I just got an 06' Mini Cooper (not s) yesterday. I love everything about it except I need more power!

I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on performance but would like to have more low end acceleration.

Any recommended performance mods? Airflow, chips, etc...

Thanks!!

 

Supercharger reduction pulley, best bang for buck, thats what everyone on here will tell you. Search through some threads ull find info on everything mod related. Intake, exhaust, Bypass valve, headers, head, cam, injectors, all kinds of stuff.

 

They'll need a supercharger first before the reduction pulley can be installed

 

Im an idiot......................... didnt see the non-s


In that case im guessing intake and exhaust could be a good start.

just to reiterate... im an idiot

 

I have the CAI and cat-back on both our JustaCoopers. Not much noticeable difference in HP or torque. Sure sounds great though.

The Coopers have plenty of power for what they're meant to be. If you wanted more power.... you know the rest.

Just not a lot of aftermarket performance mods available for the Cooper. Someone correct me of I'm wrong on that.

BTW, is yours a manual or a CVT ?

 

CVT. Yeah I am not looking into an exhaust at this time. I love how it sounds right now (for free). If you feel no noticeable difference in power, then maybe Ill just enjoy what I have. Just the low end power (pulling out in traffic) could be better.

 

Both our 06 JustaCoopers have CVT.

Spend time in Sport and Manual modes and you'll have a lot more fun driving it. Your MPG will suffer slightly but if it's more zip you're looking for, slide that shifter over to the right !

 

My Non-S CVT customers love the TSW Damper Kit. Tell me they "Feel" like they have more power and high RPM shifting is smoother.

 

btw i just got my Damper Kit today!
im very happy and i will isntall later tonight.

anyways, yeah for more power go for an intake, exhaust, damper kit that autoxcooper said, and also try a short shift kit. i have the SSK and i "feel" like my car is faster, cuz the gear shifting is closer so i can shift faster. though the real power will obviously be coming from the intake and exhaust.

intake + exhaust + damper kit = more power.
your MC will be torque-ier, like how mine is (it really is!) and the 5-10 hp you probably will gain will be worth it.

after that, once you get enough money, look into a Jan tune @ RMW.
here's a testimonial by our friend from AutoXCooper:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ne-equals.html
i plan on doing this tune myself in the future too and i can't wait!

good luck!

 

Before I got Emily ('02 MCS), I had an Audi A4 Quattro with the 5-speed and the 2.8 litre V6. An absolutely wonderful car, but a little low on the power-to-weight ratio. There was little to be done to improve the HP, so I learned to be a better driver to compensate. Ya know, smoother, more precise shifting, picking better lines through corners, etc.
Makes sense, huh?
As a wise man once said, " It ain't how fast you go, it's how you go fast".

 

had the same problem with the copper intill a put in a sprint booster ( takes 10 mins to fit) now it so much better to drive and seems like you have added 20hp but it doesnt, but keep in mind 1 now get about 100km less per tank of fuel

 

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I am going to look into it all!

 

Sprint booster is pointless IMO.

All it does is increases throttle response so you will be going full throttle when you are pressing like 75% of the throttle.

also it makes it harder to drive smoothly

 

Slide in a camshaft... the Crower / NS 1 will add some power and still be well within the "Low budget" mod! yes??

Just me..........................

Thumper

 

I have intake+exhaust (JCW Sound Kit) on my '06 MC convertible. It sounds great although the power gain is negligible. It was still worth getting because the sound is really does enhance the driving experience. However specifically to increase power I wouldn't look towards intake+exhaust.

I have an RMW tune. IMO a custom tune is the most significant improvement you can make to the non-S drivetrain at reasonable cost. My biggest disappointment of the non-S engine was the lack of torque at low RPMs, and the RMW tune made a big difference. The tune increased the top HP very little, but raised the torque across the range and significantly enhanced the driveability. For example, clutch modulation can get really funky in stop-and-go traffic with air conditioner on. The RMW tune increased the low end torque, which diminished the effect of the air conditioner.

A problem however is that the OP has the CVT auto transmission. To get the most out of anything done to the engine, the transmission needs to be tuned as well (optimize shift points). I haven't heard of anybody doing that. You might ask Jan whether he has tuned CVT Coopers and how much difference it made.

Another approach (although it doesn't help much with the low end acceleration you wanted) is to improve the handling through grippier tires and suspension upgrades. They will allow you to go faster around corners.

 

UniChip, Cam, weight reduction main crank pulley. All new ignition stuff: Coil, wires, and plugs make a slight difference. Its only slight, but its noticeable. Thats about all the cheaper big stuff out there for Cooper. Other than that just cruise around some of the vendors sites for small stuff.

 

sorry about the intake exhaust thing. it was just IMO. but i can feel the difference! so something mustve been added lol.
jan tune is a must tho

 

Definetly start with an Intake. It's less than $200 and makes good power and sound. Here is a link with the dyno sheet.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/product...cat=302&page=1

Then I'd think about other stuff you want to do.

 

The car came with the sport package. Frankly, the sport package makes the steering feel very tight and responsive! I don't think I will need to change anything in that department.

On another note I might try the intake. Hopefully without an aftermarket exhaust the intake will make a decent difference. Cams and headers aren't on my mind right now though. But performance chips or tuning might be ideal. Thanks all!