Hey everyone

Well I convinced my Better Half that we should sell both our cars and buy a new car.

She had two rules:

not a mini cooper
Not standard

So I would like to announce we bought two weeks ago a 09 MCS 6sp that she fell in love with

A few months ago I had an idea that came into my head and would not leave, in fact it enjoyed staying up late at night for a few months with me, as I processed all the angles and options.

What's this crazy idea that haunts me to no end?

It's an open source concept for our beloved cars. What's the one thing car manufactures do so well when it's time for us to buy our next sweet ride? They sell us on personality of having a car fit and polished to our taste with such clean craftsmen ship that it's almost perfect.

Ok, so what?

My idea was to create an open source project where anyone could contribute towards an ever evolving end goal. A unique trim level like JWC that was community built and grown. Where everyone works to evolve and perfect the end product.

Ok so how does it work?

Everyone builds there car uniquely, but in line with a few key features. We brain storm together to build a trim level that is unique to the members of the project that morphs over time to perfection. Venders could join in and help develop and even design products unique to this project. Members can help each other out in there weaknesses.
Being open sourced, all ideas are open to everyone to use.

Cool, so what are these key features?

This is where the project name came in, WRC in this case stands for Weekday, Rally, Commuter.

Ok, thats not where You thought that I was as going at all. The idea is simple, the cars are our daily drivers and must remain so. They have to be comfortable daily commuters, but rally inspired. On the scale of say a WRX STi or an EVO. these trim levels are rally inspired but amazing works of art as well.

It's time we put this rally heritage back into the cooper. And I think it will be a lot of fun for everyone involved.

So are there any requirements at the moment to get started?

So far not really, you will need four things at some point to be considered part of the project. You don't need them all on day one:

A Mini (really any Mini)
A spoiler (even factory S spoilers will do)
Fog or driving lights (again factory is fine)
Mudflaps ( I know some people hate them, but this is a rally theme)
Bonus points: PROJECT WRC in your sig

Hope to see you all soon.

 

I just wanted to add that after each mod I do to my car I will be posting a fuel economy score of what my car is getting and Dyno numbers from a program running on my iPhone.

That way everyone can see what certain mods have for effects on their car even if they aren't part of this project.

I'll post stock pictures and performance numbers of my car in the next few days.

 

It sounds like fun, but I just can't bring myself to add mudflaps

 

I got 3 of the 4. Need sig now. Plus factory mud flaps look good on a R56.

 

Though it looks cool, the factory spoiler isn't functional, it doesn't even keep dirt off the back window!

I put the mud flaps on my MINI after I got it, I think they make the car look lower and they really keep the spray off the sides of the car.

After a year of ownership, I finally remembered that my car has fog lights! They are nice for seeing the shoulders of the road, close to the car, but I am more concerned about what is waaay out there, down the road. I live out in the country and I still don't use the fog lights much.

That said, let me add driving lights to the list, those I can use!

Dave

 

I'm rethinking the mudflaps - looked at Outmotoring, they have the front and rear for the R50 - are most using front only?

 

Just thought I would say that the stock spoiler does work, but is not designed to keep the back of the car clean. No spoiler is designed for that.

 

What a coincidence. I was doing a 'mini' road trip yesterday, and part of the road was gravel... I was thinking 'well, this car has rally pedigree, so let's see how it goes!'



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Are there any mud flaps for the JCW aero kit? I hate all the **** that gets thrown up on the side of my car from running spacers

 

You say it works, what exactly does the stock spoiler do?

The spoiler on my Volvo V70 T5 does keep the rear window cleaner than when it didn't have one, it is the reason I got it.

Dave

 

some interesting reading for you
http://www.mini2.com/forum/second-ge...nt-0-39-a.html

The non-s has a lower drag effiecent then the S model. And there is only one thing that would cause worse drag coffecient and that is downforce from a spoiler.

 

Lights, check.

I never considered mud flaps. I'm going to look around for them now.

 

Yup those light qualify for sure.

I'm surprised at the amount of interest already

 

I am tempted to get some mudflaps, but $40 for the rear and another $20 for the front seems nuts for a bit of plastic. Suppose I should expect that though. Does anyone have a good rear picture that includes more than just the flap? I'm hoping to see how it changes the look overall from behind!

Thanks!

 

I'm considering mud flaps from http://www.rallyarmor.com

 

There ya go

 

@Porthos, thanks! Appreciate the pictures. I'll likely pick myself up a set!

 

Thanks for the links, Porthos. I think I'll skip the spoiler, I'd rather go with the marginally better drag coefficient.

Dave

 

Porthos, that'll look even better with a roof graphic

 

I always ran Rally Armour flaps on my Subarus. The UR flaps are excellent. I wish they made a kit for our cars that was as brain-dead easy to install as they were on my Imprezas. I've been pokling around but haven't seen any true mudflap install write ups. Anyone do one?

 

Well if you would fnish it I could have one . Actually I am thinking of putting it on the hood. It really depends what the final picture looks like.

 

The spoiler does not necessarily need to create downforce in order for it to increase the drag coefficient. While a functional spoiler would increase the Cd, the likelihood that the stock spoiler creates any meaningful downforce is low.

If the base Cooper also has narrower tires, this can also contribute to the lower Cd.

 

Also no hood scoop

 

I'm in, i just need some mudflaps (my fog lights are still sitting in the box waiting for a warm garage to install them)

 

re: Factory mudflaps

I put the front ones on, but the back ones seemed to just mess up the looks of the whole car, so they went back on the shelf with the other things that looked like a good idea at first. But I wouldn't take the front ones off for anything. They keep so much crud off the sides of the car.