Whew, I made the cut off...

MINI USA has begun informing dealers that the R60 Countryman Cooper S will see it’s speed be artificially limited to 128 mph with March builds. Previously the Countryman Cooper S could eek out 134 mph before wind resistance halted progress.
It’s a minor tweak but still one that obviously had to be made. Which if course begs the question – why? MINI hasn’t said but we suspect that the combination of a short wheel-base and a higher center of gravity necessitated the change.
http://www.motoringfile.com/2012/02/...ed/#more-22652

 

I'm not losing sleep over it.

 

I saw on here where someone in Germany got theirs to 137 on the autobaun

 

That will be tuned out

 

Without a speed limiter the CMS could potentially exceed 165 mph without hitting the rev limiter. There are downgrades that would allow speeds considerably faster than the 134 mph that the CMS could achieve on a flat road. I have driven on some of these downgrades in Nevada on Highway 50, for instance.

Unlike the MCS hardtop, the CMS has no rear wing, just a rear spoiler, the same as the CM. I'm speculating that there could be a stability issue considering that speeds much faster than 134 mph could be achieved on a downgrade.

 

So a lowered JCW All4 with more power should be able to eek out more speed in the future if MINI ever does it. This negates the reasoning for lowered speed limiter. More performance oriented to get power to the ground over the AWD necessity folks getting them? This is what I would like to see MINI do, although I couldn't afford it I would love to see it.

Random thought, will previous to 3/12 build cars get this flashed whenever they come in for service via an update? Not a mandatory thing to bring the car in but possibly happening without you knowing it. Similar to the folks with a cold stumble loosing their trip in the screen after a flashed update?

 

I am stationed in Germany with a US spec All4 S. I can sit at 222kph (138 mph) for miles at a time on flat roads with plenty of RPMs left; so it was defiantly limited to 138 mph before the change. I was able to get it a little faster than that on a down hill run but it wasn't safe/fun.

I drive the Autobahn all the time and I have noticed that the Countryman becomes aero unstable starting around 120 mph. Because of this, I self limit to below 120. Lowering the limit is a good call by Mini as the car simply doesn't have the aerodynamics to handle faster speeds.

 

I fail to see the big deal here in the US. Where can you possibly drive at 128MPH anyway?

 

There are very few race tracks in the US where that speed is approachable in our cars in stock form. In my area the track with the longest straight (Thunderhill) will allow about 110 mph in an R53 MCS hardtop and I expect a little less with an R60.

 

At Thunder Hill 119 in my JCW is about all there is. Actually I can shift to 5th but only for a few secs beofre having to down shift to 4th for turn one. Faster to actually stay in 4th and set up for one early. Back to stock so lower revs I my be seeing 5th more. Also weather looks dry for MINI Thunder III so I am hopng in the sticky track tires will carry more speed on to the front straight. The new Ridge track up here has a huge front straight. They are going to have to do something to shorten it up. Lots of fast cars have been topping out before running out of room.

 

Thanks for sharing the experience. I'd better keep a closer eye on the speedo rather than the tach to keep things reigned in.

 

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OH, you mean LEGALLY..................