I would like to say hi to everyone and thanks for posting such great content, I'm a car nut and I picked up a Coupe S last month and love it!

Of course I'm now scoping out upgrades and such; I think the base radio will be first, but for performance I wanted to hear anyone's feedback on some OEM products out there in the market:

*Was wondering if anyone added a JCW strut, saw a nice price on eBay...thoughts? Any difference in cornering or steer feel? I love the already rock solid feel in sport mode, was also wondering if this piece would help over bumpy turns, I've noticed the car skips pretty hard, this ride does have a big heart, I like to call it the SRT8's baby brother .

*Also the JCW tuning kit for the S Model - seems to pick up the torque pretty high - close to 200lbs in sport mode and HP to 190ish..has anyone added this to their R58 yet?


Thanks everyone, I really respect and admire the community here, it's great to share a common passion.

 

I hate to rag on MINI, but their JCW performance packages are a tad overpriced. Their only true advantage is no warranty hassles. But if your local dealership is reasonably understanding, most won't hassle you for sensible, properly installed aftermarket parts anyhow.

JCW tuning kit adds 8hp for $2,200 + installation. Frankly, this seems a bit steep for the expected gains. A good CAI and catback will get you that much or more for half the price.

Hadn't looked into the JCW suspension bits, but I expect aftermarket bits will perform as well or better for less cash, as they have with previous models.

Just depends on your goals & desires.

 

Front JCW brace is good value and adds stability. I had a Borla exhaust added and there was definitely a performance gain. In the order of 5 - 6 BHP. Adding a K&N filter will net a small gain. Lastly, I added H&R springs. Lowered the car, but not too much and improved cornering.

 

Thanks for the input gentleman

 

Incorrect, the kit adds 17HP, and the difference between JCW tune and stock S is night and day. You can add aftermarket CAI and exhaust, but you are missing the most important part of the package, the tune, which isn't possible on '11-'12 S models. Throwing a CAI and exhaust on the car without a tune to take advantage of it is hardly in the same ballpark as a full JCW tuning kit. Good try, though...

I have the JCW tuning kit and the JCW suspension and wouldn't trade those options for any aftermarket parts if you paid me.
j

 

Quoted directly from MINI USA's web site:

The John Cooper Works tuning kit drives the MINI Coupe and Roadster to completely new heights of performance. The kit boosts the output of the Twin Scroll turbocharged engine to 189 hp (SAE) (141 kW).

Stock hp on the MCS Coupé is 181. Let's do the math together... 189-181=8.

Quoted price on MINI USA's site is currently 2,119.00 for the kit. Installation not included.

A decent aftermarket CAI + exhaust can easily add more than 8hp without a tune. You're right about the tune, though, as the JCW tune does claim to quicken throttle response, etc. But the N18 engine's ECU will be cracked & tuneable before long.

I'm not telling anyone NOT to get the JCW parts, just making sure they know that they will pay a premium for parts that do not deliver the same level of performance as less expensive aftermarket parts. Trade-off is the warranty friendliness of the JCW options. And OEM hallmark, of course.

 

I don't know anyone who's paid full retail for a JCW Stage 1 kit.

 

Unfortunately, you are using outdated information from before the HP upgrade in 2011. Not like it's a shocker if the miniusa site is outdated, though.
And I was slightly off, it adds 16 HP, not 17, my bad...

 

Well, when you click on the JCW kit that's labelled for, and contains the text for the Coupé and Roadster (which did no exist pre-2011), you get exactly what I quoted.

Even allowing for MINI USA to have misquoted the hp figures, 16hp is not difficult to gain. A decent CAI & exhaust can get you to or near that for a lot less than the JCW kit's advertised price. Now, I was not aware that they were discounting the kits. Depending on the amount of the discount, a JCW kit might be worthwhile. Even I would pay a minor premium (say 10-15%) over aftermarket for similar gains with no warranty implications.

No matter what the OP or you or I decide to upgrade with, though, the important thing is that we at least have options. Competition drives innovation & performance up and prices down. Everybody wins!

 

Hey thanks Subzero, building the car shows the updated info, good to know, my brother in law has a non mini dealership, I think he can get it at cost, so I'll bring it to where I bought it for the ECU update..thanks everyone!