Hey All,

Did some searches but didn't feel like I got a good read, perhaps there's just too much info out there

I own a 2009 S Vert that's a third car for us. I have been looking into ECU upgrades, but before I pulled the trigger thought I'd get a general feel from folks who know more than I do and/or have been there.

Purpose: More performance out of a fair weather/third car (not a daily driver). Cannot have an obnoxious exhaust or heavy drone at highway speeds.

So with that said:

1. Any preferences for ECU upgrades?
2. ECU upgrade alone or in conjunction with other mods? If so, recommendations?
3. At what point do I need to be worried about the longevity of other drivetrain components (clutch, transmission, etc)?

Thanks all,

Aaron

 

You have an N14 engine, for which the most popular aftermarket software tune, by far, is COBB Tuning's AccessPort.

The bad news - tuning MINI turned out to be financial black hole for Cobb (very well regarded BMW and Porsche tuner), so they pulled the plug on supporting all MINIs, including N14 Gen2 cars, for which they already had released a product.

The good news - you can still buy used AccessPorts on this and other boards for around $500, and pre-installed maps still work great. You can also use AccessPort to read and reset CE lights, which will come in handy in the future.

Without touching the exhaust system, your gains are limited by what you can do on the intake side. Aftermarket cold-air intake (CAI) systems may, or may not, add any power, but they do add noise. Larger aftermarket inter-cooler (IC) will definitely mitigate heat soak that strangles stock MINI IC after a few turbo-intensive runs.

More on mods in AccessPort thread here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rt-thread.html

Drive train will be fine.
Since you are asking about clutch, I assume you have manual transmission. In that case, clutch's lifespan is finite, and can be brought to a premature end by excessive slipping by either the present or past owners. Sooner or later, you are likely to be in need of a new clutch, but that may be soon, or 100K from now.

a

 

Your welcome to send us your ECU and we can tune it for you. But I recommend starting with a Forge intercooler, and turbo discharge and air charge pipes first as they will give you some noticeable gains and work with a tune later.

 

Intercooler. Intake. Exhaust. Manic stage 2 tune.