I just got my '11 MCS with the JCW aero kit. I'm going to be installing ST coilovers in a couple of weeks and have been looking underneath the car to figure out where to put the Jack stands.

I've seen the 2x4 method posted on here but I don't think it will work because the side skirts are there and I don't want to damage the skirts. I've also seen where you can jack up the car using a 2x4 on a rail behind the jack points. I don't know about the other JCW kits or if they made a change in '11, but almost the entire underside of my Mini is now covered with a plastic cover. I can get the to screws on the door side of the car, but there's no way to get to them in the center of the car.

I'm not concerned about the rear, because if you use a floor jack on the front jack point, it lifts the rear and you can place a jack stand there.

Where else could I place the jack stand on the front?

 

I lifted the front of the car by placing the jack under the large flattened area near the front crossmenber just behind the engine. That allowed me to place the jackstands under the front jacking point along the rocker panels. Then I jacked the rear using the lower shock attachment point which allowed access to the rear jacking points along the rocker panels for two more stands.

 

How did you get the jack that far under the front of the car? Also, on the '11, the entire underside is covered by plastic cladding. I can't see anything under there except plastic and the center where the exhaust is located.

 

Simplybao
It took me a while to come up with a method to put my GP on jackstands for the winter. I never wanted to jack the car up by any other method other than using the jackpads as I have read about other horror stories. The GP shares the same type of under body paneling as your R56.
See my post on this thread
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-stands-4.html post #84
Because the GP side skirts are so low I have to raise the front end first and support the front tires on ramps. This gives me sufficient clearence to put the 4x4 post on my floor jack and span the two jack points on one side. The 4x4 post is more than adequate to accept the load. After jacking I then place a jack stand beneith the 4x4 directly under each of the jacking points and proceed to do the same on the other side of the car.
Without having one of the fancy jacks that raise the entire car this is the only method that I would use. As always be careful and use this information at your own risk.
Steve

 

I drove the front of the car up on some home made wood ramps made from PT 2x12. Total height of the ramp is 3" which provides enough room to get the floor jack under there.