I've been searching the internet for a while, but have yet to discover any tuner with Honda K20 series engine in the new MINI.

The Honda K20A engine puts out 200+ horses (depending on the variant of the engine) and significant amount of torque, without forced induction. It's 2.0 liter 4-cylinder small engine.

Anyone has done this or seen it somewhere on the internet? The NEW MINI, not the classic.

 

Seems like it'd be an a$$load of work for not a whole lot of gain ... never mind just the hardware, with the MINI's ECU is hooked into virtually every corner of the car, has anyone attempted to put ANY other engine in a MINI?

 

I can't find the thread right now but someone did an engine swap with a Honda I think. I don't know if it was the engine you're talking about and it was a new MINI.

You could try searching mini2.com as well. I believe the thread on here was spawned from the one on there.

 

There is an R53 running around the world with a Honda VTEC swap. But I would rather run my Peugeot/BMW motor before I ever run a ricer burning sake drinking engine. Turbo>N/A

 

It's not just another "ricer" engine, if you have tried the k20, you'd know. So judge after you try.

And, you can always turbo/super charge the K20

 

I would love to see MINI do a 2Litre version of the current engine with a Gt28RS or bigger turbo and supercharger and AWD. If I had a million dollars...

 

Don't hold your breath. I don't think you'll ever see it.

 

What is to be gained by putting a Honda engine in a MINI? Why not leave it in the Honda where it started? You end up with a weirdo that you probably can't sell for half what it cost you to build. I suppose if you have enough throw away money you could build a Porsche/MINI rear wheel drive. Or why not a Ferrari/MINI, you could move the driving position to over the rear wheels! Wouldn't that be something, whooooppeee!

 

I can't imagine why anyone would bother. I mean, other than the novelty, I guess.

The K20 is a decent engine, but it's weak compared to most of the other engines in cars in it's class (MS3, Cobalt SS, GTI, SRT-4, etc) and it's only marginally more powerful than the engine the MCS already has.

Usually, when you do a swap, you go for something MUCH more powerful... like the B18 swaps into Classic Minis.

The K20 simply isn't powerful enough to warrant swapping into the MINI, IMO. Why spend thousands upon thousands of dollars AND hours pioneering an engine swap when a JCW Stage 1 kit will yield the same results?

Don't get me wrong, I would be impressed if someone did it, but for a similar amount of work, why not go with an engine that has significantly more power?

 

The highest power a 2.0 K engine puts out is 240, and that's only naturally aspirated. With a turbo or a super charger, it produces more power and torque. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_K_engine ) That's more powerful than the engine in MC and MCS.

Personally, i am not a big fan of forced induction, that leaves me with only a few options and Honda K20 is on top of my list. I've been a long term Honda/Acura driver and just recently made the MINI purchase. I've been very fond of MINI's chassis since.

Don't think i'll do it. It'd require too much resource, financially and else. Just thought it would be interesting to see if anyone has done it. I know K20, especially the Type-R has been swapped into Lotus Exige, Elise and a number of other cars, the results have been very impressive, but never seen anyone do it with MINI.

Keep it mind though, it is an impressive 4 cylinder engine that still weights less than a 6-inline or V6. Installing a more powerful 4-cylinder rather than a 6-cyl will minimize the overall weight gain for the car.

But some of the comments here seem to indicate a certain resistance to Honda engines, which i find irrational, presumably not everyone here has driven an Integra Type R (with the B18C5 or the K20A). If you drive one, you might be impressed too. BMW is good at 6-cyl and 8-cyl engines and the engine found in MINI is a joint production ( http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/d...1103281940.pdf ) but Honda produces some of the best 4-cylinder engines out there. And I generally stay away from American small engines like the ones mentioned above.

 

Turbo > N/A
That's not necessarily true. Check out the Honda B16B ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_B_engine )

And turbo can be problematic during cold weather operation.

I am not really sure what you mean by "ricer burning" and "sake drinking", i am sure everybody knows these engines don't run on sake. But you should try driving the most powerful B16B, B18C5 and K20A powered Honda/Acura before you made a conclusion.

 

This British motor company uses K20 for their Atom 3, check out some of the numbers

http://www.arielatom.com/specs/options

Their previous models were equipped with the B18 Type R

 

Yeh, probably won't see it.

 

I would by you a K-car... (a nice, Reliant automobile.)

 

But not a real K-Car, thats cruel

 

Aren't there likely to be all sorts of EPA and CARB issues in making a switch like this.

I'm not being negative, I am really interested in it, but I've always been under the impression that motor swaps on late models cars are not possible within the law.

I would love to have a good reliable little Civic motor in the Mini chassis. I've had Civics run way over 200K miles with little or no maintenance other than oil changes. In my mind -- not for going fast mind you -- I would think that such a car would be the perfect long distance, long time commuter.

 

Its a nice engine, I had the 2003 civic si hatch that had a K series engine. It was fun but I do believe my MCS is more fun. I think the amount of work and money involved would push most over the edge. I think the "cool" factor wouldnt be there either, most swaps are an upgrade from an older car to a newer/more powerful engine. I think Swapping a k20 into a MINI would leave people scratching their heads. Now a k20 into a mini and we might be in business.

 

While I do like the K20, I am actually trying to get away from this and am trading my 2008 Civic Si w/ a K20Z3 engine for a '10 MCS. I wouldn't think this application would be beneficial in a Mini. There are several variants to the K series powerplant, but all are much larger than the 1.6L engine in the Mini S and the torque output in the N/A version used in the Si is very low (also, much of the reason I'm moving away from that powerplant). The version found in the TSX has significantly more torque (but still less than the Mini S), is larger and has a lower redline, so it's significantly less fun to drive. If you move up to the turbocharged version, well then you might as well just get a JCW engine since the HP/liter of displacement is actually higher than the K series Honda powerplant.

Just my $.02.

 

Ok yes I have been in several K20 powered cars and other Hondas. From Civics to S2ks. They are built for high end power so from a dig they really aren't that powerful until they hit VTEC. I am not and never will be a Honda fan. For the money that you would spend in doing a swap you could dump into true performance upgrade in a Prince motor(building the motor and not basic bolt-ons and a tune). I commend you on thinking outside the box though becuase we need more of that around here instead of the same old hum drum that goes on.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...in-a-mini.html
A thread regarding the R53

I know there was a swapped Honda motor in an R53 and I am almost a 100% positive it was in this magazine.
http://www.minimag.co.uk/page/minimag?catname=/Services

And then there is this
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nversions.html

 

The Ariel Atom has also used the LSJ Supercharged 2.0 from the Cobalt SS... One of the crappy American 4-cylinders mentioned above.

I don't have an irrational resistance to Honda engines. I have a rational resistance to spending $10k to see results that could be seen for $3k.

Is the K20 a great engine? Arguably. However, cars like the Civic Si that use the K20 only compare favorably to the competition when you put specific limitations on who its competition is. For instance, guys on the Civic forums always praise how much power it makes for an *N/A 4-cylinder.* and how there are no other N/A 4-cylinder cars that can compare. While arguably true, that only works out for people who are willing to ignore the fact that, for similar money, you can get much more powerful and/or capable vehicles/engines. The K20 makes the Civic Si the most capable N/A 4-cylinder for low-ish 20's, but it also makes it one of the least capable performance-oriented cars available in that price class.

I understand liking something even though it might not have the most power for the Money (like my Cooper), but I think it's easy to see why people aren't falling all over themselves to swap a K20 into their MINIs given how little bang-for-the-buck the swap offers.

 

Who needs a Honda motor .

LB

 

Admittedly, it's not practical to install the K. But some motor-crazy folks don't do it for the practicality. So it's not about that.

I dont think i'll do a swap, way too much work and money. Just wondered if anyone or any shop had done it.

I want a K powered MINI though, doesn't mean it'll happen.

 

We can certainly agree on that. Most people who are big enough Honda fans to spend the time and money to do the swap probably wouldn't own a relatively new MINI... And even if they did, swapping the engine into an older Civic Hatch would make more sense.

 

S2000 is not K-series powered. It has the F20C in the AP1 (2000-2003) or F22C1 (US) and F22C (non-US) motors in the AP2 (2004-2009).

 

Vrroooommm, vrroooom!