Hey All 2nd post here - Im from South Africa and about 2 months ago got a 2003 MCS Electric Blue. What an awesome vehicle.

Some questions to guys though -

Is it normal for the aircon to make the car feel like a normal 1.6, really slow(I know aircon takes power, but this is very noticable)

How much hammering can these engines take? I mean like revving to 6000rpm, bcs its addictive

After driving hard, should i idle for a moment before switching off?

My average in town consumption is 14.5l/100km, pretty heavy but I suppose I drive hard.

Awesome guys. Thanks.

 

I think you answered all your own questions. The 1.6L Chrysler engine is virtually bulletproof and should be very durable.

The A/c tends to drawn power from the engine. Also, since you have a pre-2005 MCS, with the old gear ratios, you'll feel it more coming out of 1st gear.

Should be a fun car. It is tuned for performance not fuel economy. Coopers are more tuned for economy.

 

The idling question is there, I assume, because some cars with TURBO CHARGING need time for things to cool off before powering off the car. The 2003 is SUPERCHARGED, though, and does not need an excessive cool-down period.

That said, do you generally turn the ignition off while the car is red-lined? I don't know about you, but generally *I* drive the car at low RPMs for at least a minute or two after motoring at high RPMs (to park, get off the road, etc.). Sometimes when I autocross, the car's radiator fan will keep running even after I switch off the ignition, so the car must be able to automatically cool itself to an acceptable temperature before powering down...