I have a 2004 Cooper S and am about to order a new 2009. I was just at the dealer and drove a couple. I know I want premium, cold weather package, upgraded stereo, leather, etc but where I am stumped is sport suspension, limited slip diff, wheel size, etc. I drove a 2007 (or 08, not sure-it was the sales person's) who has 17" wheels and a sport suspension, no lim slip. Drove another 07 that had lim slip, 18" JC wheels and no sport suspension. It seemed to me the 18 inch, no sport suspension was a tad more fun to drive but I had only a short time in both.
Then the whole question of full JC Works, but I think that is overboard and the cost perhaps too high. I am an aggressive driver who likes a fun car but does not plan any track work, etc.
I currently have 16 inch wheels with sport package (6sp) and did not feel the ride of the ones I tried today was any rougher than mine, perhaps even less so.
So anyone who can help with the above, I would appreciate it. I am excited about a new Mini and want to make this as special (or more so!) than my first.

 

I would recommend the limited slip diff (LSD). The MCS has a lot of torque. Without LSD the electronic ASC will cut engine output to prevent wheel spin. LSD delays ASC intervention until LSD is overwhelmed. If you can get it, I think DTC would be a good idea. It applies the brake to a spinning wheel, which automatically transfers power to the other wheel. The factory JCW uses DTC instead of LSD. I'm not sure whether you can order DTC now, or have to wait until December.

I'm not sure about sport suspension. The MCS handles pretty well with the standard suspension, and I'm not sure I would want it any harsher. It does have a fair amount of body roll. I've not driven a sport suspension equipped MCS, so don't know how harsh it is. If you are happy with it on 17" runflats, I'd say go for sport suspension, although you might want to compare the sport suspension with the more aggressive JCW suspension.

My MCS came with 17" Crown Spoke wheels, which weigh 22.5 lbs. each. I replaced them with 16 lb. 17" wheels, and then got a set of 16x7" wheels (stock 16" are 16x6.5). There is a fair amount of debate as to which wheel dia. give better performance. Many of the racers prefer 15" and 16" wheels for their light weight. The larger wheels can provide a bit crisper turn-in, but are generally heavier. IMO, the main difference would be ride comfort and looks. The 16" with the taller tire sidewall will better absorb road roughness and provide more protection to the wheels from potholes. Whatever you do, I'd recommend aftermarket wheels that are lighter than the factory wheels.

One benefit of the factory JCW is that it is designed to handle the extra power. It has new pistons to handle the increased boost of the bigger turbo, and stronger clutch & transmission. I think if I were going to go for engine mods, I'd want to go with the factory JCW.

I also like the NAV for its integration of audio, Bluetooth, car settings, and navigation on the NAV screen. It also looks better, IMO, than the giant speedo.

 

I would skip the sport suspension, which consists of 2mm thicker front/real antisway bars, nothing else. Because the springs/shocks are the same it won't ride any harsher, but because they use thicker bars rear AND front the understeer probably won't be any different either. I got a 19mm rear bar (SS comes with 18mm) and the understeer is notably less than stock suspension. Cost me $300 installed. I think that's a better option. If you have runflat tires now you won't notice much harsher ride with the 17" tires. Only if you go with nonrunflats will the ride be less harsh. I think mine's fine, but I haven't tried nonRFs like Robin has.

 

Definatly skip the sport susension if you plan on adding the JCW suspension. And the primium and cold weather are a must.3
If i was ordering a 2009 i would get the JCW car. and just add the cold weather, adn JUST the sunroof.

 

Well, was not planning on the JCW suspension. Was not considering any JCW until I test drove the 07 with the 18in JCW wheels.
Stupid question. If you don't get runflats, do you just get a tow if you get a flat?

 

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/....jsp?CCK_Qty=1

http://www.dynaplug.com/domestic.html

A runflat will allow you to continue on with a flat tire, for a limited distance at a limited speed. There may be some situations where that is convenient, but is it worth the harsher ride, limited tire choice, and higher cost per tire?

If you have a slow leak, just putting air in it would get you to a tire shop. If you have an obvious leak from a nail or screw, Dynaplug should allow you to fix it. More hassle than a runflat, but also not as limited if you have far to go. Other leaks could be fixed with a Slime charged compressor like the ContiComfortKit. Before of Fix-A-Flat as it is not water soluble and can ruin a tire and TPMS.

If you have a catastrophic tire failure that involves the sidewall, you need to have your MINI flat bedded regardless of whether you have a runflat, or not. MINIs should not be towed, they must be transported on a flatbed truck.

 

Are you 100% certain that the sport suspension only consists of thicker sway bars and not springs/shocks? Some people say the springs are different, some say they aren't. Do you have any documentation? We just put in an order on an 09 S with sport suspension and we need to know for sure.