I have an 03 R50
I tried to drive around with the rpm around 2,000 and noticed a major lack of power. I pretty much have to drive around with it around 3,000, is that still consider low for a Mini?
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I had a Del Sol and I drove around in it staying around 2,000 with no issues.
I had a 4.6L mustang and I drove around with the rpm between 1,000-2,000 and it did alright.
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My R50's mods are - Megan exhaust kit - oil catch can - very open CAI - slightly over sized tires - short shift kit - roof-rack
soon to come mod - coil overs I cant wait.
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So what is a normal driving rpm for a Mini? Is something off with mine?
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I hope thats not to many pictures.....

 

That's a purty thing...

I'll run my Justa all day at 2k - but at that rev range I do not expect power, but instead economy.

Power is (as you darned well know) located between 3k and 5.5k.

So the trick is being in the right gear at the right time.

I would not form the habit of putting around town at 3k - there's just no need for it.

Just my two bits.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Can't speak to MINIs in particular, but some intake and exhaust bolt-on mods do tend to sacrifice some low RPM torque in favour of more power in the higher rev ranges.

 

IMO the RPM range depends on your driving style, conditions at that moment, and your wants/needs. If you're cruising in smooth-flowing traffic with consistent speeds, then running at 2K RPM would seem to be OK, and probably a very fuel-efficient way to drive.

But if you're trying to take advantage of gaps in traffic and make some headway, then running at 3K or above will put your engine more in the power band and allow for faster acceleration and more giddyup.

I'm a spirited street driver so I'm often cruising at 3K RPM or above and using a squirt of throttle to really move along. To be clear, mileage and fuel efficiency are not my top priorities, but everyone's different.

 

I am not one who feels lower RPMs are better for the engine. I also prefer to have power when I need it, not a few seconds from now, so I "cruise" at around 3500-4000 RPM.

For me spirited driving is the only way to drive a MINI, but the trade off is lower gas mileage. I averaged 22-23 MPG in my R53.

BTW, that car has over 130k miles and is still going strong. It's now my daughter's daily driver.

 

I would suggest it is not as simple as a "perfect rpm" range....
Seemingly minor things, like engine health (compression) when coupled with things like elevation, engine load (tail wind,cross wind, tire choice, and load in the car) will result in different numbers....
Important thing is, don't lug the motor....meaning always be able to accelerate if you push the pedal down more.... Road speed is the biggest factor though...drag goes up by the inverse square rule....so in most cases (unless rpms are crazy outside the tq band) slower is better in any given gear....lowest speed in that gear you are using that can hold that gear without putting in a NA motor....given the choice between the top/middle of 4th, and the bottom if 5th, use 5 unless you get to a slight hill and start to lug.....

 

my wife's mini is an automatic, i found it odd that it keeps its rpm around 3,000 unless your in a good cruise then it lowers to around 2,250. so i figure mini's are different then most cars with the rpm.
my mini is the first car i had where you can not be driving 50mph in 5th gear. the rpms drop below 2,000 and the car nearly stalls.
4th gear i have to be doing about 45mph plus before i shift. i am used to cars where you can use 4th at 40 and 5th at 50. not in this cooper. i need to be doing about 65-70mph to shift to 5th gear.

 

half way point of the trip. i have been keeping the rpm's around 3,500
i have been getting about 36ish mpg. NICE can you all imagine if i slowed down and lowered it below 3,000 :D

 

trip is done. i drove over 2000 miles in less then 3 days.
on the way home i drove with the rpm over 4,000 most of the way.
got the same mpg LOL i did not see that coming. i figure it would be noticeable but its not. still pulled mid 30's mpg so the difference of 3,000 vs 4,000 rpm on the highway in a mini .... is no mpg difference (in mine) its like 70mph vs 80mph same mpg o.O wtf