[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

I got a fancy new digital bathroom scale and decided to weigh various bits and pieces from my MCS:

"Cocomats" floormats: 8 lb
Rear seat bottom: 10 lb
Cargo cover: 2 lb
Driver's side rear seatback: 16 lb
Passenger's side rear seatback: 16 lb
Jack: 6 lb
205/45-17 S-lite/Goodyear RSA: 50 lb each
205/45-16 Enkei RPO1/Kumho 712: 34 lb each

So, by ditching the above stuff, and swapping the wheels, my MCS goes from a porky 2726 lb to a slightly-more svelte 2612 lb. With just the wheel swap, the weight is 2662 lb.

BTW, my bathroom scale couldn't handle the entire MCS, I used the scale at Englishtown Dragway.

[TonyB]

Curious to know if the weight figure was that of curb weight - that is, with you, or someone who should be about 175lbs, I think that's how it works. I recall the figure of 2,513 lbs, after that deduction though. I think this is for a bare bones MCS, right? I'll be weighing mine once I get the new wheels/tires, which should take me into a delta of about 140 lbs. I was aiming at 2,400 lbs, so this info is quite helpful. Thanks Andy!

[CT MINI]

Excellent Phish reference, "...so much to do, so why, oh why weigh?"
Do I win a 15% pulley for catching this? Just checking.

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

I think curb weight is supposed to include all normal fluid levels. Basically, everything the car would have driving down the street, minus the driver. My MCS weighed about as much as possible from the factory, with all options, notably:

sunroof
nav system
leather
heavy 17"s with heavy runflat all-seasons
park distance control
xenons
fogs

Some of those may not weigh much, but every ounce adds up. I have seen the '03 MCS curb weight listed as:

2678 lb (MINIUSA.com, Yahoo Autos, Edmunds).

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

Quote:

Originally posted by CT MINI
Excellent Phish reference, "...so much to do, so why, oh why weigh?"
Do I win a 15% pulley for catching this? Just checking.

No, but once you get a 15% pulley, control for smiling can't be bought.

[TonyB]

Yes, that is the figure I've seen a few times, and that includes the weight of a 165lbs driver - thus the 2,513 lbs that I had noted. It sounds like you have validated those numbers as the sunroof is about 60 or so pounds, if I recall correctly. I do think that weight figure factors in the 17's though. But, I'm not sure... It seems that I can get to my desired 12:1 power ratio quite easily. And if 240hp is realistic, at sub 2,400 lbs, we're talking a single digit screamer

The GAC race weight for the Cooper S is around 2300 lbs. I know that two of them have made it, but I don't know how.

-Andrew

[TonyB]

That would mean losing about 213 lbs. I would need to lose another 90 pounds (after the new wheels/tires coming soon). I can see how! Seats. If they chose to still have two front ones, they can still shed 20 lbs for each one (30 lb Cobras vs 50 lb stock). If they went with one Cobra SideWinder for example, then they could save 70 lbs right there (minus the 50 and the 20 savings I also have a 10 lb carpeted aluminum deck in mine that sits where the rear seats were, so they would only be about 80 lbs away from the 2,300 mark. One Cobra seat would take them to within 10 lbs of that. How much lighter is a lightened flywheel A racing header...?

Certainly doable. I guess even a smaller pulley will weigh less And this is all b4 delving into CF stuff...

[macncheese]

I think the lightweight flywheel is 18lbs lighter.

--
Cheese

[TonyB]

That is so cool! 18 pounds. Mighty happy at this moment Maybe only a couple pounds on the header, but 20 is perfect as that is what I lost with the SLA battery in the rear. The loss of weight in the QS exhaust can be balanced by let's say a lighter head And lightend front seats would counter the absence of the rear seats quite nicely. Looking good... I will easily go below 2,400 lbs!

[Grinder]

Didn't M7Speed AKA pzaxis say something about loosing 35 lbs per corner with something his company was developing?

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

Curb weight does NOT include the driver. Including a full tank of fuel, my MCS weighed about 2770 lb as it sat in the dealership waiting for me. That makes me believe that MINI's 2678 lb figure is accurate, for a basic MCS.

[TonyB]

Andy, you are right on what curb weight entails. I just found some definitions, and here is one that breaks it down fairly well.

Weight terms definition:

Operation weight:
The total weight of a vehicule including full load of fuel, oil, coolant, tool kit and 175 lb operator.

Curb weight:
The total weight of a vehicule including full load of fuel, oil, coolant, tool kit but without any occupants or cargo.

Unladen weight:
The weight of a vehicule without load fuel, oil but comprising of all other materials necessary for its operation.

With that said, I was obviously confused. However, that 2,678 lb figure, as explained to me, does include a 165 occupant, thus not curb weight. The Owner's Manual (p. 132 for an '03), states that it is curb weight. My dealer, and MINIAC, who is on vacation now, told me some time ago to deduct 165 lbs - which would make it operational weight. That is why there were several publications stating 2,513 as THE weight. So, is the manual wrong in stating that as curb weight? My faux pas explained

At least I have the defintions straight now I can certainly see how one could get a little confused on this one!

[TonyB]

Since I'm getting a refresh (new work computer), I've been cleaning out some of my bookmarks and found this article. I thought of this thread - at least the last part of it...

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...un/index2.html

Now I'm really confused