Hi guys:

I was wondering if any of you had suggestions on what to do to upgrade my '07 Convertible S. I do not have a JCW kit - just the 168 HP supercharger.

I've been told I should look into ALTA MINI Performance parts and check out the 17% reduction pulley and the cold air intake they've got for this gen (R52).

Does anyone have any other suggestions or info? I'm wondering what will give me the most bang for my buck...

Thanks a bunch!

Jess

 

I would call Way at WayMotorWorks. 1-317-201-8670.

He has done great things with my MINI.. I am sure he can help you out too...

Welcome to modding,
BBCooper

 

15/17% pulley first, then what used to be "the way to go" is now being revised. cai really doesn't do much, likewise for exhausts. this topic has been discussed in great detail in the 1st gen/mods/drivetrain forum. jan at rmw has probably dynoed more mini's than anyone out there. he's recommending pulley, then cam/header....and most importantly a tune that's vehicle specific. be careful, once you start, it's a slippery slope

i was at thunderbolt/lightning this weekend and came away convinced that software is huge! there were a couple of motec and rmw tuned cars there that were smokin!

 

I agree with the pulley, but you say exhaust is a waste, then you recommend a Header the header is partial exhaust
The fact is a Full exhaust from header to highflow cats to muffler will definetly help.

My choice for my car was a 17%, FULL EXHAUST, new air intake and a ECU program. It runs almost as good as my R56 now.
I agree a CAI alone wont do much, but when everything is combined it works to complement the other items.
My 2 cts.

 

oh you misunderstand me.....i am quoting jan at rmw....i'm just a guy who races/mods my car. you should call jan, i'm sure he can answer your questions http://www.revolutionmini.com/

btw, i have the mods you are considering .....and wish i went in another direction ....i.e trying to save you some $ if hp is what you're looking for.

again, looking at the posts i mentioned previously (try https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=139886 or https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=152220) will help you understand that what jan says are dyno backed, race tested, experience proven FACTS...not just what some guy on nam thinks or says. good luck!

 

I cant wait to come back to the states. The build MINIs alot differently over here, faster.

 

What is your budget?

What tires and wheels do you have now? Runflats? If you need to keep the runflats then fine but usually lighter wheels and non runflat tires will help handling and improve ride quality. Consider your weather conditions when buying tires. Any snow then pick all season tires. Need better handling then pick Ultra High Performance tires or better (Max or Extreme performance)

What are you going to use your MINI for? Street only or any track or driving school events?

Adding power alone will only get you so far. Handling (suspension) upgrades would be worthwhile to build into the budget and just as important as power upgrades. Suspension upgrades can lead to a firmer ride so be careful what you select. For Cabrio owners the Koni FSD shocks or JCW suspension are common.

Never upgrade one item in a vacuum without considering the bigger picture and your goals for the use of the MINI.

Best bang per buck is always upgrading to a smaller sized supercharger pulley. $125 for the part and about $400 installed by a competent mechanic that knows MINIs. Easy to do and more reliable if you choose a 15% reduction pulley. 17 or 19% are possible but as the pulley gets smaller then other modifications may be required such as a smaller drive belt and sometimes larger fuel injectors (can be expensive) along with an ECU retune to make everything work better.

Air intake and exhaust are possible and help with airflow. One alone is not as helpful. Headers usually are a later mod or if you have a big picture in mind that would benefit from headers like ported and polished cylinder heads and race cam mods. Exhaust will affect loudness- some can be much louder than stock. You won't be able to sneak up on anyone.

RMW does ECU retunes for any size reduction pulley plus whatever other mods you have- it is the last step so plan ahead.

Driving school is the best place to learn how to make use of your MINI, modded or stock. A good driver in a stock MINI will run rings around a less experienced driver in a modified MINI.

 

another "expert" on nam with helpful input. is it possible that something other than what you've done could run faster?? pulley, cam, header, tune is what i'd do.

jbelcher14, minihune speaks the truth.

 

thankyou for considering me an expert, I have a lot of time vested in my MINIs, but I not an expert, Speaking of "helpful input" great post contribution yourself...what are you....a master mechanic

 

+1 Jan knows what he is doing

 

Step one: Decide what you want your MINI to be when it grows up, what your short term and long term goals are for speed, power, driveability, steet vs. track vs. autocross vs. comfort, what your short and long term budget is for achieving this.

Step two: develop a mod plan aligned with these goals. This will save you much wasted money and time. Avoid impulse buying...

That said, here's the important stuff that I have:
15% pulley
JCW 380 injectors
One-ball modded exhaust (performs as well as nearly all aftermarket exhausts)
JCW intake (the best for most applications)
RMW cam (adds significant mid-range torque with no bad manners)
RMW street header (replaces the MOST RESTRICTIVE part of the OEM exhaust - the incredibly restrictive header - with a brilliantly designed header with large, equal length primaries (this matters A LOT), a non-restrictive collector and a high flow cat)
RMW dyno tune

So, pretty much everything that matters except the head. My car pulls like a beast between 3500 and 6000 RPM. I did one piece at a time, and the three things that made the MOST difference were the pulley, the header. and the tune. Tough I think the header unleashed some performance enabled by the cam, also.

And I have put money into brake and suspension improvements to help me keep a more powerful car on the road and under control. And stop from triple-digit speeds...

And have done everything possible to make it look like a clown car. So honda owners are even MORE embarassed when I walk them...

 

PLUS 5000!!!! Thank God, this was my point earlier but people tend to be awe struck and when you agree with them they just want to argue
This is definetly the way to GO