hey guys, i was reading my motortrend magazine and they have a section towards the end that gives out some statistics of cars and they had the 05' mcs ran 14.8 secs . now looking at the old issues stated the 04' or older models ran it at 15.4 secs... now i don't deny the 05' is quicker than the pre 05's, but the small add of hp and torque with the new gearing got it more than half seconds quicker? they tested the 04 with the jcw and that ran 14.7... now straight line performance isn't the most important thing to me, but can someone support this claim cuz it seems a lot of improvement. AND thats not the jcw equiped 05 model!

 

Yes, actually the gearing DOES make a huge difference!

 

MTL a "bare bones" S, no options whatsoever. there is a noticiable difference between the 04s I demo'd and the 05 I own, more sheer thrust thru the gears. Exhilarating

I don't doubt this time. One other mag clocked their 05 bare bones S at 6.4 in the Qm. Jimbo

 

now that leaves me thinkin what a jcw equiped 05' mcs can do

 

Having previously owned a stock 2004 MCS and now a similarly configured 2005 MCS, I can vouch to the extra power/agility of the '05 stock vs the '02-'04 stock MCS. MINI claims that they increased hp from 163 to 168 and I think that is extremely conservative. The new car feels more like it has 45-50 more HP right off the bat Of course, the new "shorter" gearing in the 6 speed manual Getrag, the revised ECU software, the Generation II Eaton Supercharger (Same one used in the JCW kit) and the revised exhaust have transformed the '05 MCS into a powerful low end torque machine.

The stock '04 MCS is a slouch in comparison to my '05 MCS. First gear is 11% shorter and biy that makes a world of a difference.

Also keep in mind that the test car used by Motor Trend, is essentially a "Bare bones" stock MCS which translates into a fairly light weight car. The test car has no sunroof, no xenons, no heavy 17" wheels (It has the standard 16" V-spokes), manual A/C, leatherette seats and that's about it.

People that complain about the "poor low end torque" of the '05 MCS often have MINIs equipped with every option in the sales brochure, sunroof and heavy 17-18" wheels and rubber.

Go and test drive a '05 MCS 6MT for yourself, so you can experience it.

 

I also drove a demo '03 JCW MCS (200HP package) when they first came out 2 years ago. Suffice to say, the stock '05 MCS feels as powerful if not faster than the '02-04 MCS equipped with the first gen JCW kit.

However, I have not yet driven a '05 MCS with the 210HP JCW Kit. But I have been told time and time again that the car is an absolute beast. So much so that ordering the factory LSD is almost mandatory to manage the extra torque/HP

 

That can't be true. 6.4 is the 0-60 time.

 

That big of a difference makes it not fair for us 04 and older model owners...

I want an 06'..

 

so does that mean a jcw equiped 05' bare bones cooper s can potentially be a 13 sec car stock? well late 13's... not near 13 sec flat... but still, a 13-ish sec stock?

 

...me too...

 

Less than what an aftermarket intake/ecu/pulley/exhuast can do ...which is knock a good .5 off the 0-60 time.

 

A couple hundred lbs. of options making a large performance difference pretty much sums up the DEFINITION of poor low end torque!

Stock, I'm not impressed with the low end. After the basic mods, very happy...as long as I'm alone in the car with no a/c. The Mini can never be a torqy car, it can't go to the ground even if it had it. That's fine by me, i love it's mid/high power! Once I get rolling 1/2 way through 1st, it's NEVER out of power though the gears.

 

yeah but if you think about it, you can install the jcw kit or aftermarket parts into a pre 05' cars to keep pace with the updated cars. but the ironic part is that it can be considered a waste when an 05' car, with the exact same amount of effort and parts put into it will smoke the pre 05' car. sorry pre-05' owners IF your getting bugged by this, believe me that i share it too... pre-05' pride...

 

But the JCW has a "refined" feel to it, something missing from the aftermarket parts. Also the pedigree and warranty support make the added cost of the JCW name worth it for some. I personally, tend to trust the JCW components for durability and reliability more than any mod components from the aftermarket, but that is a discussion that belongs in another thread (Which has been talked about ad naseum)

 

True, but remember that the manufacturer of any car reserves the right to improve or change the design of the car and its components without prior notice.

When I first test drove a stock '05 MCS I was sold and promptly put up for sale my then 16 month old 2004 MCS. I am glad I did.

 

With my understanding of this.. the old gear box is best suited for road racing while the new one is for drag and town.

the same as it was back in the Old Muscle car days between the CR and WR gearboxes..

 

I have heard the same. But for daily street driving MCS owners, I think the new gearbox is much better suited for the job.

 

I can vouch for this.

 

my bad, you're right I think it was R/T.

 

It doesn't bug me at all. If it did, I would just change the gearing and drop in LSD.

Besides, I rather enjoy the ability to leave it in the lower gears without having to shift all the time.

 

You don't have to shift as much as you think.

 

oh i wasn't trying to bad-mouth the pre-05's in anyway meanboy, just incase you thought i was. i was just surprised how much the acceleration times improve with the 05' tweaks because i assumed it wouldn't be that much. its just my curiosity is making me wonder about the potential of our minis can do in acceleration performance cuz i know the handling is just top notch already. but now all that surprise has settled and i still love my 04' like the day i first got it.

 

My love for my 04 MINI will never fade, since it is my FIRST car. Even if I had the money to get a 05' or an 06' I probably would not make the change because I won't be able to part with my MINI. Also it pains me to think that the car I loved so much would be sold to another person..

27k miles and going strong.. Execpt the air filter, which I'm waiting for the K&N replacement to be delivered..

 

I Taught the same about my '04 MCS but ended up selling it and have no regrets.

 

It's just a car... and they usually improve each year.
I too felt an emotional attachment to some cars I've owned in the past. Almost every time I sold and bought, I ended up with something more enjoyable or exciting.
The mini is my 35th car in about as many years. While its not the most exotic or fastest car I've owned. It certainly is unique with a high fun factor. I'm sure there will be somthing else that comes along more exciting and unique... In which time I most likely will sell one of my cars to try something new...
So don't miss out... there is yet much to explore and get excited about...