I had a chat with JC garages and they said that they have tuned one of the S works car's to 240bhp. I didn't go into too much detail, but I was told the drivability wasn't compromised.

So any1 thinking of doing this ? :p

Must be JPM's MINI :) :D

From the brief coversation I had, all that was said that they had tuned one of their Works S cars to 240bhp quite easily. It would be something you could do, but would obviously affect warrenty.

When asking them about upgrading the brakes, I was told that they are working on a big brake setup, and would be looking at around 9 months until they could get it BMW approved. Therefore you could have this installed without affecting warrenty.

I'm going to JC garages tomorrow for a test drive, so I'll ask more then.

Cheers.

Originally posted by ChrisBuer
From the brief coversation I had, all that was said that they had tuned one of their Works S cars to 240bhp quite easily. It would be something you could do, but would obviously affect warrenty.

When asking them about upgrading the brakes, I was told that they are working on a big brake setup, and would be looking at around 9 months until they could get it BMW approved. Therefore you could have this installed without affecting warrenty.

I'm going to JC garages tomorrow for a test drive, so I'll ask more then.

Cheers.

Yes, yes. Very interested in hearing your impressions of the JCW test drive, and if you get any information about what they did to "easily" tune the Works car to 240. IT could be that yes, the JCW kit is expensive, but it also give you a solid platform with which to readily get the S up to 240 by simply upgrading/tuning the ____. (Fill in the blank.) Thanks!

Originally posted by SCA
Yes, yes. Very interested in hearing your impressions of the JCW test drive, and if you get any information about what they did to "easily" tune the Works car to 240. IT could be that yes, the JCW kit is expensive, but it also give you a solid platform with which to readily get the S up to 240 by simply upgrading/tuning the ____. (Fill in the blank.) Thanks!
I understood that for many the main reason for getting the JCW kit was that it doesn't void BMW warranty. Apparantly that's right out of the window...

240 HP on a front wheel driver is an awful lot, might need an LSD or an suspension upgrade I'd say...

COULD YOU NOT JUST DO IT YOURSLEF, USING THE PARTS PRODUCED BY OTHER (CHEAPER) MANUFACTURERS. YOU ARE GOING TO VOID YOUR WARRANTY ANYWAY BECAUSE I SPOKE TO THEM AND THEY SIAD THAT ALTHOUGH IT HAD BEN DONE THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER SUBMITTING IT FOR BMW APPROVAL.i HAVE SPENT MANY AN HOUR THINKING ABOUT AND I RECKON YOU COULD GETTHE MCS UP TO 240 OR NEAR BY;


gETTING THE HARTGE UPGRADE (THE ECU UPGRADE CAN BE SPECIFIED AS YOU LIKE IT AND YOU CAN ADVISE THE ENGINEERS OF YOUR INTENTIONS)+50 BHP MIN

GETTING THE MILLTEK, HARTGE OR QUICKSILVER MANIFOLD +8-12BHP

FITTING A HIGH PERFORMANCE INDUCTION KIT FROM SOMEPLACE LIKE PIPERCROSS OR BMP (LATTER I THINK IS BEST) +15 (APPARENTLY)

fITTING A HIGH PERFORMANCE EXHAUST EG FROM QUICKSILVER ALTHOUGH AS WE KNOW MAGNAFLOW CLAIM THE BEST PERFORMANCE GAINS 8-18BHP

FITTING A FAST ROAD CAM FROM PIPER CAMS; 10BHP MIN

gETTING YOUR CYLINDER HEAD PROTED AND FLOWED (I CANT THINK OF ANY NAMES BUT MANY TUNING SHOPS OFFER THIS SERVICE FOR THE MCS) 8-15BHP

FITTING A NEW THROTTLE BODY; UNCERTAIN BHP GAINS


DOING THIS, IF YOU COULD AFFORD IT, BY MY CALCULATION WOULD BAG A MINIMUM 260 BHP (NOT COUNTING FOR THE EXAGGERATIONS OF SOME MANUFACTURERS.

WHAT DOES EVERYONE THINK TO THIS?

FEEDBACK WELCOMED:p :D

Originally posted by Max
Have yet to see an 'ordinary' JCW (+35 bhp on stock?)

Main questions Chris are just 2:

We r pretty clear on how to get 240, but does the package include any other mods then *go faster*? what about crank, pistons, drivetrain, oil cooling, box, brakes, suspension, etc eg wot they didn't do with current JCW?

Cost? on current form (cw JCW now on sale) JCW240 will cost £8K plus plus. Did they give u any hints at all?

regards

Slow down there, friend; They told him they'd built one, they didn't say they planned to sell them. There's a world of difference between building a one-off and actually retailing a viable kit. MINI themselves were reputed to have made a 250hp car for Juan Pablo Montoya, but don't look for one at your local dealer any time soon. Driveablility might not have been compromised, but you better believe lifespan was.

My point is, just becasue JCW have built one doesn't mean they have any intention of going into series production with it. And you can bet your bottom dollar that MINI wouldn't want to touch such a kit with a ten foot pole, not with the warranty/drivetrain wear issues it would raise. IF JCW make this (and that's a huge IF), I would strongly suspect it would be on their own, without MINI support. Which raises the question of whether or not their business/marketing partners on the current JCW kits and accessories (i.e. MINI) would be particularly pleased with JCW for going it alone to build a package that trumps the official one, to say nothing of mucking up the "food chain" of vehicles in the BMW/MNI portfolio. Which is a fairly considerable piece of pressure that could be applied on JCW to make sure it doesn't see the light of day. Just some thoughts to chew on...

-Ricardo

SPEED UP THERE, FRIEND.

I DID NOT SAY THEY WOULD TOUCH IT WITH A TEN FOOT BARGE POLE. MY POINT WAS IMPLICITLY THAT THERE WAS NO CHANCE EVEN THINKING FOR AMINUTE THAT JCW EITHER WOULD OR COULD SELL YOU A 240BHP CONVERSION MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE JEOPARDY IT WOULD PUT THE CURRENT (VERY LUCRATIVE - IT WILL BE PROBABLY MAKE MIKE COOPER INTO A MULTI MILLIONAIRE) BMW PARTENERSHIP IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY. THE ONE THEY MADE WAS A ONE OFF FOR JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, PROMISED HIME BY BMW SOME MONTHS AGO THAT HE HAS BEEN EAGERLY AWIATING JUST LIKE EVEYONE WANTING A WORKSED MCS.

MY POINT WAS THAT THERE IS NO POINT EVEN ENTERTAINING ANYTHING JCW IF YOU INTEND TO GET 240 BREAK FROM YOUR CAR, MAINLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO VOID THE WARRANTY AND THIS IS THE ONLY REALLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE WORKS COOPER S. YOU MAY ASWELL START WITH OTHER PRODUCTS THAT YOU KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL POWER GAIN FIGURES OF AS YOU GO ALONG AND THAT ARE CHEAPER IN THE MAIN AND OFFER MORE POWER TOO

SORRY IF YOU MISUNDERSTOOD MY POINT

HAS ANYONE ANYTHING CONSTRUCTIVE AND INTERESTING TO SAY ABOUT MY IDEAS FOR GAIING 240+ FROM THE MCS WITHOUT CHANGING THE ENGINE.

P.S. I DO NOT AGREE THAT A LSD IS STRICTLY NECESSARY IF YOU HIK THE POWER THAT HIGH. SURE ON CORNERING YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO USE ALL THAT POWER BUT I HAVE READ AND AM CONFIDENT THAT THE CHASSIS AND SUSPENSION SET UP OF THE STANDARD MCS HAS ENOUGH COMPOSURE TO PUT DOWN ALL THAT POWER AT LEAST IN A STRAIGHT LINE

Can't see them producing a kit for 240BHP....nope it ain't going to happen.

I have no doubt that they've produced a 240BHP Mini but it'll be a one of for Montoya;can't see him having much trouble getting it fixed under the warranty. The same couldn't be said for the rest of us.

gillsg can you please not write in capitals, it's awful to read.:(

As soon as my warranty runs close to being finished, i can tell you i'm going to be looking at punching 240 out of my Works S :D:D:D

Thanks ChrisBuer,

Now that we will be something should BMW decides to release it.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Peace:red:

I'm happy to hear thry've done a beefed up version, but don't know if my budget would (ever) stretch to it. Am thinking about a JCW kit after running in etc. though - maybe 12-18months in?

It's been enphasised many times over the reason the kit we get is the kit we get is that it is produced for global homogolation.

I am sure in certain countries we (UK included) we could be getting higer performance JCW kits, but they are producing one kit for the global market, which brings MANY limitations in to play.

how do you intend to do it?

p.s.sorry to everyone for the cap lock thing above

As has been stated before the JCW package is a global thing, so issues of reliability must be satisfied for every environment. This probably means that its over engineered and thus costs more (a sore point for a lot of people - BMW approved product not withstanding). The fact that certain countries (UK included) are never going to see such enivornmental extremes may mean that once the warranty has expired then the game is afoot. Besides the MINI is still a new car, the tuning companies have it all to play for, JCW included. I'll be interested in finding out how much they can actually push out.

:)

Right, went to JC garages, had my test drive, asked some questions, came home :p

Firstly, I think some people may have misunderstood me about the 240bhp car. Yes they have tuned one that high, but it’s not a "kit" they are offering. Basically when I asked if my S Works could be taken any further irrespective of warranty, they said "yes definitely, we tuned one to push out 235-240bhp easily".

Now, with regards to reliability and lifespan – I asked how this type of tuning would affect the car. Because they install a new supercharger into the works car, the parts are not strained. They didn’t comment about the gearbox, brakes etc but they did say that a bigger brake kit would be available in about 9 months time with full BMW approval. I also asked about traction and torque steer. Apparently this car had none at all, emphasising how strong the chassis actually is on these cars!

Right my test drive. I managed to have a go in their blue works car (the one that has been used as their press vehicle). The route for those of you who don’t know it consists of some motorway and then some twisties. My thoughts were;

1. The car was a lot more urgent than the standard car(from what I remember).

2. Torque was very good, pulling in all gears easily

3. Ride was very smooth indeed!

4. There were no hints of torque steer when accelerating hard on the motorway

Probably the most noticeable thing about the car was its ability to make high speeds feel much slower. At one point, when coming off the slip road onto the duel carriageway, I could have sworn I was doing about 50-60mph, but I was in fact pressing past 90mph :eek:

That really shocked me, and it's something I'll have to watch when I get my car. I think because my Elise is so low, you feel the speed more. However saying that, I can see the Mini being a lot better on long drives.

Other little things were the louder supercharger whine :D and a deeper rumble from the exhaust.

Back at the showroom, I got to sit in Mike Cooper's car (the red one) and had a good poke around at the new sports seats. I also took some pictures of these so I'll post them if anyone wants me too.

Only about one more month to go, then my car is here..... can't wait! :D

Cheers,

Chris.

Chris -- many thanks for the nice summary. I venture to guess that the Mini world is paying the price for California emissins controls. Since they needed to make it global, and California is a very large market for BMW, then the cars had to conform to California's toughest smog control regulations. This is just a guess, but its probably pretty close to the mark.

Since I'm in California, I'll apologize to my UK friends who may have lost HP because of us!

But I do look forward to also getting my Works S and knowing that yours isn't faster than mine -- YET! ;)

Originally posted by ChrisBuer
Probably the most noticeable thing about the car was its ability to make high speeds feel much slower. At one point, when coming off the slip road onto the duel carriageway, I could have sworn I was doing about 50-60mph, but I was in fact pressing past 90mph :eek:

That really shocked me, and it's something I'll have to watch when I get my car. I think because my Elise is so low, you feel the speed more. However saying that, I can see the Mini being a lot better on long drives.

Other little things were the louder supercharger whine :D and a deeper rumble from the exhaust.

Back at the showroom, I got to sit in Mike Cooper's car (the red one) and had a good poke around at the new sports seats. I also took some pictures of these so I'll post them if anyone wants me too.


Sounds like my test drive too! Just wait until you have your own, the test drive doesn't do the car justice at all!

:)

I think all the gearheads out there should just go out and do it, and then, afterwards, post the results.

Less talk, more action.

Show me the money. No, make that the go faster MINI. Thanks.

240 Brake. P'ah. Just get a Hartge and some 50 brake Nos jets. 262BHP!

Or why not go the whole hog with 100 Brake jets. 312BHP!!!:D

The pistons might make a mess of your bonnet though :(

Originally posted by gillsg
SPEED UP THERE, FRIEND.

(Lots of stuff edited out)



Actually, I was responding to Max, not you (which is why my note quoted Max, not you ;)). I have no doubt about the technical feasability of it. I was just trying to nip in the bud the notion that this will soon be a retail product, because it doesn't strike me as likely, and Chris' original posts only stated that they had made one, not that they planned to turn this into a kit and sell them. That was the "slowing down" I was looking for. Sorry for any lack of clarity.

-Ricardo

Here's some pictures of the seats as promised.

..and another.

Those seats look bloody fantastic !!!:cool:

Yeah they are very supportive as well!

I remember the standard seats when going around a roundabout and just sliding on them. These are far far better and will keep you pinned to the seat, just like the car keeps pinned to the road :D

OOOOOH ! Lovely. Just what I've been looking for.
On a test-drive I managed to throw my unfortunate son-in-law out of the passenger seat and against the door! I think these would have held him firmly in place. :)

Is there no limit on how much money you can spend on these cars:rolleyes:

I want those seats:(

Originally posted by LMB
Is there no limit on how much money you can spend on these cars:rolleyes:

I want those seats:(

They will be steep, I bet !:eek:

Originally posted by AidenL
They will be steep, I bet !:eek:
I think Mike Cooper said something like from £800 a pair on his webchat.