3rd Place
2002 Mini Madness Mini Cooper S
Street drivability:
1/4-mile: 15.7 sec @ 97 mph
Road course: 65.7 sec
130-to-0-mph braking: 554 feet
Total course time: 137.3 sec

Mini madness is not just the phenomenal acceptance of the Cooper over the past year. It's also the name of an outfit based in Portland, Oregon, that hops up the English wonders. Madness president George Mehallick showed up with a Cooper S fitted with just about every part in the company's catalog.

Under its stubby hood, the Madness Mini had a supercharger drive pulley that upped the blower speed by 15 percent, raising boost from 11.6 to 15.0 psi. Further mods include a ported and polished Madness Stage 3 head with big valves and a Schrick cam, a throttle body bored out from 58 millimeters to 63, a header, and a Borla exhaust system. Larger injectors and a modified ECU added fuel to match the engine's deeper breathing.

Mehallick credits the modified engine with 245 horsepower at 7100 rpm and 198 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. To transmit this big twist to the wheels, the Madness Mini came with a modified flywheel and clutch, as well as a Quaife limited-slip differential.

The extra power comes with a comprehensively reworked suspension, including KW adjustable coil-over shocks at each corner that increase ride rates and lower the car nearly two inches. Several major components are adjustable, including the rear anti-roll bar, the rear lower-control arms, and the front camber plates. Big StopTech front brakes and upgraded rear discs shed speed when necessary.

On the street, this muscular Mini's powertrain felt solid and robust. The clutch engagement was smooth and progressive, the power curve was glitch-free, and the car suffered amazingly little torque steer, even at full throttle in first gear.

The chassis was a bit more demanding for street use, with a stiff ride that provoked a squeak or two in this car with 14,000 miles on the odo. And the modified exhaust would bore a large hole in your brain over a long trip. But the steering and the brakes were fluid and natural.

On the track, the firm chassis paid off with the best road-course time—by 1.5 seconds—among the front-drivers, as well as the best stop in the class from 130 mph at 534 feet. By employing these strengths, the Madness Mini turned the third-best overall time for front-drivers, despite acceleration that trailed the pack in almost every category.

In search of more power, Mehallick is working on an air-to-liquid intercooler to replace the stock air-to-air unit. For now, the Mini Madness Mini nicely amplifies the agility and maneuverability of the stocker. —Csaba Csere

Vehicle type: front-engine, 2+2-passenger, 3-door coupe
Price as tested: $44,260 (base price*: $38,250)
Engine type: supercharged and intercooled SOHC 16-valve 4-in-line, iron block and aluminum head, Siemens/Evotech engine-control system with port fuel injection
MODS engine/transmission: $8800; suspension: $3800; brakes: $3100; wheels/tires: $3000; body/interior: $5000
Displacement 97 cu in, 1598cc
Power (mfr's claim) 245 bhp @ 7100 rpm
Torque (mfr's claim) 198 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Transmission 6-speed manua
l Front brakes StopTech 12.9 x 1.1-in vented, grooved disc; StopTech 4-piston caliper
Rear brakes Powerslot 10.2 x 0.4-in grooved disc; 1-piston caliper
Brake-pad material, front carbon-metallic
rear carbon-metallic
Wheelbase 97.1 in
Length 143.9 in
Curb weight 2618 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear 61.9/38.1%
*Base price includes all performance-enhancing options.

 

>>Mehallick credits the modified engine with 245 horsepower at 7100 rpm and 198 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. To transmit this big twist to the wheels, the Madness Mini came with a modified flywheel and clutch, as well as a Quaife limited-slip differential.
>>

We need more torque.

Ratio of HP to torque to the drive wheels needs to be balanced to give the best performance. This to me will bring MINI to the top of the list, where lots of people think HP itself will make this a faster car.