To Supercharge or Not to Supercharge that, my friends, is the Question!!

[Adventure_Man]

We all luv the new Minis. They are all great in their own way.

In the end though there must be one thats the best all round. For me at least its a shoot out between the MC and MCS- although I know alot of people luv the One - and quite rightly so.

So, I thought those lucky enough to have tried both the Supercharged and non-Supercharged engines would share their experiences and views with those still trying to decide which one is for them.

Which engine has has the best 'real world' characteristics?

On paper the MCS seems the clear winner on bhp/power - but does this translate to the real world ?

Is the MC easier to live with?

Can you have just as much fun in the seemingly under-powered (on paper at least) MC?

Does everyone who trades upto a MCS from a MC get their monies worth ?

Anyone who cares to share their MC/MCS and trade-up - or down - stories please do so.

[MiniMan7]

One word... Supercharger!

[ram_one]

Don't get the Supercharger...Because then you'll need the intake, then the exhaust, then the pulley, then the swaybars and coilovers, and where's that ECU, and the bigger brakes to make it all stop............

[acetonic]

The Cooper and Cooper S have almost identical low rev torque, so unless you floor it often, you'll hardly miss the supercharger. If you are a drag racer, the MINI is the wrong car no matter the version.

[mrhollio]

Quote:

Originally posted by ram_one
Don't get the Supercharger...Because then you'll need the intake, then the exhaust, then the pulley, then the swaybars and coilovers, and where's that ECU, and the bigger brakes to make it all stop............

I agree with ram_one... Don't do it.

No one needs a supercharger. No one needs to hear that sweet whine from the motor as you progress thru the gears. No one needs the extra horsepower. That would be too much of a burden for anyone....

Aaahhh, forget that crap!... GET THE SUPERCHARGER!

[Spy Car]

And don't forget about the beautiful 6 speed transmission in the MCS. Almost as (or maybe even more) important that the supercharger.

[Sealobo]

Quote:

Originally posted by ram_one
Don't get the Supercharger...Because then you'll need the intake, then the exhaust, then the pulley, then the swaybars and coilovers, and where's that ECU, and the bigger brakes to make it all stop............

Hey man, your ride height setting is biased to the front? It seems in your sig pix that your yellow MCS is tilt forward big time... hm...

[NED]

I think you'll find plenty of MINI2 members who have traded up to an MCS (I hope to be one of them before the year is out) but not too many that have reversed the process....

[Prowse]

You'll have to get test drives in both of them.

To get the same (heavily loaded) levels of kit in both cars, the MCS was going to cost a lot more than the Cooper. The fact that the insurance was going to cost more, the fact that my local town has been taken over by hundreds of speed cameras recently and the supercharger whine: I went for the Cooper. Horses for courses, each to their own.

As I said, go and test drive both, but before you do, decide what car you need/want and what sort of performance you require.

[Martin L]

Tough question this.
Having had a Cooper before and then trading up to an MCS I wish I kept my Cooper for longer before upgrading.
The two cars have different characteristics and the MCS really isn't a Cooper with more power...
With the upgrade you do gain the extra power but do have to compromise with the handling as the extra weight is noticable and does effect handling considerably IMO.
To be quite honest a Cooper is more then enough in it's own right and is more fun in the "twisties" as it does handle better then an MCS. If you keep it "on the boil" the performance is there too.
Don't get me wrong I really do love my MCS and wouldn't trade back down to a Cooper, but at times I do miss the Coopers better handling.
I guess the best compromise is a JCW Cooper

[Mike Clarke]

Quote:

Originally posted by Martin L
I guess the best compromise is a JCW Cooper

Maybe a Minisports Cooper SE as featured in the April mini magazine. 145bhp for the Cooper.

[HarryHBMCC]

Not to be a stick in the mud but this question gets asked often, at least weekly. If you do a forum search I'm sure you'll find opinions from people who have gotten tired of repeating themselves... Just a little advice for a new member: the search function is really cool

Harry

[Adventure_Man]

Sorry for boring you Harry.

I didnt know about the 'search' function - have to look into it!!

Im quite new on here, and, i suspect, like alot of other newbies here I dont much fancy looking through endless old strands to find exactly what Im looking for.

Seing as you bothered to reply at all you could have just humoured us newbies and given your opinion on the topic - rather than just having a moan about it!!

Had quite alot of replies for such a 'repeated' topic though.

MartinL gave a great answer and some much needed info for instance.

That Minisport Cooper SE also looks very tempting

Are there really that many strands on the 'real world' day to day advantages of choosing the MC over the MCS? (and vice-versa) because thats what I was really after.

Apologies if there are.

[goin440]

I've put 3600 miles on my MC and went and test drove the MCS. Kept thinking: "Okay, wheres this power at...?" I thought I'd try the MCS again after I've got used to my MC. Test drove both prior to deciding. Personal preference goes a long way. I did like the clutch feel and tranny of the MCS though. But not enough.

The difficult real world decision between the two is totally personal preference. Both are completely adequate in their job as a people mover.

[ram_one]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sealobo
Hey man, your ride height setting is biased to the front? It seems in your sig pix that your yellow MCS is tilt forward big time... hm...

No. Just poor photography.