2011 R56 MCS manual. What is the top speed? Is it electronically limited? I have seen 114, still pulling hard, but did not glance at the tachometer. Do we run out of pushing power or RPM's first? I was passing 4 cars on a dashed-yellow, and ran out of room to go any faster. Besides, they were already looking at my tail lights...

 

I've done 138mph, but supposed the MCS can do 143 or something.

 

Stock? The only mods so far on mine are a K&N drop-in and a resonator delete. Seems like you have more mods than me. Mine is a DD, commute car, so not looking to go crazy on mods, until I can afford it.

So, at 138, did you happen to glance at the tach? If so, where were the revs?

 

For my 2012 MCS, MINI claimed a top of 145mph.

I saw 135.9 in the standing mile competition I entered in 2013. That was out of 5th and into 6th at that point; my GPS showed 140 before I hit the brakes well into the coast down area.

I calculated speeds in gears before, don't have it handy and didn't google it just now. Run at 2k or 3k in 6th and note the speed; then divide by 2 or 3 to get "miles per grand". That, times 6.5 for 6500 rpm, would give theoretical redline top speed (in the low 160's, IIRC, for our cars).

Not governed. Mine is stock + the JCW tuning kit.

 

With mods I've done 146 in a controlled environment. There were rev's left, it simply ran out of pushing power. That was stage 2 Battle/DNA tune. I've yet to test my new tune. It takes sometime for me to get my Sheriff friend friend to help me out.

Long story short, our cars are drag limited and not rev limited.

 

On stock R56 I've seen 140 downhill on the speedo, same car tuned, did 140 uphill then 145+ on the flat. Speedometer readout is a few mph high when compared to radar signs and GPS.

Drag limited.

 

Probably not enough HP to overcome the drag to get to that theoretical limit.

 

Very very very few cars have enough power to get to redline in top gear. Most of the ones that can do that have rather short gearing. Aerodynamic drag is a real killer, as it goes up with the square of speed. So it takes four times as much power to push through the air at 120 MPH as it does at 60 MPH. (And some factors go up with the cube of speed! That's eight times as much power to overcome those!!!)

That said, I think we can safely say that the actual top speed of any of our cars is well beyond the legal speed limit on any public road in the US. Now if we can get over to Germany.........

 

*drool*

 

I will do a top speed run with my 2011 MCS in a few weeks. I just have to find a nice quiet time of day and a good stretch of unrestricted Autobahn.

 

How fast do you want to go? Get it tuned and the limiter turned off and 150+ is possible. I hate going 130+ in a hardtop, it just feels so unstable.

 

Good luck finding a strait stretch that does not have construction.

 

I've had a few cars over 130, Mostly my friends EVO, SRT-4, and both the MINI's I've owned. The SRT-4 felt the most unstable. And actually I didn't think the MINI's felt all too bad at those speeds. Obviously the EVO felt the best out of all of those. Now that I'm typing this, I had forgotten I drove a newer GTO about 130 one time, and only one time.

 

I had my '94 Plymouth Sundance Duster over 130 on the Autobahn a couple of times but it was at the edge of its limits. Too bad that car was so heavy, with the V6 it was fun to drive but had less HP than the MINIs do now with the 4 cylinders. :p I'd love to have a try at it in the MINI to compare, it's boxier than the Duster was.

 

Agreed: I have driven 130 a few times, and felt the MCS was more stable at that speed than "normal" cars at 60 mph

 

My 2011 mcs slammed with a m7 carbon spoiler around 120 really smooths out and at 146 it was crazy firm and together, good h&r coilovers. I really wanted to see my top speed but fear of cops took my foot off the pedal.

 

'Bout a month ago, the local Mini club made a run from Carson City to Great Basin Nat'l Park --- Hiway 50 all the way! For those that don't know, this is considered "The loneliest road in the country."

There were four Mini's on the run, and I'm last in line. Somewhere between Eureka and Ely, we catch a truck doing about 70MPH on level road. When its my turn to pass it, I decide to pass everyone else too. As I get around the first Mini in line, I'm at 5 - 6K RPM, in 5th gear (stick shift) and the digital speedo shows 129. Still pulling strong, but the spouse is white-knuckled so I back off.

Now this Mini is mod'd more than most, and I don't recommend others try matching this or other claims listed here, especially on any other public hiway!

I'm posting this to ask if anyone knows of a place that conducts speed trials, such as the Bonneville Salt Flats. I've researched Bonneville, but they are too restrictive with run class requirements. I expect to break out of their 130 MPH class which disqualifies the car and no "time slip" or run record is issued. Their 160 MPH class requires a roll bar, fire suit, and 4 or 5 point seat harness, none of which I'm willing to install or buy for a 1-day run. I'm looking for an "independent and accurate" source of speed in a "flying mile", or at least a top speed in the attempt.

Anyone?

 

Gods forbid I get in trouble with NAM again... With my mods I might or might not have been faster than the 141mph that Mini advertised for the 2011 MCS. My mods might or might not let me pass red line... Don't bother fracking with me with a Mustang GT!

 

I lost my spine at about 130mph.. I
still had room!

 

The USFRA - Utah Salt Flat Racing Association - holds a yearly event at Bonneville called The World of Speed. It is going on right now - Sept. 6-9 They have two classes for registered and insured street cars called the 130 MPH club and the 150 MPH club. http://www.saltflats.com/


To make the 130 MPH club you have to do two runs over 130 in 1 mile from a standing start but less than 140. The tech is pretty basic and you just need a helmet. You buy 5 runs for $160 plus USFRA membership - $50 per year. If you don't make it in 5 runs you can buy 5 more.


To make the 150 MPH club you have to do two runs over 150 in 2 miles from a standing start but less than 160. The tech is tougher as you need a 4 point roll bar and harnesses - fire suit - hand restraints - etc. This costs $285 for 5 runs plus USFRA membership.


We had a member of our SCMM (Southern California MINI Maniacs) club try this back in 2006 and 2007 after watching the movie The Worlds Fastest Indian. He had a 2005 MINI Cooper S JCW 210 HP- no other mods. He could not make the 130 club, ran a best of 126 - needed more HP. In 2008 several of us brought our modified MINI's to Bonneville and 3 cars - all R53's - and 8 people made the 130 MPH club. I did 132.06 and the fastest car was a mildly modified GP1 - 135 MPH. That year the salt was in the best shape it had been in 20 years - you could burn out - it was that hard.


The next year several other SCMM members brought out their R56's and all of them made the 130 MPH club, including two ladies - we call them Queens of the Salt!! The salt was mushy that year because they got rain just two weeks before the meet. In 2010 another SCMM member tried the 150 MPH club in his modified GP1 and did 143 MPH in 2 miles - needed more HP.


I tried the 150 MPH club in 2012 with my highly modified R53 - stroker 1800 cc engine - Rotrex S/C - tuned for 109 octane - meth injection is not allowed in this class -348 whp. The car was running OK but not great, the first two runs were in the high 130's to low 140's - on the 3rd run I did 144.02 but the S/C blew a bearing and I was done.


It sounds easy but it really is not. You have to get up to 5th gear as soon as you can - not fluff any shifts - and then shift to 6th and wait as you try to put the power down - the 2 mile mark comes up way too soon!! My car is extremely stable at that speed - I can take my hands off the wheel and it does not wander. The amount of rain they get during the summer greatly affects the surface and Bonneville is at 4219 elevation - you have to tune for that - the barometric pressure has an affect also. I was sure I had all that covered, but a mechanical problem put me out.


Anyway, I could not get out there this year, but I will try for the 150 MPH club again next year - I am changing from the early 6 speed Getrag to the later one with different ratios. The MINI is an aerodynamic brick but there are a few things you can do that help - more HP always helps!!


I would suggest that anybody with a MINI try to do the 130 MPH club, or just go out to Bonneville to watch The World of Speed, you will have a great time. It is not that expensive to do , you can stay at the Rainbow Casino in Wendover for less than $50 per night.

 

My E36 M3 is gear limited. With the stock 3.15 diff, it would hit the 7K rev limit at 159 mph. It is aero limited to the mid 160's with the stock engine. After I supercharged it, it would probably do somewhere in the high 170's with a taller gear. But,,, I installed a shorter diff 3.38:1 so I can only do 152 now...


I really don't care what the top speed of the Mini is... My Aprilia sportbike with GIVI bags is probably faster than the MINI...lol (it's gone 152 with the bags...lol)


Oh, and yes, closed course, not ever in public, yada, yada, yada..

 

I've seen 140 indicated on the digital speedo and I still had room left on the tach but ran out of road. She was calm and straight and oddly quieter then I thought it would of been. I guess 140 indicated might me 135ish actual. I'll have another opportunity in October to try again.

2013 r58 fJCW

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How does the belly pan kits improve things with these cars ? If there is such a beast. I seen a picture of one somewhere. I forget where it was and it was quite awhile ago as well.

 

Gp2 front belly pan and rear diffuser. Claimed by mini to improve aero turbulance . And was wind tunnel tested. A few vendors here have them with all the needed bits. They are both on my to-do list.

 

They also make long panels to connect the belly pan to the rear diffuser. These are all genuine MINI parts.