Having recently test driven Graham Goode’s 225 BHP conversion for the MINI Cooper S, I took the short trek from MINI2 head quarters to Brodie Brittain Racing’s Brackley base to test drive their 240 BHP & 220 BHP conversions (275 conversion test coming soon!).
The 220 conversion is one of the crop of many ‘chip-n-pulley’ mods on the market. BBR claims probably the highest BHP and Torque figures from their bench-tested unit for this particular kind of modification. As well as the regular pulley swap and ECU remap, they also change the belt idler, which is a unique modification at this time. In addition, they can alter the traction control function of your Cooper S so it is less aggressive when you pull away using your extra found power! The basic conversion comes in at around £1300 pounds, although addition extras such as suspension and intake modifications can add to that bill.
Overall, the BBR-GTI 220 conversion is a very good value for money conversion. The car I drove was a ‘before and after’ example, and the way the car drove following the operation was quite a remarkable improvement over standard. As well as feeling considerably quicker, the car also felt smoother and more responsive, without loosing any in-town driveability and good manners. The conversion itself took a few hours, so if you decide to plumb for this, take a book, or else look forward to sampling the delights of Brackley, such as the large Tesco store opposite the BBR facilities!
The 220 conversion was pretty much flawless, and you cant expect more than that. The improvements over standard were instantly obvious, it’s a blast to drive, yet the manners of the car remained ‘civil’ if you wanted it to be. The exhaust note is improved, more burbles for your money, and the supercharger whine also improves nicely, as it does will all smaller pulley modifications. The only downside to this, or any other non-BMW approved modification, are warranty issues, but if you’re concerned about those, then John Cooper Works is still your only real option.
While the 220 was undergoing it’s transformation, I was fortunate enough to avoid Tesco’s and the in-house TV, instead having the pleasure of test driving an already converted BBR 240 Cooper S. Now this conversion is serious fun to drive. The upgrade, which comes in at £4750, fitted, and taking around 5 days to complete, comprises all the modifications of the 220 conversion, with the addition of BBR’s big valve, ported and gas flowed cylinder head with matched manifolds to suit, new gaskets and seals, plus their specially developed BBR camshaft. This all adds up to quite a package!
To date the BBR ‘Phase 2′ 240 conversion is the most incredible MINI I’ve had the pleasure to experience. 240 bhp through the front wheels might, in some people’s view, seem a bit excessive, but quite frankly the MINI feels so at home with this extra grunt it’s untrue. The car I was testing also had suspension modifications which meant it handling was extremely tight and sure footed on the open road.
It’s worth noting that this high power conversion doesn’t increase the cars rev limit to ‘boost’ the max BHP figure, so it’s a ‘proper’ usable 240 horses that you get, yet somehow the delivery is still remarkably smooth, if a little neck breaking if you press too hard on the go faster pedal! Also remarkable is the cars around town behaviour. Pottering along at 25 mph you’d hardly know you were driving a highly tuned Cooper S, until you decide to pull away from lights or heavy traffic, when you get a pleasant, but strong, reminder.
While a relatively expensive option, the smiles for your money value of the 240 conversion can’t be questioned, this is real big grin motoring for your average insane MINI fanatic. It may be a little too much for some, but if you’re after all thrills MINI motoring, I think the BBR 240 conversion would be extremely tough to beat. This car knocked the socks off any other converted MINI I’ve so far experienced, and sets a tough president for others to try and live up to. Superb.
If you’re considering one of these conversions but might be concerned about longevity or how good they are to live with day in, day out, we plan to bring you some more ‘long term’ reports on both the BBR 220 and 240 conversions in the future. So watch this space.
BBR can contacted via their website at www.bbrgti.com
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