Would using Toyota power in the form of the 1ZZ-FE or 1ZZ-FED engines and transmissions alleviate all issues and make the MINI perfect?

 

Vtec

 

I'm being serious. The Honda L15, R16, or R18 could also work. All the motors I suggested:

1. Aren't French or Brazilian by design.
2. Don't make funny noises.
3. Are light.
4. Are quiet.
5. Are clean.
6. Make similar power numbers to the PSA units.
7. Are fuel efficient.

Believe me, I'll be staying on top of the care/maintenance of my 2012 Cooper just as much as I used to stay on top of things on my Honda's... Which is meticulously.

It's a great chassis and I want this car to last for many, many years.

 

You mean VTEC.

 

I think you'd have a really difficult time convincing BMW to buy engines from Honda or Toyota to install in one of their cars.

 

The Gen 1 cars had a South American market Chrysler/BMW motor.

The Gen 2 cars use the PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) motor.

Why not head to Japan? Their cars may not be exciting as a whole (the new Toyobaru not withstanding), but they are designed for the person who wants to do nothing more than get in and drive. That equals reliability to enthusiasts like us because the motors are foolproof.

On older D and B series Honda motors, we knew we'd need to adjust valve lash and replace timing belts/water pumps. Timing chain setups are supposed to be worry-free for a MUCH longer period of time... And in this configuration, they're not.

 

It's an interesting idea, but one that I think is unlikely. If you keep your eyes on motoringfile, you can see what direction MINI is going with their engines.

 

 

I guess you should have saved for a Lotus then. It would be worth the wait!

 

Let me guess... Potential issues are just part of the MINI experience?

 

I'm not inherently opposed to the idea. That said, so far my N/A Prince motor has been good.

 

If they were to use a different engine I would say use the 1.4 or 1.6 twin-charger engine from VW.

TwinCharger

 

As you say, the 1st gen used a BMW motor (also shared with/co-developed with Chrysler). The 2nd-gen used a motor that BMW co-developed just for the MINI, that their partners used for other cars.

Not a 22-year-old engine (the Honda B-series was introduced in the 1990 model year) that may be out of production by now. Not sure how old the Toyota motor is, but it sure isn't new.

 

The prince engines seem to be holding together quite well. It's never the block or heads at fault....timing chain tensioner, water pump, and turbos have been the main culprits. If anything keep the engine and work on those auxiliary parts

 

Modern engine design is such a sham. Car companies could've advanced the modern combustion engine to something much more reliable and fuel efficient by now easily. But being in bed with OEM parts manufacturers, aftermarket manufacturers, and the gas companies have stifled most advancements and only the minimal advancements to meet government regulations are consistently made. Sorry, this is a topic that drives me absolutely crazy...

Here's a quick read for the bored: http://www.rexresearch.com/ogle/1ogle.htm

 

Again, I bought my base Cooper for the purpose of having a more reliable car than the turbocharged models from a mechanical standpoint and I optioned it to be simple as well (actually, I put together an HS autocrosser)... But at the same time, dead-nuts reliable cars don't make any money for anyone, especially in the service departments. In this day and age of TrueCar.com and other sites that allow even the most casual buyer to get the true cost of a car, right down to holdback figures, then the money has to come from somewhere.

Even Lexus dealerships have service bays that are occupied at this very moment.

 

I didn't say to use the D or B series motors. Reread my first few posts.

Those older motors needed things like valve adjustments and the water pumps were a recommended change when the timing belt was done. There was no pretense that the motor would be untouched for 500,000 miles like "old skool" Mercedes diesels. But, timing chains, automatic tensioners and such should NOT require attention like they have been getting on these PSA motors.