Hypothetically speaking, for all the money people are pushing into Twincharged and other crazy modes of getting 300+ HP, why hasnt anyone dropped in a new bigger engine?

 

I think the easy answer is at least for the vendors is to develop products which can be sold. The 'mule' car then becomes a means to advertise all the products in one package.

 

That, and packaging and engine/electronics management concerns. If the ignition only runs once the DME has communicated with the key, and you need a separate computer to run the new engine electronics (got forbid the use of mechanical interfaces! ), do you need a new ignition as well?

 

Has anyone pulled off an engine swap in this car? I've never heard of one, which is strange because I've been following the idea since the car came out in Europe...

Somebody on here used to talk all the time about a Renesis swap... Did that ever happen?

 

very interesting.. has it been done?

 

Search the forums for "Qvick". Some guys in Europe swapped in a BMW M3 engine. I think the car was later for sale for something just over a hundred large.

 

I read about a guy in England who put in a small Rover V-8. It looked like it came from a factory....

matt

 

are there any videos of this floating around

 

Very true, but that car was hardly a MINI anymore. They had to move the firewall back, plus fab up a whole drivetrain (the car was RWD) and screw with everything under the car as well as suspension geometries front and rear to make everything go. Extremely cool but not a viable option for an individual.

 

The mod I would be most interested in would be a 1.8 or 1.9 liter stroker upgrade. Of course, these things may already be long-stroke engines with tiny bores...I haven't read about them much yet. I do think a 1.8 would give me the extra bump in power I need when the A/C is on climbing a hill...

Or I could just trade in on an S like everyone else would recommend

Of course, I think a low pressure turbo system for standard Coopers is a fine idea, too. 6 or 7psi, less than 50hp. If I could get 150hp to the wheels and a decent boost in torque, I'd definitely spend the going rate for a comprehensive kit.

 

M7 was looking into designing one of these for the Cooper, non-S, but determined that there was not enough support in the Cooper mod scene to warrant to R&D. Not enough of a market to come up with a kit.

 

Actually ...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...810#post439810

 

Actually it has. An M3 engine was shoe horned in in Germany. Converted to rear wheel drive. Raced on the track. Went like heck.

 

The car was in an issue of GoMINI actually. June/July 2004.