I'm thinking about joining the MINI crowd, but I have some questions and you guys seem quite knowledgeable and I thought you could help.

Is the R53 Cooper S better than the R56?

Which one takes better to mods?

What about heat issues?

If you drive the car hard, does heating become a big issue?

Which version do you guys prefer - R53 or R56?

Does the turbo run stronger than the supercharger?

I hear and have read on the forums that getting 250hp out of the Cooper S can be done, my question - can it be done easily? how difficult is it to get traction with that much power in this small FWD car? Does an LSD help get the power to the wheels?

Thanks in advance!

andy

 

Which do you prefer, your E46 or the E36?

There have been some reported heat issues with the R56, especially when tracking the car -- but I don't know first hand, and you'll probably get better info on this through the 2d gen forum

More has been done for the R53 -- the R56 is relatively new still. In the long run I still think the R53 will be easier to mod. The supercharger pulley and CAI mods are relatively easy on the R53 . . . and as with the 335, people are finding it difficult to push the turbo motor much harder due to the overly-complex programming

You'll get more out of the turbo out-of-the-box, especially torque

No. The "easy" mods (although that depends what you consider easy) will get you about 30 hp -- after that your looking at header work, etc. . .

 

Definitely true, based solely on my "butt-dyno" - the turbo gets on the red line FAST.

That said, I still find the whine of the supercharger the sexiest sound the MINI can make, especially if you do the bolt-on cold-air intake MOD. The turbo just does not compare (although I admit I've not yet heard a modded MINI with a juiced-up turbo w/ overpressure valve - that has its own appeal I suppose).

Plus, I simply prefer the lines, stance and curves of the pre-turbo MINI... Seeing them side-by-side, the R56 looks... chunkier. Taller. Not as graceful. It's a subtle thing, but as they say it's all i the details.

Wish my 2005 had the deeper, comfier seats that are used in the R56 though.

 

Drive them both and if looks matter, spend a bit of time looking them over.

There are folks here that have had an R53 and now drive the R56 and like it better.

There is at least one fellow here that had an R56, sold it and went with an R53.

You will need to decide for yourself ...the cars are quite different.

Have fun !

Dean.

 

Better depends on you...

I test drove an R53 and an R56 back-back.
The R56 has more power and was faster on highway on-ramps.
The R53 felt more responsive and faster on the back-back roads I like to carve.

I also liked the interior and steering feel better in the R53.

But that's just me.
I also have a Porsche 944 Turbo that stock had 220hp and is now closer to 525hp (from a 2.5L motor turbo-4 banger).
My Mini is stock, but the temptation to play is strong...

There is still more out there for the R53 motors, but the R56 will probably soon catch up.

Also for me, LSD was not an option, but a requirement, and I'm at the stock 168hp levels...

 

Personally, I'm an R53 guy.

I autocross, and turbo lag I do not need. I've seen one guy bring his R56 out for a day, and after his runs, we was ticked off about how his turbo would just begin to kick in, when he was about to hit the brakes for the next corner.

A turbo generates more heat under the hood, something else I don't need here in California's Central Valley, where summer temps can top 110º.

And like someone else above said, I don't like the looks or the softer ride of the R56.

But, that's my preferences. Drive both.

 

I took my 04 R53 in for service, and I figured while I was there, I'd give the R56 a shot. Spoke to an MA, and he was pretty keen to get me to get interested in the R56, so he pulls out the JCW'd R56.

Needless to say, it really was a good time!

But like everyone else has been saying, it's a matter of taste. I can completely see why some people would get the R56, with it's fancy turbo and all. Plus the engine really is a quick revver... it's like it's magnetically drawn to the redline!

But when I got my R53 back, I knew I ultimately had no strong interest in the R56. Only reason I'd let go of this car would be for an R52. Helloooooo open top motoring!!

 

I didn't even mention the interior... the 56's colossal speedo and freakish stereo setup (how would you ever replace it??) leave me completely cold, but that's totally subjective and not something you asked about.

 

I don't usually disagree with ImagoX. . .but the supercharger whine is only the second sexiest sound the MINI can make. Top of the list is the exhaust burble -- which, in the States, you only find in the 1st gen.

 

Okay ...I'm going to sound as if I've gone over the edge.

I am so into the burble that I often drive with the rear seats folded down, which makes it much easier to hear.

I know, I know ...I'm warped.

Dean.

 

An EXCELLENT point... I stand corrected. Well, OK, HALF corrected - the combination of SC whine and "burble" creates la package' totalle, IMHO.

 

Hey, I'm removing a "ball" so that it'll be more pronounced.
Yet another reason to drive with the top down.

When I test drove my car -- 2 minutes into the drive, the burble was the first thing the previous owner pointed out to me. . . Sold!

 

Ooooohhh... the One-Ball MOD make the burble LOUDER? Really??? Now I GOTTA do it - the slight boost in HP is just gravy!

 

Please 'splain. Thanks.

 

See HERE for details... Sub-$100 exhaust MOD, where the exhaust resonator is removed. I have no idea if this MOD applies to the R56, sorry...

 

Thanks. I have GOT to find a place that can do that.

Dean.

 

Supposedly, yes - although some have noted that it sounds a little rough when engine is cold:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...light=one-ball

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...light=one-ball
(links to sound clips in this thread)

EDIT: the best thread for exhaust info:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=23789&page=13

check out post 309 for a good sound clip (and then related videos on the right once you're in YouTube for even more)

 

ahhh, and so begins the long journey for a man who previously wrote that he was content with his R53 as it it and without mods . . . next it'll be the pulley, and before long membership in the mad-modders club

 

Love the sound clips. Thanks !

I actually work in the same town as the OP for that thread. So, I know where to go.

Dean.

 

Caught me red handed.

 

IMO intake, 15% pulley & exhaust. That's MINI heaven. Burble, burble, burble.

Back on topic, IMO both are great cars I preffer the R53, but in the future I'll most likely have an R56. It's win-win, both cars are great.

If you get 250 HP at the front wheels hold on tight & point the wheels straight before lighting the afterburner.

 

In all fairness (and coming from another "R53 guy"), I think it's pretty clear the R56 is a better autocross car, stock for stock. The turbo has some innate lag, but the power curve is flatter and a little stronger (on average), and the overboost really pumps up the torque. The R56 is already dominate nationally. R53 placed, what, 3rd or 4th at the runoffs? First year the R56 was out!

I've only been to one autocross so far with a R56, and this guy was absolutely tearing up the course with old, dried out r-compounds. He only did 2-3 passes in the morning and had some very fast times, top raw times in stock and top PAX overall.

He then downshifted, over-revved, and grenaded the engine.. Something I've never seen an R53 do but which is another topic altogether....

 

If you're coming out of a Beemer the R53 might seem a little primitive to you. I had a '05 JCW and now drive a modded '05 as the R53 is my personal choice. That being said, the R56 JCW shreds my R53's and is more of a BMW than "Mini". If you're really into speed go that way. If you check "marketplace" there a totally decked out R56 JCW for sale with only 2000 miles. It's MINE and I am a motivated seller. Check it out or go to autotrader.com. It's the only used JCW I'm aware of for sale anywhere.

 

The big difference at the Nationals (which is why I never pay much attention to them) is the courses there are much larger and wide open compared to what we have to deal with in my region. The turbos don't seem to do well in the small, tight layouts.

 

This is a good observation... why is this do you think? I've heard turbo proponents say over and over ad nauseum that a "properly set up" turbo system has either no or only minimal lag. Is that a real problem in the R56? If so, what needs to be done to mitigate or even eliminate it?

FYI - for whatever it's worth, everything I've read about the STOCK roots-type supercharger setup is that it's dialed-in for max low- and mid-range boost. The supercharger type used in the stock MCS is not the kind that gives tons of high-RPM boost. Not sure under what circumstances that you mean to race or drive fast - just sharing what I've heard. Obviously the direct observations of people that have tracked or Auto-Xed the specific cars are the best ones to listen to.

You got more burble after the pulley, Chuck? I didn't know that would affect it - didn't the engineers have to physically program in the burble into the ECU? Being injected, there wouldn't be any without it being coded in, is what I heard - interesting if that's the case. Another check-mark in the "plus" column for a pulley reduction, if so.

As for exhaust, I'd love to replace mine, but that's a VERY expensive upgrade - too rich for my cheapskate blood, I'm afraid.