Having dug through boatloads of posts here and the JCW section, I am some what torn between what would be best for every day street and short (5 hrs.) trips.
I ordered my MCS about two weeks ago with base suspension thinking that an H-sport 19mm adj. sway bar, front camber plates and either Koni or Bilstein shocks would be best for street and a couple of VIR HPDEs. I have since found that the JCW might also not beat me up and have sufficient ground clearance, but be a bit crisper handling.

What do you think? I think I still have time to have JCW installed before delivery.

 

Generally, the JCW suspension is fine for street and some track, especially if you do not really need adjustability. ViR is more speed oriented except for the grand east which includes a ton of twists. As you do more track, you start thinking of more handling mods.

That is where the slippery and costly slope starts. Custom tuned suspension for the track and your driving style is a trail and error process with lots of money spent on mistakes. I have part of my basement filled with experiments. To make a car handle better is easy but to make it really handle well is hard. Mixing and matching parts by different manufacturers, tuning and adjusted them to make them work nicely together is a long process.

So it just depends on which way you want to go. If you want little hassle and a turn key solution, the JCW and a few misc suspension parts like camber plates is sufficient. If you want a race tuned suspension, then start with different parts you think you need and work from there. After two years and tons of time and money, I am still working out the kinks. I will continue to have this problem until I decide to make the mini a street car or a track car.

Hope this helps.

 

+1 on all that slinger...

like slinger iv'e been amping up my car since day 1, started with an Alta 19mm swaybar and endlinks right off the bat... i have since gotten full custom coilovers figured out by my driving style, and a custom job from a friend of mine who works with TCKlein... i finally got my ride to a point of extreme grip, and daily comfort... but quite honestly if i could do it all again, i'd probably have gone for JCW with camberplates up front and lower control arms to i could throw in a little negative camber... my ride height now is about where the JCWs are anyway... absolutely no body roll but that's cuz my rates are through the roof for a euro car...

i say if you have the money... get a great set of tires, brakes, and the JCW stuff... throw in a short shifter and you'll be hanging just fine at any track day and still destroying back roads on a day to day basis...

 

Just found out cost installed of JCW suspension--$2300. I was thinking it was the $1307 quoted on the configurator, and installed by factory or at port like some other BMW stuff. I can do decent suspension for less than that, a piece or two at a time. Rear sway bar plus front camber plates first then springs shocks next.

 

Bought the JCW suspension from Morristown MINI and had them install it. Total with alignment was less than $1600.

 

You know onefish, I think you may have the best answer. Buy the JCW from Morristown Mini, wait a couple of months to recover financially then get my good tire alignment shop that does SCCA and other race set up to install instead of stealership. I have seen some Minis in there with very adjustable suspensions.