I keep reading every now and then that there is a John Cooper Works package for the Automatic Cooper S, is it available yet?

 

The short answer is no (it is not available in the U.S.A. as yet).

 

Right, the current info says it is out in the UK right now only.

P.S. CheckmateMINI your Sig is making me sick.....I'm so jealous

 

I've been ******* my local dealer since I got my MCSCA in October. EPA has apparently passed the setup. It's BMW that is phutzing with getting the system to meet 110% of the requirement. It should be any day now.

 

any day now? i wish! not holding my breath, but that would be a great start to the new year!

cheers - drew

 

I had a 2003 MSC JCW (6 speed stick, of course). I loved it but it was underpowered, so I had the JCW package installed at a cost of $6000+. I eventually traded it for a new 2006 MSCa, and I just had a 19% pulley and a JCW intake installed by HR Motor Cars in Hanover, Maryland. The cost of the pulley and the intake, including installation, was $804.

I have nothing against JCW and I'm not really on a tight budget or anything, but I think I got 100% of the performance increase of the JCW kit for 13% of the price. (In fact, the 19% pulley produces peak torque at lower RPMs, so maybe I got 102% of the performance).

With the full kit, you also get the JCW exhaust. Frankly, I barely noticed the change in sound with the JCW exhaust and I don't believe it adds any power.

 

Ok now I don't feel so bad by modding my MCSa the way I did

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

mdsbrain: ahhh, my signature could be better. I have a couple of cars on order, but I wont post it until I actually took delivery of them. Both cars will be a blast to own/drive. Too bad they wont be here until the middle of the year at the very earliest.

RAFinDC: since you are much more experienced in modding, maybe I should follow your route instead. Do you know if anyone in here has tried the air intake made by BMC? I am a bit disappointed in the torque & throttle response on the MCS. Thats why I want to do something about it. But then, the car is my wife's daily driver, I dont think she cares that much. As long as the car can get her from point A to point B, she is happy. I am thinking of getting an Eisenmann exhaust if I'm not getting the JCW.

 

Checkmate, in view of your other cars (an AMG, for Pete's sake), nothing is going to make a Mini feel torquey to you. I have owned a C5 Corvette, a Pontiac Trans Am, and a supercharged Pontiac Grand Prix - the Pontiacs were crap, but they had great gobs of torque.

The apparent sluggishness in the throttle response of your Mini is either due to the idiosyncracies of the electronic throttle (no fix that I am aware of) or due simply to the lack of low-end torque from a 1.6 liter engine. Once my car has more than 2,000 rpms, throttle response seems quite good.

Leaving aside ridiculous mods like a turbo or nitrous, by far the most useful mod is a smaller pulley. Go with a 19% pulley (I am told that you have to change the belt, too, if your new pulley is more than a 15% reduction), and you will certainly feel the difference on the bottom end. A new belt and pulley costs less than $350, installed, which is a rip-roaring bargain, in my opinion.

A new intake gives no benefit at all at low rpms, but does allow more power to be produced at the top end. A less-restrictive intake on a supercharged car makes the whine of the supercharger much more pronounced. If you're over 30, you will probably find it annoying after a while. The JCW intake opens at 4,500 rpm, so you get a louder whine only when you're really giving it a good poke.

All of the above is based on my experience, but you should take it with a grain of salt. I was an English major, not an engineering student.

 

RAFinDC: thank you very much for your reply. I guess I will try the smaller pulley route. I bet you own a MINI longer than I do and I'm sure you surf it more than I do, can you tell me who makes the best pulley (in your opinion) for the MCS?

I realize an intake will only help on high end, since I am going to mod a bit with the low end, mind as well do something with the high end at well. Thats why....

And I also know that if you are not going to change the headers and down pipe, just by changing the exhaust alone really means nothing. I am just changing it for cosmetic purpose.

Your input is much appreciated! Thanks again.

 

I like the guys at Helix in Philadelphia. To see the pulleys and other stuff they have available, check out http://www.helix13.com/

 

Just be sure to remember that you risk some of your warranty when you go with aftermarket parts instead of factory approved parts.
There are also many people who will not touch the 19% pulley no matter what!

 

According to the dyno run before and after installing the JCW CAI and exhaust my car did gain some nice torque, so it can effect the low end - the techs felt that the gain was due to the intake not exhaust. Perhaps it has something to do with the flap on the JCW CAI.

 

The extra flap on the JCW intake opens at 4,500 rpm. In other words, it works exactly the same as the stock intake at all engine speeds less than 4,500 rpm. The JCW intake undoubtedly allows the engine to create more torque above 4,500 rpm - but that's not what I would call the low end.

 

Well, at least in the user friendly mid range, not the high end.

 

I aksed this question on my earlier post but nobody answered. I am going to try asking again: does anybody know if the Quaife LSD can be fitted on an AUTOMATIC MCS?

 

You should probably ask Quaife - but I'd be very surprised if it would go in.

 

So would I (be very surprised if it would go in). The transaxle dimensions on the outside are different between the a and non-a MCS; so, I would really be surprised if it were to fit.