MINI2

MINI2 gets behind the wheel of the new MINI Cooper S. Driving impressions from MINI Driving Dynamics Workshop - Zandvoort Circuit, Netherlands.

25th July 2006, MINI2 attended a MINI Driving Dynamics Workshop at the Zandvoort Circuit, Netherlands. A unique chance to put the pre-production 2nd generation MINI Cooper S through its paces, prior to the official Media and Public launches.

Continue reading MINI2 World Exclusive - 2nd Generation MINI Cooper S Test Drive Report

Since rumours began of a light-weight Cooper S limited edition, we’ve been itching to get hold of one and having some fun. June 21st 2006, it finally happened…

Let me just start by saying from now on I’ll be calling the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit the “Works GP”. Quite frankly after hours holding on for dear life around the Adria International Raceway at the wheel of one these little beasties, the full name is just too much for my poor little fingers to take right now. I know, I can feel the sympathy as I type and truly appreciate being in your thoughts. Given the stunning imagery below now might also be the time to state that no, I’m not available for modeling work just now!

The launch event for the Works GP took place at the Adria International Raceway in Italy. An appropriate choice of location given the fact that the car is completed at Bertone, and the track is extremely twisty, something that suits any MINI perfectly.

Continue reading MINI2 Drives the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Tuning Kit

Who Says A MINI Convertible is a “Girls Car”?

A lot of people, or so it would seem. And what’s wrong with that? When people start calling a car “girly” it’s usually because it’s a small car (because girls cant drive bigger cars, or so these people seem to think?!) or because it’s a good looking car. The MINI is both, so was almost bound to be labeled a fashion item, a girly car, a cute car. Well,
from day one MINI has tried to fight this soft edged reputation by offering performance, and certainly handling characteristics, that can put many more “manly” vehicles to shame.

Continue reading MINI Cooper S Convertible Review

There are pros and cons to found with the new ‘revised’ MINI

As a long term MINI follower and owner I, like many, have been very interested to see how BMW could evolve and improve on the fantastic winning formula they have created with the new MINI. This interest was increased further still when the man behind the MINI we all know and regard so highly packed up his pencil case and moved on to Ferrari Maserati. Could the body survive without the head, could a design which seemed so visionary and well conceived continue to flourish without the main man behind that vision. After spending a lot of time getting to know the new revised MINI Cooper it has to be said, I’m not so sure.

Continue reading 2005 Model Year MINI Review

Over 1,700 Miles of Open Top Motoring.

When MINI2 were offered the chance to drive a MINI Convertible from Seville in Spain home to Buckinghamshire in the UK, we of course leapt at the chance! 1,700 miles later we had returned home, a little dusty, but all the better for the experience. The purpose of the trip was, of course, to become accustomed to the MINI Convertible to enable us to write an in depth report of our experience, and if you want to learn just what a car is like to live with, taking this journey, on toll roads, country lanes, through small back roads, over and around mountains, and around the centre of some of the busiest cities in Europe is very hard to beat!

Continue reading MINI Convertible - Southern Spain to Middle England Drive Report

MINI2 Full Driving Review from Marseille, France

The MINI Cooper Convertible is a pretty impressive car really. Almost peerless, and already selling like hot cakes well ahead of launch. With the latest addition to the MINI family, BMW Group appear to have another guaranteed hit on their hands. It’s a safe bet to say that this will be one of “the cars” to be seen in following it’s launch this summer, but have BMW managed to keep the MINI the real “drivers car” that’s won over the motoring press and the car buying public so empathically, or has it all one a bit floppy with the roof peeled off?

Continue reading MINI Cooper Convertible - International First Drive Review

We all know that a MINI with tints looks better than one ….without and probably many MINI owners want to get tints and wonder what it entails.

I got factory tinted glass on the rear windows  and wanted to get the door windows done.  I started shopping around ,seen a few questionable jobs on other cars and eventually settled for PENTAGON Autoglass -a company with a few branches around UK, one in Paris, France and one in Miami Florida.

Also, I decided to go for Supaglass film - this provides extra strength if broken, the window doesn’t shatter even if hit with a heavy object like a bat or hammer. This film is designed as a security feature and it was the only one that didn’t affect my insurance premiums. It is Thatcham approved and although it is more expensive than the standard one, you do get a lot for your money.

I had to book the car with Pentagon Bristol for 4 1/2 hr and was welcomed by Kyle who showed me around and had to physically stop him from breaking the window on his own Golf GTI to show me what Supaglass is capable of.  The sample I’ve seen on the Xantia door was convincing enough - it was already broken and tried as hard as I could to push this broken window through … to no avail ….

The Supaglass film has to be applied on the whole of the window rather than on the visible part only - unlike the normal film - this somewhat reflects the higher price.

The windows are marked so they can be reposition after the film is applied, then the door trims and windows are removed.

A template made from clear film is then cut to shape and the windows are thoroughly cleaned with a special solution.

The film is also cleaned and then applied to the window, pushing the fluid out from under the film. The film is then heat shrunk and bonded to the shape of the glass.

Once molded, the film is trimmed and finished so that the edges of the film are indistinguishable from the edges of the glass.

After a last inspection for imperfections, the windows are left to cure, then re-installed in their original position.

I was quite impressed with the quality of the workmanship and the care shown in re-installing the windows - not even my dealership would have done a better job.

As we all know, a picture is worth 1000 words, hence here are some pics taken during the installation:

Before trim removal

Door trim removed

Window on work bench

A piece of clear film is cut and will be used as template

The template is used to cut the film

The window is washed using special solution

The film is ready to be applied to the glass

Applying the film

Cutting the film to shape of the window

Windows back on car

Fitting the windows

Window in place

Job well done

Looking good

Nice…

Due to the fact that the light reflects differently on tinted glass, in certain light the front windows appear slightly lighter in colour - see the picture below.

For the front windows only, the prices start from £ 110 for normal tint and £195 for the Supaglass film, but contact the local Pentagon branch for the latest price though.

They will need the car for the day if the Supaglass film is to be used on all windows.

I personally am very pleased with the job done and will certainly use them again - here is a link to their official website: http://www.pentagonglasstech.com/

By: Red Cooper.

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

Following our ‘benchmark’ performance MINI review of the John Cooper Works MINI Cooper S (here) MINI2 have been busy driving other companies fast converted MINIs for review. The first place we visited on our UK tour was Graham Goode Racing in Leicester. The following is a review of their 225 BHP MINI Conversion.

First to answer a few basic questions regarding the conversion, specifically, what does it cost, and what do you get for your money? The conversion as tested will set you back £3495.00 + VAT, fitted. The fitting takes around three to four working days as Graham Goode keep a stock of modified cylinder heads in store, ready for eager ‘S’ owners wanting a little more punch.

So, what does that buy you? First of all, it buys you a claimed 225 BHP @ 6716 RPM, and 190 lb/ft of torque @ 3565 RPM, which is a nice leap in power, this is achieved through a combination of modifications to the supercharger drive ratio (pulley), gas flowed cylinder head with larger exhaust valves, free flowing fabricated stainless steel exhaust manifold with sports catalytic converter, free flow stainless steel exhaust system and reprogrammed engine management system. The price also includes all of the usual fluids, gaskets and so on needed to carry out this work, as you would expect. The GGR test car also has an uprated AP braking system, which is pretty neat in itself, but would set you back even more hard earned cash. The demo car is also lowered all round.

Unlike the recent (disappointing for Graham Goode) EVO magazine article, we took the car out on to normal dual carriageway and open country roads for a our ‘real world’ work out of the car, after all, this is probably where most people will spend most time in their tuned MINIs, it’s not really a ‘track day only’ car for most of us.

First impressions of the GGR 225 conversion were pretty good, the exhaust sounds nice and burbley from start up, and it started cleanly and without any strange goings on, which is something I always look out for when testing a ‘tuned’ vehicle. It idles nicely, and sounds ‘ready for action’ as a tuned Cooper S should do. Crawling through slow town traffic the car felt perfectly civilised, very little difference from a standard Cooper S, apart from the brakes clamping down that much firmer, and the exhaust bubbling away at the back. That said I’m not a terrific fan of larey exhausts, and during and after the test drive I did feel this system could become quite tiring, and I am used to a PlayMINI system gurgling behind me, this just seemed a bit much inside the cabin, but I am sure others will love it. It certainly sounds the business when tearing up the streets, it just completely lacks any neighbourhood manners.

Once I had a chance to open up this car the engine came to life, the suspension mods did little to improve the car, and made it feel crashy on anything other than smooth tarmac, I couldn’t live with this setup where I live, with less than perfect lanes to enjoy every day, but that’s not part of the kit, it just didn’t add to the ‘experience’ for me at all. The engine picked up nicely and the big flat torque curve could be felt in practice making the car much easier to drive than standard S. The Cooper S chassis always feels happier with 200 or so horsepower than it does with 163.

The car is quick, you’d expect that, but the power delivery was not exceptionally smooth. Other tuned S’s I’ve driven have leveled out the power delivery and smoothed off the acceleration, however I could feel the GGR car hesitating or yo-yoing to a certain extent, it wasn’t a real surging stop go, but obvious and frequent enough to arise several times during our test drive. It also didn’t feel that quick. 225 bhp in a Cooper S, over 60 up on standard, in my view should feel really fast, but this didn’t feel as earth shattering as I though it should.

Over all I was not as impressed with the Graham Good 225 conversion as I was the full warranted John Cooper Works conversion. Maybe it’s the way it delivers power, or maybe it’s the expectation from the exhaust noise and higher quoted power figures, but it just didn’t feel so complete to me as others I have driven, which when you consider the price of this conversion being at the higher end of the 200 to 220 bhp range of conversions, was a bit of a let down.

If I were looking at the fairly extensive list of modifications Graham Goode carry out for this conversion, I would really want to be blown away by the experience behind the wheel, and although this car is very quick, it just didn’t really ‘do it’ for me. I had a lingering feeling of ‘good, but not quite good enough’ as I drove away in my standard Cooper S. So If you’re in the market for a faster Cooper S, I would certainly check out Graham Goode’s offerings, but for me, I’d probably pass, or maybe consider their far cheaper 200+ conversion, which has already been enjoyed by many MINI2 members.

Graham Goode can contacted via their website at www.GrahamGoode.com

“Let’s Motor Faster” is Rogue Engineering’s catch phrase for their new MINI range. Tongue in cheek and playful as that may be, Rogue engineering take their tuning very seriously, and their Cooper S ‘Cold Air Intake’ is an prime example of their work for the new MINI range, continuing from their history in developing performance and styling parts for BMW vehicles.

Part One: The Installation…

The installation of the cold air intake kit was very simple indeed. If you have the right tools (and there’s not even many of those required) you could probably do this modification even as a ‘first step’ in DIY mechanics. Rogue supplied the kit with good a good set of illustrated instructions, and a list the required tools.

Removal of the factory air box and filter was the first simple step. All it takes is a torx screwdriver or spanner and a screwdriver.

The kit fits on using the existing screw/bolt holes for the standard air box. The positive battery terminal hooks on the new kit.

Part Two: First Impressions…

The kit is very easy to fit, although I did find that one 8mm bolt on the instructions was a torx bolt on my MINI, and being so simple to install this gives you a nice sense of achievement for very little effort indeed. Once you’re on your first journey, you can hear the difference more so than feel it, which isn’t to say this doesn’t affect performance, but the effect on the SuperCharger whine is superb. As with the PlayMini exhaust (reviewed separately) I fitted this during run-in, so the 4,500 and no full throttle limits had to be adhered to, but the whine of the charger is noticeably increased, which is nice, and the drive feels a little more ‘pokey’ too. The performance gains are not dramatic, but you certainly can feel a difference, there’s no side effects so far. However I feel this is a modification best appreciated nearer the redline, which I will report on at a later date.

Part Three: In Summary…

I ran the car for several hundred miles with the Rogue CAI installed, and I have nothing but good to say for it. Power gains were not huge, but those extra ponies you get are amplified greatly in ‘experience’ simply because of the fantastic noise fitting an open intake like this creates from the ‘S’ engine bay. During the time I had the kit installed I noticed no considerable difference in fuel consumption, which seems a concern to many when considering performance upgrades.

Compared to the standard plastic box and airfilter, this is a great improvement, and offers good value for money, however a fairer test would be to compare this kit with other CAI, which is something we plan to do at MINI2 soon. In summary, this CAI kit is extremely easy to fit (really is a 15 minute job), looks good, not out of place in the hi-tech MINI engine bay, and a treat for your ears, as well as improving the performance.

Part Four: Video Evidence…

Click Here to watch a 2mb video of the standard S, vs an S with the Rogue CIA and a PlayMINI Exhaust fitted, this should demonstrate the cabin noise levels before and after. You should be able to tell when the car changes! ONLY in WMV format at this time, sorry!

Rogue Engineering can be contacted via their website at www.RogueEngineering.com