Hey guys. It's looking like I very likely will take over a lease on an F56 JCW. As Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner, and my family is asking me what I want for Christmas, I figured no reason not to start buying mods.

What are the essential low hanging fruit mods for this vehicle? You can see in my sig the mods I had on my R56 JCW. For example with the Z06 it was Xpipe, throttle body, short throw shifter, and Terry Burger Filter as a ton of testing showed that aftermarket intakes were more or less a waste of money that made the car eventually lose more power than it gained. This F56 has been out a while so I'm guessing there's a certain set of standard mods to be had. I want to keep the warranty and I want the car to be reliable and drivable....although I've never a met a car that was too harsh on the road. Car is coming with a set of aftermarket wheels with proper tires on them so I'm good there.

Handling, power, and making it look even better is important to me. It's a green M6 2017 JCW with red roof. I'm not one for changing catbacks as sound without power [let's be real here] is silly to me.

Sway bars still a thing with these? Is there a "right" one to get? Lowering springs? Already ordered a V1 to hardwire as mine is going with the old car. What's warranty friendly and what's not?

Thank you all! I'm beyond excited to be getting rid of my 700hp supercar for a 220hp Mini.

Best,
Gene

 

Wheel spacers. I don't have them yet on my 16 F56 JCW, but plan on getting them put on after the this winter. F56s are "fatter" than R56s and R50/53s, so the wheels looked tucked in to the body. 15 to 20mm spacers seem common. You can get them from ECS and Way Motor Works to name a couple of places.
Also, check out realoem.com to find out what parts your JCW could have come with. I just installed the hidden dash compartment in my JCW which was never available for the JCW. Found the part number on realoem.com, and then purchased online from a Mini dealer.

 

For sure one of the cheapest mods you will notice is the powerflex lower engine mount. Great to reduce engine rock and help get the power to the ground.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/powerf...g-f55-f56.html

And yes a sway bar is still a great MINI mod and best handling bang for the buck.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/nm-eng...r-f55-f56.html

And a short shifter will really crisp up the shifter feel
https://www.waymotorworks.com/wmw-sh...5-f56-f57.html

Finally the tuning modules for power. Many different options to pick your flavor.
NM
https://www.waymotorworks.com/f56-co...er-module.html

Dinan
https://www.waymotorworks.com/dinan-...ng-module.html

Dinan Elite
https://www.waymotorworks.com/dinan-...ng-module.html

 

Thanks Way! Did you get my email about the Dinan Elite? I want to make sure I get the JCW unit. I’m checking out this car today. If I get it I’ll order more from you soon!

Best,
Gene :cheers:

 

RSB for sure. My friends' stock suspension rolled like a hay wagon lol.

 

- CravenSpeed Big Pair chassis braces
- NM 25 mm sway bar and end links
- Non-runflat tires

 

For my 2017 JCW 2dr hardtop:

Engine mods
Catless downpipe (about $300)
Forge Motorsport uprated intercooler ($850)
Full-race bench tune with three dyno pulls ($800)
Stats: 257 HP w/ 331 FT-LB at the wheels

Suspension & brakes
Neuspeed rse10 wheels ($330 each)
215\40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires
Front-and-rear Mini-brand cross-drilled and slotted brakes + ceramic pads
NM Engineering solid 22mm rear sway bar with forged steel drop-links
Mini-brand full coil-over kit

Other extras
Custom striping w/ John Cooper signature cutout
Wheels color-matched with Mini Chili Red accents
Waylens Horizon dashcam w/ ODBII integration

The horsepower gain after the drive-train mods might not seem like a big increase, but the torque is insane and allows me to hold my own against some pretty beefy rides.
Here's a vid versus a Mustang GT fitted with a ProCharger. Granted, we're in traffic and just a quick sprint, but he isn't pulling away like you'd think.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/38f984uumb...stang.mp4?dl=0

 

2020 F56 JCW 2dr hardtop
Engine:
NM Eng. Power Module. 23-44hp, 23-34tq increase. ($360)
Night and day difference.

Suspension:
NM Eng, RSe05 17x7.5 Wheels. ($290 ea)
Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 215/45-17
Another night and day difference.

I'm holding off on other potential mods (rear sway bar, end links, Remus exhaust) until after I put it through its paces at a track day in August.

 

1) Best Mod but costs a bit with install WaveTrac or Quaiffe LSD...better traction,,,better cornering...Better Mini
2) Wheel and Tire Upgrade for even more traction
3) Forge Intercooler
4) Now you are setup for Power & Suspension Mods

 

When you are ready to add a tuning module (NM, Dinan, etc.), pair it with a Sprint Booster. It eliminates throttle lag and, while it doesn’t actually add power, it makes the car feel hilariously fast!

 

Finished with my first trackway in the JCW.
Thoughts:
Need the Remus exhaust. I could not hear the engine and that was extremly irritating. Sure the heads up display has the JCW shift now graphic but for me, I need to hear the engine note.
I set the Power Module to low as I was running 92 octane. It performed fine, no issues.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4s: Excellent tire for road and track. If you are not buying track tires, these tires are it. Grip is good. Tires audibly tell you when you are approaching the limit and tire wear is great. There is a reason why Gordon Murray plopped them on the T.50 and Apex runs them at the Nurbergring.
Suspension: Turned off the traction control, left on Stability Control. I have the Dynamic dampers: I would ditch the dampers and get coil-overs if you are going to run on the track a lot. Everyday driving if you live in an area with crappy roads they are fine. The JCW rolled a bit and the tail would wag under heavy breaking but it was not too bad. Just manage the weight transfer with skills. I am not getting the rear sway bar.
Having said all that, this car is not as tossable as the R53 and I miss that.

Interior: Seats are fine. Paddle shifters help on track. I would rather have a manual for everyday driving. I kept hitting the steering wheel buttons on the edge of my thumb which was distracting. Left foot braking was easy but would not mind of the brake pedal was positioned over to the left more.

Essential mods for me: Wheels, Tires, NM Power Module.

(If there was a LSD for the 8-speed auto I would get it. Psudo LSD with the brakes is crappy, lazy bean-counter engineering)

 

Basically the biggest mod on any car, as long it is sporty, is a set of new swaybars only, to realize the art of tuning ;--)