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Ok, some history. I no longer work in the industry, but for 15 years I owned and ran a large tuning/racing shop/manufacturer for aftermarket parts for BMW, Mercedes and Ferrari. After that I ran large sales divisions for Cosworth, Magnaflow and K&N. So... I am kind of an aftermarket guy! lol Meaning, I cannot leave any car alone!
The MINI replaced an i3, which was great... but boring. This one is not boring, I love it. It is my daily to the office. Have a very custom e46 M3c (magazine and SEMA car) and a Q7 that was my daily. But at gas being over $4/g in the US at the moment, it just makes sense to drive electric. But that doesnt mean "drive boring!" I hate tesla and have have many BMW's, so MINI it was!
Here is the car as delivered last weekend:
2021 MINI SE Iconic, Moonwalk/Black, all the black trim possible from factory.
Today it was tinted:
Much better!
I have a long list of parts already ordered and will post updates with part #s and the best prices I find as I go!
I know not all want to play with or mod this little "appliance" - but it is in my blood and I cannot help myself!!! lol
Ordered, received and TRIED to install the Outmotring Beltline Kit - it failed and shrunk in the heat and overall was disappointing (I have installed vinyl on all my race cars and am fairly good at it), so....
It looks good! I didn't even notice the side markers until you changed it to smoked ones. Now the stock side makers look so out of place!
What tires are you going with on the new tires? I'm very close to putting a set of Michelin Pilot Sport tires on my OEM wheels. I really don't like the runflats.
When I installed my coilovers, I noticed that the rear shocks are a lot longer than the ST shocks. It is at least 1.5" longer. The rear shocks are also a lot softer than ST shocks. It should be interesting to see how good the ride is with the lowering springs you are putting on.
LOL, yea, I am morally adverse to red/amber and chrome! lol
I ordered KUMHO ECSTA PS31 215/40R18 89 W
I am a big believer in the 95% of the tire for 50% of the money philosophy. lol
Having sold lots of performance wheel/tire combos and driven/tracked/raced 100's of tires. I really feel like you wont really get that difference in performance for the hefty price tag.
But that's just on man's opinion! The MPS is a great tire no doubt! Money no object, it is at the top of the list. I have Mich on the q7, but the M3 and CLK run "off brands" like the Mini will.
I just finished up a set of those Kuhmo tires on my Clubman S. They are a solid daily driver tire. They howl a lot at the limit, but I don’t imagine you’ll be pushing this car that hard. Or, maybe you will
I just finished up a set of those Kuhmo tires on my Clubman S. They are a solid daily driver tire. They howl a lot at the limit, but I don’t imagine you’ll be pushing this car that hard. Or, maybe you will
Do you have any suspension mods planned?
Thanks for the feedback! Good to know.
No, this car wont see too much crazy at-the-limit driving. Its the daily for me and the weekend runner for the wife.
I have Eibach springs in the warehouse, but the wife is protesting about it being too low (although she used to drive 2 lowered M Roadsters! lol) So I may have to slowly win that battle so I dont lose the war!
Bad news/bad news:
Good: all the wheel tire parts are ordered (wheels, tires, TPMS with Black stems, Center bore adapters, center caps with Black/Grey Union Jack)
Bad: Wheel seller said (after they took my money and said they had been shipped) that it is a 6 week wait!
Hard to believe it is almost an inch drop! It feels good. Not enough miles yet, but about the same as stock and a little stiffer (which is ok with me!)
Those wheels will keep you rolling down the road in decent style in the meanwhile.
I wonder if there are owners of ICE MINIs who have installed the SE's wider wheel-well trim pieces to give the illusion of lowering or further emphasize the results of actual lowering?
I wonder if there are owners of ICE MINIs who have installed the SE's wider wheel-well trim pieces to give the illusion of lowering or further emphasize the results of actual lowering?
Lowering the car has other benefits like the a lower center of gravity and a stiffer ride. It is also relatively cheap and easy to reverse. I would rather lower my car rather than changing trim pieces.
Those wheels will keep you rolling down the road in decent style in the meanwhile.
I wonder if there are owners of ICE MINIs who have installed the SE's wider wheel-well trim pieces to give the illusion of lowering or further emphasize the results of actual lowering?
Originally Posted by Jon Roberts
Lowering the car has other benefits like the a lower center of gravity and a stiffer ride. It is also relatively cheap and easy to reverse. I would rather lower my car rather than changing trim pieces.
Yes, lowering is for far more than aesthetics - but the look is also much better!
We will see what it all looks like with the wider shoes.
Only other mod left to do is the black/smoke tailights.
