with you soon enough. :smile:

R

 

Awesome! That's great to hear. I'm glad the MINI did so well. Do you think it'll be the next C&D?

 

Great job, mini Madness worked had and did it right.

 

Great show, you guys are doing us all proud.

Raven

 

Nicely done!

I have a question about the website though:

"The backseats are now 40lbs lighter! We removed the metal back plates and hand fabricated new back shells. "

I weighed the leather rear seats in my '03 MCS. Each seatback weighed 16 lb. You cannot remove 40 lb from 32 lb, no matter how hard you try.

Any dyno results in its current trim and any idea of the test weight?

 

Nice catch Andy. I just took the number I was given. :smile: I'll post all the data when he gets home.

R

 

Disney, the tragic kingdom!

Ryan, who was your driver, a professional or some amateur hotshoe?

High fives to the MINI Madness team!!

 

My notes say that the complete removal of rear seats, seat belts and related hardware was 47 lbs. Don't ask me to weigh them again as I sold them to some fella in NY... Actually, I might have tossed in the sun visor, grab handles and maybe rear floor mats... 40 lbs might be right on...

_________________
2003 IB MCS

 

Here's more weights:

Seat bottom: 10 lb
Cargo cover: 2 lb
Jack: 6 lb

So, the entire rear seat weighs 42 lb. There is no physical way to remove 40 lb from the portion that only weighs 32 lb. I'd think maybe 20 lb of weigh reduction is possible by removing the steel structure in the seatbacks.

 

Davbret-
During the competition did anything on the mini wear out or break? Any last minute adjustments? Do you think you could have done anything better even given the nasty headwind which everyone had to face?
Wonderful job- are you ready for more? Sounds like you have the only mini there?
Were they impressed?

 

>>Davbret-
>>During the competition did anything on the mini wear out or break? Any last minute adjustments? Do you think you could have done anything better even given the nasty headwind which everyone had to face?
>>Wonderful job- are you ready for more?



R

 

I spotted the P&D pulley!

did the car have the P&D camber plates?

 

Awesome!

who cares what the rear seats REALLY weigh? ~ 4 - 8 pounds will hardly make a difference. If that number were skewed by 50 pounds then it would be a different story.

 

One of those RSX's was NA making 260whp! They're not done tuning it yet but when it's done it will make max hp at 10,000rpm!!!!!!!! Currently, they're running it at 9000rpm.

 

>>I spotted the P&D pulley!
>>
>>did the car have the P&D camber plates?

No the race KW suspension came with "built in" camber plates.

R

 

Do you, by chance, know what Neuspeed had done to the GTI?

 

Great showing guys.

Something tells me that you took style points hands down.

Tom