Hey guys/gals. Im trying to see what my options are in 2019 for tuning... ive looked at alot of post here and other places however most of them are from either mid 2000's or early 201X. So im wondering who or does anyone know anyone around the north east FL area that does tuning still on these.. im finally taking a step in doing some engine and fixing some things that need to be fixed. my nexdt 2 things are a new hood scoop and swapping out the grill with generic JCW style. then wanting to get and intake and exhaust and finally tune it. I already have a 17%, step colder plugs, 380 injectors, and a waste gate (cant remember the offical name). i know usually theres a wait to get in to a shop to tune so thats why im starting my look now. i really dont wanna drive halfway across the country and i really cant send off my ECU to get a flash and tune put on. as the mini is my DD. Any info will help. thanks!

 

Not really an answer to your question. But I live in Savannah, so I am interested, also if I find someone I would be happy to let you know. But I think Jan still does tunes, there are other canned tunes and what not. Plus any decent tuning shop I think would be able to work.

 

Unfortunately...there are only a handful of shops/guys in the country that do tuning on Mini's. The closest person to me is several states away. Your best option is to find a local shot that has a dyno and have Jan, Way, or one of the other guys do a remote dyno tune on your car.....or find out when they will be doing another "tune party" somewhere.

 

Best way is to buy the flash tool from RMW. Then after setting things up with Jan at RMW you go to a local dunk shop. Do a couple pulls on the dyno and email Jan the info. He goes in makes the adjustments and sends a file back. The shop loads the file into the flash tool and then into the car. Repeat the process a couple more times and you have a custom dyno tuned car.

 

The only bad thing about doing it this way is the cost. The flash tool is around $300 if I remember right, and then $350 for the actual tune, and then you have the pay for an hour or more of dyno time ($200-ish depending on rates)......so when it's all said and done, you just spent shy of $900 to get 10-20hp more from your car. This is why R53 MINI tuning in general isn't going evolving much. I can buy custom/canned tunes for my Ford diesel truck for under $100 each that add 100+hp and 200+ ft/lbs torque. You can take any LS powered Chevy vehicle (or Coyote powered Ford) to a dyno shop and they will tune it for $100+ dyno time.

The cost associated with getting a mini tuned is insane for what you actually get in return.

 

 

A $150 pulley will get you 15-20hp.........after that it's exhaust, intake.........anything more than that and it's going to require a tune just to make it run right. With these MINIs.....you either just dip your toes in the water and do the simple bolts ons and call it good.....or you dive right in and do the big dollar stuff (including a tune)......there is no real middle ground.

 

 

Yep...I completely agree. What's why most people just do the common bolt-ons (pulley, CAI, exhaust) and leave it at that. When you start doing more than that (cam, head, motor work, etc, etc).....the money per HP is hard to justify unless you are racing the car and/or have a sponsor to pay the bill....or you just want to waste money and don't mind throwing $8,000+ in parts at your car in order to hit 250hp at the wheels. Most family cars now days have that much power.

I think that's why most people spend money on suspension and brakes after they do the bolt on mods......it just gets too expensive for most people to built power after that.