It's official.... I had the highest person on the mini food chain that I thought could pull it off and it ain't gonna happen. No JCW Stage I kit for the automatics.

There were rumors that anything produced prior to July 1st would still get the kit when made available.

However, now, no kit, no way.

For the few of you that did manage to sneak a kit from Mini for your automatic before they caught it, consider yourself the owner of a rare car.

It wouldn't be so bad but I specifically purchased the automatic knowing the Stage I kit would be available for it.

So, I guess I either buy a JCW car or wait until some improved aftermarket setup comes along.

Oh well.....

Mark

 

You can hope Dinan gets off their backside and produce something for the R56. But do not hold your breath.

I'm in the same boat with you, but now I will wait for someone to do a reasonable ECU remap with some warranty behind it.

 

Get a stick.

 

Yes, that is an option, do you have anything on a good ECU solution for the automatic?

Some of us prefer the paddles and the 6 speed automatic, I have other cars with the stick if I want to row around.

 

you can pick up the JCW stage 1 exhaust and intake a la cart, I think from minspeed.

an aftermarket intake and catback exhaust should provide just as much power as the whole stage 1 kit and also give you better MPG, all for half the price.

I can't quite figure this out... the US is MINI's biggest market, yet no one here has a flash tune yet. In Europe there are a TON of companies offering ECU tunes. Eventually there will be options...

 

A cold air intake and catback (which is actually part of the stage I kit) will in no way give you anywhere near the results as a Stage I. Obviously because the Stage I is a cold air intake, catback and ECU tuning.

I already have a DDM cold air intake and the ECU is what will make the real HP.

I completely agree.... I can't believe no one has gotten this right yet. The R56 will be out for the 3rd year in a row and so far there's only one company (unichip) that has made anything???? That's ridiculous.


Mark

PS. As far as the "get a stick" comment, my first two minis were stick, if you've ever driven an automatic, you'd know why us automatic people are so emphatic about keeping the autos. They're a blast to drive and when I'm stuck in traffic for 2.5 hours, no sweat.

 

Mark that news does suck that there will be no JCW Stage 1 kit for the automatics.

I heard from my SA a couple of weeks ago that it wouldn't be released because they couldn't get the JCW ECU and the automatic to work properly together.

Anyway it would have been great to have one installed with a factory warranty.

 

I think the JCW stage 1 only replaces the muffler, where-as the true aftermarket kits start right behind the second cat, widen the pipe, and offer much less restricted airflow through the resonator and muffler sections. I agree you won't get the 20HP the JCW kit claims, but that would help you get close. I think the IC muffler delete pipe also adds a little more (i certainly thought I felt it). I think that gets you pretty close without much risk to your warranty. An aftermarket downpipe added to that combo would net even more power than the stage 1 kit but then you're getting loud so it becomes a bit of a different animal. On a positive note, all that shouldn't cost more than the stage 1 kit

 

My understanding is that BMW won't release it because it won't pass "CARB" emission regulations in CA and if it can't be 50 state legal, well, it's a all or nothing deal.

Then, it got kicked to the back burner because the JCW R56 came out.

Oh well, I've been trying to pull strings for a while now and guess I'll either have to buy a JCW or wait till someone comes out with a better solution.

I do know one of vendors has something supposedly pretty spectacular coming out soon (Oct'ish ??)

We'll see soon enough hopefully.

Mark

 

The only reason I didn't want to start changing out all that stuff was for warranty issues. I wonder if I can dig up any dyno sheets from CAI and catbacks only.

Thanks,

Mark

 

I have a hunch they decided that the stage 1 kit gives the car more power than the automatic should be mated with, creating potential warranty costs...

this makes more sense now seeing that the JCW MINI is manual transmission only and has a stronger clutch and transmission to handle the extra power. They're clearly concerned about the cars holding up over time.

 

my MA told me it had to do with something between the Emissions which i think is a joke... and which would have to be the real reason that for some reason the transmission doesnt like something about the Stage 1 tune. but oddly he stressed it was over the emissions.. which i think is Bs because the car gets 40 Mpg for crying out loud.. "A quick check of the agency's greenhouse-gas emissions meter shows the Mini just a few shades away from its Prius gas-electric counterpart hybrid. It emits an estimated 5.8 tons per year, versus the 3.4 tons generated by the Prius. In comparison, a four-cylinder Honda Accord emits 6.4 tons.- edmunds.com" umm so what? like would the extra Maybe 13Hp push that to 5.9-6 tons per year? big whoop. the Dodge challenger is 12.20 tons and the veyron is 18.9!.... but in comparison a car that is in mass production is the ford F150 and that ranges from 9-13 of varying models... so i would really really hope its not the emissions that are holding it back. and honestly i cant see why it would be or is... if its something mechanical or software related i think MINI should be right on top of it, and if theyr not shame on them... us with automatics should be able to have everything that you with the manuals have, the car is bascily built on the idea of spirted driving and "motoring" just because we have an automatic doesnt mean we cant have as much fun... just my 2 cents..... sorry spent a bit of time writing it and finding some facts.. so damn you california.. damn 50 state CARB emissions...

 

If that's the case, I hope that if and when someone comes up with something else, the autos will hold up.

Mark

 

It may be true.... perhaps it makes the car run leaner and therefore violates the hyrdocarbons and/or carbon settings allowed in CA.

CA has such more strict regulations that it simply won't pass there and therefore, Mini won't release it anywhere.

Guess it doesn't make a difference, bottom line, it died a quick death.

Mark

 

I still think its a joke.... isnt california where thousands of lamborghini's, ferrari's, porsche's, aston martin's, mercedes's and other high output cars reside? yeah.. thats what i thought.. Oh and the mini would be such a problem... for christ sakes people use some common sense....

 

maybe the cooper heirs won't allow their "JCW" on an auto tranny. in all seriousness, its probably a smog issue. i can apreciate all the auto trannys( i have a audi s4 avant tip), but even with the torque, the mini still reminds of the cars i liked when i was young(912,911,2002tii). they all had different handling, but they had small engines and their manual trannies were part of the fun of enjoying their potential.

 

yes DPcompt but some people dont want to drive a manual... im commuting into boston with the car and i am so thankful i didnt get the manual... i like haveing the best of both worlds, a car thats a hoot to drive with you want it to be and a car thats well a car when it needs to be. i'd just like to add a little more power safely through MINI, and i dont think that you can say that its really Enjoying their potential, because if it was they wouldnt offer an automatic at all. all im saying is i think its unfair for them to completely scrap the JCW for auto, it bascily feels like we're being left out or penilazed for having an automatic.

 

i agree with you that the auto owners are (seems like) getting short changed. but, you have to remember that, like a clothing manufacturer, the auto manufacturer has to guess on what will sell many months before the product goes to market. they just didn't think that there would be much demand for "jcw" in autos. maybe they were wrong. it wouldn't the first time.

 

Edit: ok just read and see "JCW as manual only" well discussed ... it also doesn't come w/the Stage 1 Intake but you'd have to add it yourself... something I won't do on principal; thinking I'll give M7 my money.

 

by the way, this was a good topic and i think that bmw listens to some of these. i think the fact that they offer the jcw in so many levels says that they are watching the "modders".

 

It can't be anything to do with the tranny not being able to handle it: all other MINI markets have the JCW dealer kit available for automatic models.

I say it's got to do with either emissions and the cost/sales calculation not working out right in the US or simply a marketing decision to restrict it for the US market.

 

Well, that seals it, i'll have to go aftermarket. What i really wanted was he ECU and the (reported) steering and throttle changes that comes along with it.

I do think it's emissions, it's not proof, but I saw that the emissions profile was pretty close to the highest acceptable level (if i read it right). Adding the Stage I probably pushed it over the limit.

 

I heard from my SA a couple of weeks ago that it wouldn't be released because they couldn't get the JCW ECU and the automatic to work properly together.

Maybe for emissions. They work great together for driveability and increased driving pleasure.The only "negative" I find is an occasional agressive downshift in sport mode.

Rare car, HUH? Maybe I should put it up for sale. Line up folks--bidding starts at 35K...LOL.

Seriously, this is absolute BS. I think JCW/MINI just lost in terest i what be an underestimated market interest.

 

[quote=FugitiveAI;2434382]you can pick up the JCW stage 1 exhaust and

an aftermarket intake and catback exhaust should provide just as much power as the whole stage 1 kit and also give you better MPG, all for half the price.

The ECU tune is critical to the JCW stage 1 kit. I strongly doubt just an exh. and intake would transform the car like th full kit DOES.

The shifting of the trans is totally different with the ECU tune in place.
I own one of the RARE ones. Its not even close to a non JCW auto R56.
This has been confirmed in back to back drvies by myself and another MINI owner.

I agree with you that MINI should have been able to fix this. Its nice to have a rare car but I would have preferred this being out there for any auto MCS driver to enjoy if he had the inclination and $$ to do so.

 

Wouldn't i be nice if someone from Min USA responded to this, and we all heard it from the same source.I understand they read the forums to maintain the pulse of the Mini community,having said that,evidently to respond might create controversy.Q