Whats up gp'ers I finally got my upgrade parts and i will be installing them by this sunday for an autocross with the Equipe Rapide Sports car club. The event is at Homestead Speedway parking lot (South Florida). I am really excited as it is my first event.

I am also really excited because my Advan RGII's in 16x7 @ 12.5lbs has made a TREMENDOUSLY HUGE difference in how the GP accelerates / brakes / handles and overall drives. Its awesome. This type of wheel upgrade is highly recommended as it eliminates the heavy feel of the stock wheels which contributes to many more aspects of the cars driving than I had expected. *NOTE* these wheels did require me to drill out the holes using a 9/16 bit so that the huge GP wheel bolts could fit through. my lack of experience lead me to overlook this issue when ordering my wheels. the wheels still worked out so its all good.

The car feels as if I got rid of an extra passenger. It moves off of the line effortlessly with a lot less throttle required. The brakes stop with a new found eagerness. It is definitely a modification well worth the money and makes the car look better (more Mini) as well. I am using Falken Azenis 215-45-16's on the stock GP JCW suspension and the car sits overall about an inch lower than stock. The overall diameter of the advans versus the stocks is about an inch shorter. The speedo is slightly affected (oh well) and gearing is slightly affected (stills matches perfectly with engine characteristics). The car rides smoother and a bit quieter and the grip has increased substantially. Handling characteristics have remained about the same but turn in has become more sharp/confident with way more grip and cornering speeds have increased by at least a few more mph (i havent driven the car at the limits with the new tires as I am learning how they grip and break loose).

I have received my JCW drilled/slotted rotors and JCW strut bar that I will begin installing tonight. Pictures to come!

Can someone tell me what size torx head is required to remove the rotors from the hub?

Stock class here i come - the GP is now a force to be reckonned with - i Definitely think that if the car came like this from the factory it would have made a larger impact on the automotive world and would have Kicked More *** in that magazine Handling article comparison.

cheers

 

pics!

 

SO much nicer than those hideous wheels they came with stock!

 

hate to break it to you, but you aren't stock class eligible in a GP (that might change soon, but for now, you aren't), not to mention, the wheels and brake rotors and strut bar move you out as well. I think you're stuck in ASP or maybe even SM. If you have a nice club, they will still let you run STX, even though its pretty questionable (removed back seats being the issue).

 

yeah i ran B-stock at the last event - and there was a lot of questioning back and forth between the rule book and the knowledgable folks there. and that class was not good for me anyways as the stock cars with slick tires performed way better than i did on street tires. slicks are a super huge advantage. They were debating on whether i would be B-stock or STX. I think STX was better suited. But i dont know, this is all new to me. i dont know what ASP or SM entail.

I do know that the Mini Cooper W/ JCW is listed as B-Stock and so this is why i went in B-Stock - being the closest car relative to the GP.

heres a pic i hi-jacked from a photographer out there. never mind the proof branding on the pics. Boy was it FUN!

 

Right now:

It is NOT eligible for STX, as it only has 2 seats. It is NOT eligible for stock class as it has not yet received a stock classification. Its legal to run only in DSP (D Street Prepared) or in SM (Street Mod).

Its been proposed, and is up for member review (not approved yet though), moving all cooper S's to DS (its actually three seperate proposals) by moving the GS cooper S's up, the BS JCW cars down, and giving the GP a stock classification as a DS car.
Its worth noting though that these are 3 seperate proposals.

 

with my modifications which class do you think i should look to run in : DSP or SM? what kinda competition would I be up against in those classes? do any of those classes allow slicks because i dont want to run against slick tire cars. thanks for all the info.

 

Wheel alone take you out of stock class. as for back seat that shouldnt be an issue since this is a Factory condition not one that was changed as an after thought.

D-Stock Prepared and Street Modified (Open class) allow Slicks.

SM is an open class enwhich if any and just about anything goes as long as it still be ridden on the street. I run SM due to Changing the Pulley on my MCS the type of cars we get here that i run against are and not limited too. Camaro's with big block engine swaps, Subaru STI and EVO's modded to the Hilt, Honda's that added Superchargers or Turbo, RSX's , Toyota's all types with engine mods. etc etc. Most long term Autoxers are not in SM class due to the Pax ratings and such. For me I do it to have fun and care about my personal best and just how sideways i can get it to go thru a gate and not touch a cone.

 

If I were you, I'd just run STX, most people won't know the difference between a regular Works car and a GP, and its unlikely that you will get protested at anything but a national level event. Its debatable as to whether the lack of rear seats makes you ineligible for STX or not, sure its a factory condition, the larger intercooler over a standard works car is also a possible reason that you might be ineligible for STX. . .

 

cool. thanks for all the info. I'm getting a better understanding of the classes. Seems like i will try to get with STX - i definitely want to run with other street tire cars. In the auto-x i attended I was 1-1.5 seconds off the pace of other cooper S' w/ mod's and experienced drivers who were in STX. I think i did pretty well for the first time - didnt hit any cones (unlike many others out there that day!).

my next upgrades are going to be stainless steel brake lines and high perf. brake fluid. These mods should still keep me within STX correct?