I'm new to driving Justa (6 speed manual, low mileage, excellent condition). How fragile or sturdy is the car, and how much can it be pushed? It's a little under-powered and I'm concerned something will break if driven aggressively. On a 150 mile trip with some idling in traffic, the engine was getting hot enough to heat up the passenger compartment. Not reassuring. Is this a tough car that can take spirited use and some abuse?

 

My 08 has 107000 miles and a 6 speed automatic. I have been driving it hard since day one. I have a K&N air filter, a Sprint Booster, sticky tires and Cooper S brakes and rotors. I drive it to the edge every day. It is holding up great. I change the oil every 3000 miles and the car has plenty of power. Not when it is hot and humid, but most of the time it gets along very strong.

 

Great to know. Thanks!

 

The Justa, or any MINI is fine when pushed. It'll go hard all day and not notice. We regularly do track days, with two of us driving, that's like 4-5 hours of driving at the limit (though the wife is a little slower than I am). That's never hurt the MINIs (apart from the brake pads and tires).

I'm not sure what your point is about the hot engine. Any car's engine is hot enough to heat up the passenger compartment, that's what the heater is. The MINI engines do run a little hotter (220°F or so) than the average car engine. Its designed that way to be more efficient. The MINI engine will cool down a bit when pushed hard (down to 180°F), its designed that way to make more power when asked (less efficiently).

 

Good information. Thank you.

 

like above, I drive the mother loving **** out of my little Justa 6 Speed, and only major things ive done are tires and brake pads...Ive had multiple 700,800,1000HP cars, and for some damn reason i enjoy driving the **** out of this thing the most :D

 

I say that all the time. If I had to get rid of it, I would actually be sad and depressed. My other cars are dusty while I look forward to getting back into mine for any reason at all.

 

They say the F56 Justa with the turbocharger and the manual is a freaking gas to beat on.

 

ive often contemplated buying one, but dang i love mine soooo much and no payment is even better....

 

Thanks for the input - I've been turning up the volume...can't wait to get into mine also...any excuse.

 

I drive mine hard in a hot desert, has been over 100 degrees every day now for months. The Justa works just fine, keep a close eye on the oil and radiator fluid.

 

They're VERY sturdy! Don't worry! The normally aspirated MINI engine starts coming to life at around 3500rpm. We had a 2009 hardtop and it was fantastic! I had NO problems keeping up with other MCS models in the twisties and although straight line speed is not really much to write home about, it really doesn't matter because they still corner like beasts, which is what these MINIs are born to do. Make a few targeted suspension modifications and pick up a good set of tires and you'll really have a ball. When you really start pushing it in the twisties you'll see just how sturdy and stable they are. If you REALLY want to know how hard you can push it, and what your MINI is capable of, I might suggest you take it to a track with an instructor for some lessons. I purchased a couple days on the track in Kershaw, SC with Phil Wicks and there learned what these little beauties can do (and it was a heck of a lot of fun!). They're amazing. Just make sure you take it in for regular servicing and it will serve you very well! Motor on!

 

Great information. Thanks.

 

Glad to help. Suspension wise we installed an H-Soprt rear sway bar (best bang for the buck), Koni FSD shocks, Powerflex lower control arm bushings, and added lower engine mount poly bushings (which reduces engine rocking making shifting more precise) and that was really it except for summer tires for better grip. You can get all this (for a good price, except the tires) through Way Motor Works. There's other specialty MINI accessory dealers of course so just find the place with the best price. You'll be amazed how the handling will be transformed. With the RSB alone it will dramatically reduce understeer, improving control. Lots of different kinds of shocks to choose from as well - some folks really like coilovers. Regardless, like anything you get what you pay for. The accessories dealer can guide you through all this to get your MINI set up just the way you want it. Happy motoring!

 

When I'm ready to do mods, that's a great list. Extremely helpful. Thanks