My .02:

As mentioned before... I support the concept that the EVO is a completely different car built for completely different purposes. (I would take the STi over the EVO, but that is personal preference. Which one is better? That debate will NEVER die.)

Purpose of EVO/STi (MY OPINION): To be very fast and tunable to the point that you can take it to the track and beat up on M3 and Corvette owners. Then change wheels, load them up in your trunk and drive home after the track day is over. Also built to be reliable so you can drive the kids to school and pick up groceries.

Purpose of MINI (MY OPINION): To make a statement. Be quick (surprisingly quick) and tunable. Get great gas mileage, and also to look sharp and stand out. I personally think the MINI is a much more handsome car (especially with some aesthetic modifications).

The MINI is most definitely a capable driving car and given a tight twisty track can hang right with these AWD beasts. However, being different cars, the amount of money you put into a MINI to get it to match the straight line speed and the speed on a wide open long track of the stock AWD competitors, when put into one of them could get you 400hp.

I absolutely LOVE my MCS. Right now I wouldn't trade it for any STi or EVO. With rising gas prices and cost of insurance on a 19 year old male with 2 speeding tickets there is no way. Some day I hope to purchase an STi, but parting with the MINI will most definitely be hard. My reason for wanting to eventually get an STi... I'm a speed freak, not afraid to admit it.

Conclusion: Two very different cars, can't say one is better than the other. As for what it takes for a MINI to beat an EVO... $$$ Thats all it comes down to.

 

A friend of mine with a stock Evo IX actually just asked me to race him at the strip this weekend. He'll probably win if I go only because of the launch. I'll pull on him in second when I flip the switch.

 

Punctuation is your friend.

 

Or throw a set of Blizzaks on them and go wherever needed in the snow.

 

Forgot all about the snow capabilities. Don't worry too much about that in East TN! We don't really get "winters"... just chilly, short days with no leaves on the trees.

 

The MINI is much better looking. It's not worth a reckless driving ticket to fart around with the EGOs that drive the EVOs. ;-)

 

yea.. my Evo is pushing 550+ on the stock block and rods.. just a valve train upgrade got me a 8000 rpm redline

 

i wuld go after it... it would be fun, and you would learn how to get the most out of you r car at the track.

 

this is awesome! hehe i love my mcs more than anything. ive had 2 audis and a vw gti. and i love the mcs so much.
BUT i do plan to get an evo one day and so does my gf. they are dead sexy. that loud tuned idle just kills me : )

 

Good call. I'd definately try them both out (MCS & Evo).

 

that worked well for me I got both..

 

Last time at the track my street '72 911 spanked a brand new 911 turbo...It had somthing to do with how tight the nut that holds the wheel is.....

I'm adequite...but he really sucked!

Next time I'll take my R53 to see who will fall prey.....

 

Only two ways to properly beat an EVO.

1: In a beauty contest.

2: With a blunt instrument. (A nightstick, billy club, baseball bat, or even a tree branch would work)

If you were to choose the latter, I suspect you'll need a pocket knife to slash the tires of the EVO, so the owner doesn't chase you down in your hopelessly slower MINI.

Trying to get the two comparable is not even like comparing apples and oranges. More like apples and spatulas.

 

The Mini's a car a lot of people want to mod to 'beat' a lot of other cars on the road, and it's a misconception because no matter how much money you throw into them, you will never advance up to the next level beyond a stock Evo.

What's it take to beat one? More money that you shouldn't spend. Wait til you get the nicer car down the road in life and smoke everything.

Of course, this is coming from me who wants a 97 Blue/White Viper GTS with a twin turbo that is capable of putting down 1200hp and running low 9s and high 8s....one day man. One day.

 

hahaha... just reading through this thread makes me think about INITIAL-D.. If you never heard of it, it is an anime from japan that is all about racing slower cars against high powered cars on twisties..They also made a Movie on it.

 

^ lol
"Everyone, strong or weak is afraid of violence"

Great soundtrack too

A bit repetitive . . . but what a surprise ending!!

 

So true.
This is exactly why I got "justacooper" and am keeping it bone stock.
No matter what I do it will never be as fast and fun as my previous car was, and if I wanted to spend about $10k on tuning the MINI, I would've been much better off keeping my old car.
Let'f face it. MINI will never be as fun as AWD car with 300hp
Even "go-kart" handling can't compensate for this.

 

Oh, my ears are bleeding again. I've gone temporarily blind.

 

There are a few ways to beat an evo...

Cheap Way: Basic mods + fuel injectors + 100 shot + tune

Expensive Way: New internals(head, cam, pistons...) + twincharger or turbo only + exhaust + tune

This should give you about the same hp as the evo with less weight. An LSD and new clutch will help if trying to take one from a launch but it will still be hard. From a roll though I think you'd be good.

 

there is also a third way, that's probably the cheapest:
For that price, GET AN EVO.
There is no way I would spend all that money for MCS and supporting mods (i'm estimating total around $30k or higher) to get a FWD car
Same reason I'd never buy Acura TL-S even though I love the car and the way it looks.

 

Or go to autocross.

From the official results from last month's event:
113 total drivers
Fastest time of the day 71' Datsun 240Z 26.65 sec (BSP)
G-stock class
Best driver in MINI Cooper S 29.79 sec 30th overall
Street Modified class
MCS 28.78 sec 15th overall

Other notable best in make/model:
E modified Mitsubishi Evo IX 30.43 sec 41st overall
B Street Prepared Mitsubishi Evo8 30.92 sec 52nd overall

Super Stock Porsche 996 GT3 27.57 sec 6th
DSP Acura Integra 27.74 sec 8th overall
E Stock Miata 28.87 sec 17th overall
Super stock Corvette Z06 28.90 sec 19th overall
D Stock Lexus IS350 31.18 sec 55th overall
A Stock Honda S2000 (3) 31.75 sec 67th overall

So stock 2004 R53 MCS beats modded Evos (3 total that day) by at least 11 places.

 

Hey to each his own. I would LOVE to have a MCS than can beat an Evo in a straight line. I know it would be cheaper to just get an Evo and then mod it but then what do I have? A fast Evo not a fast MINI. I'll be trying my cheap route until I can save up to go turbo.

 

To beat on stock from a roll, Rmw tune, head, cam , header/exhaust, 440's. Thats aorund 245+ which is around stock STI area. Some weight redution (seats wheels etc.) and you should be doing good.

jack

 

FYI the new Evo X was tested against a 135i (Evo was DCT, 135 was 6 Speed Auto) around the track. Evo was 3-4 seconds faster IIRC. It's a REALLY fast car.

 

In a straight line from a roll? Power to weight there are plenty of MINI's running around that could best a 911 Turbo. Which do you think would get to 60 faster though?

Traction is a MAJOR issue on the MINI. Much past 230 whp and 200 lb-ft of torque you're just spinning wheels in 1st without r-compounds.