Received this interesting bit of news for us R56 owners; will have to follow the progress and user-comments:

"August 16, 2007 - Nevada City, CA. Mini Mania Inc. is set to release a new Stage 2 Performance Upgrade Kit for the 2007 BMW MINI Cooper S. This kit for the hardtop model is the first aftermarket kit available in the market. Performance figures from this kit easily surpasses the factory offering at a significant savings to the customer.

Consisting of intake, exhaust, and electronic controller software upgrades, this bolt-on kit greatly increases horsepower and torque without sacrificing drivability or reliability. “We were pleasantly surprised with the gains from this kit as the results surpassed expectations” says Don Racine, president of Mini Mania, Inc.

Owners of the 2007 BMW MINI Cooper S now have an alternative upgrade kit that offers increased performance at a cost savings. The Mini Mania Stage 2 kit increases the output from the 1.6 liter turbocharged engine while maintaining civil road manners for day-to-day driving. This kit will begin shipping this fall."