Looking for advice on a Mini R56 Cooper S with automatic gearbox. I prefer the regular Cooper S styling and don’t like the look of the JCW, so I want to stick with the Cooper S.

The car will only be used on weekends, not for commuting or daily driving. It’s just a fun car for spirited weekend drives.

I’m planning to go for a Stage 1 tune, but I know the automatic gearbox can be a limiting factor. I’ve also read that the N18 engine is more reliable than the N14—can anyone confirm this? I want to make sure I get an N18 if possible.

Regarding suspension, I mostly drive on country roads that are mostly flat but can be a bit bumpy sometimes. I want something sporty but not too harsh. The car can be lowered a little, but I don’t want it slammed or uncomfortable.

Do you have any recommendations for a suspension setup that fits these conditions? I was thinking about Powerflex bushings (but which ones actually make a difference?), or coilovers versus shocks with lowering springs. Are there any brands you’d recommend for comfortable but sporty weekend driving?

Also, is the OEM sport suspension already good enough or is it worth upgrading?

Finally, I want to know if there are any factory options I really need to look out for when buying. Are there extra options that are important or add significant value? For example, is the sport suspension a separate factory option? What options do you think are more important to have?

If anyone is selling an automatic Cooper S in Europe, preferably black, I’m very interested.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

If you're looking for a Gen 2 Cooper S with an N18, you'll need to stick to the Life Cycle Improvement (LCI) models from 2011 to 2013. N18s are known for oil consumption and some serious intake valve carbon build up. Last January I picked up an 2012 Cooper S that the local Chevy dealer was going to send to the auction. My restoration video will highlight the typical Gen 2 car problems. The metal coolant cross over pipe from ECS tuning is a must!


My brother liked the car so much he traded me his brand new Sea-Doo; then he carried on and installed a Forge FMIC and a Snow Performance water/methanol injection kit. On all the GDI forced induction cars we've owned, we've seen greatly reduced intake valve carbon build up by running water/methanol injection.

From the driving you're describing; the stock suspension will be fine, but if the car has over 50k miles, you'll want to install a set of Bilstein B4 or B6 all around. I've got Bilstein's on my '06 MCS, '09 Jutsa, and the 2012 I just restored. B4s on all of these cars and they handle great. It's a different story if you're going to track the car.

If you go to realoem.com and enter the last 7 of the VIN you'll see what engine was installed in the car and the production date. Also, if you use the mdecoder website and enter the entire VIN, you can get a list of all the optional equipment the car came with.