Hi all. I’ve searched but couldn’t find.
if there is a thread please direct me.

im looking at buying a 2012 ish countryman all4.
of course I’d want to bump the power.

at what point should I consider upgrading transmission, engine internals etc.

Basically what Torque and HP levels are considered “safe” by the community.

I’m open to either auto or manual transmission if one is significantly stronger than the other.
I’m looking at North American cars.

 

The information is all over the place, mostly under the 2nd Gen area (look for N18). Between the 2011+ R56/57/58/59 and the 2012+ Countryman the engine is identical, they both run the same N18 engine. The ALL4 components are the biggest differences between the 2011+ R56/57/58/59 and R60 functionally, but it's not something that needs to be modified or messed with. Suspension it's different in many ways as well, just because the body is wide and longer on the CM. The transmissions are basically exactly the same as well, they share the same clutch. I guess we're due to make a thread under the Countryman section of all this info.


The 2013+ or 2014+ are supposed to have some updated parts the previous years didn't have, with that said I own a 2012 and it as been reliable.

Modifying is pretty simple and straight forward.

On the S model you can run a RPM Stage 3 tune (around 22 PSI), with a upgraded 43mm compressor hybrid stock-sized turbo (stock turbo is 38mm compressor), bigger FMIC and colder plugs without running into issues. You'll be around 270-30 0HP depending on a few factors, and that's about as much as we know the S can pushed at this point.

I'd say for most people that's plenty. If you decide to go beyond that, then you'd have to look into custom turbo kits, building the engine, etc. But at that point you gotta be ready to drop at least $10k on the engine to have it properly built and ready to produce the power, plus finding the tuner that can provide that custom of tuning.

You can do the same on the JCW, you'll be able to push the power a bit more with boost and meth/water injection. A JCW can safely produce around 320 HP. After that, you gotta start building the engine.

There are plenty of options for wheels/tires and suspension combos, including coilovers and sway bars.

The transmission is solid, it's the clutch that will need upgrading. Basically on the ALL4 it's recommend from the start, even on a stock car. But some people don't do it and have minimal issues. Anybody that decides to modify, an upgraded clutch is a must. I upgraded my clutch before I added more power, but like mentioned earlier the 2012 models weren't quite up to par yet, and the 2013 (or 2014 I can never remember) fixed some of those minor issues by putting a better clutch in there. If you're deciding to add power, I would still recommend upgrading.

Between manual and auto, it's really up to what you want to drive. They're both solid platforms. Do remember, the ALL4 will already be eating up some of the power going to the ground, and an auto will take a little more of that as well compared to the manual. If you decide to get a JCW, it only comes in manual I believe.

With that said, If I did it all again I'd get an automatic. I definitely enjoy my manual car, but sometimes an auto would be nice on the streets, and in Southern California traffic.

MarioKart is my goto for 99% of the parts. He can kind of do it all, from tune, turbo, clutch, to adding more pop and bang while you drive. I'd give him a search on here and ask him any specifics.

 

^^Everything AWDRally says here^^
Im running stage 3 RPM with a 40mm turbo on an automatic All4. While you certainly do lose a bit of power to the drivetrain, the tune really livens up the car nicely! Acceleration with the tune and auto trans is quick! The car feels like it dropped pounds and became more eager to go. It great for hooning around, for sure! But it also vastly improved the daily drivability to me as well. I would be wary of adding much more power though, without dropping some $$ on engine internals and rod bolts. I could still go bigger with my turbo and be ok, but not too much bigger, a 43mm would be nice.... with a 45mm I wonder how far up the rpm range the power moves to? I feel like I’m at a pretty good compromise right now.
Talk to Mariokart, he’ll hook you up, and be able to tell you specifics about the tune and turbo combo he has and other stuff he carries. He is my go to guy as well!