I'm looking to get a Cooper S Countryman All4, auto trans. I have a '09 STI so I have a quick car already, I just want to do be able to do a few performance mods to the Countryman to push a comfortable amount of power to keep me happy during the week, until I can drive the beast on the weekend (STI is the purpose built car for the track/gravel).

I've read of some Mini's being able to attain 245 WHP/295 WTQ with the right supporting mods (and really not hurting the pocket too badly). But I've also heard that the new ECU's are going to be difficult to tune with because they are locked or hard to get into, or something of that sort.

I have a feeling if I will be able to get into the ECU and tune (well not me, but a licensed tuner) I'll be having my own performance parts fabbed up. I just feel the turbo placement and the headers are very restrictive where it's at. If the turbo was lower in the engine bay, it would give the headers more room to do what they need to do and you could flip the turbo so the hot side is facing the left side of the car for a more direct flow out to the rear of the car... haha, anyways...

I'm trying to do my research, but since this vehicle is so new, there really isn't much on tuning or parts for this car. At least from what I can find.

Any help in any area would be great, I really don't know very much about Mini's at all. Thanks for reading.

Adam :smile:

In the UK Forge Motorsport have been busy modifying one of the first MINI Countryman's and were featured in the March/April 2011 issue of Modern MINI magazine.
Forge Motorsport | Alloy Fabrication (http://www.forgemotorsport.co.uk/content.asp?inc=product&cat=&product=FMR60EX)

First Countryman performance parts now on sale:
Forge Motorsport | Alloy Fabrication (http://www.forgemotorsport.co.uk/content.asp?inc=product&catalog=020104&cat=020104)

Modern MINI Magazine (http://www.modernmini.co.uk/index.php)

Adam I was also going to point you to Forge Motor Sport as their CM Cooper S is the only vehicle I have seen modded unless you include what Prodrive have done in prepping the WRC version. If you are patient you will see a lot of aftermarket mods coming online soon.

Awesome, thank you both, I'll check those sites out right now.

Kind of sucks that no one here in the US has caught onto the performance aspect of this car yet.

So, I wonder if it is worth waiting for this supposed JCW version coming out later this, or just getting the S version now and modding it as is? Any thoughts?

Kind of sucks that no one here in the US has caught onto the performance aspect of this car yet.
The latest Cooper S engine was introduced in Europe 9 months in advance of the US.

The US tuners post mostly on NAM (http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/drivetrain-cooper-s-191/).

There isn't much going on in the NAM area, that's why I came over here. Or at least, not what I could find; maybe I'll try looking again.

Im interested in the same thing man, just gotta wait for the parts to get the the US.

Maybe I'll just start making my own parts....

VIP Custom Parts seems to have an assortment of performance modifications. I found them while looking at vids on youtube.

They are at vipcustomparts . com

-MiniRC