[jondukes]

WOW ,im not a mini owner but had to come and share w/ you guys about the beautiful mini i saw today in the canyons of Malibu (so. cal,los angeles)this was a very unique car w/ alot of work it seemed like=it was lowered on what seemed to be coil-over shocks(it was probably 3 inches off the ground) had aftermarket wheels a huge lemans wing in the rear and made alot of power (not sure if had a larger super charger)(or maybe a larger turbo-although i didnt hear any turbo spool sounds)this thing seemed like an ultimate driving experiance,and i drive an evo 8 wich is a very nice car itself,but wow i would love to drive this thing
what are some typical upgrades that minis do to increase there power and handeling(and what is the cost?)?im guessing this guy had most of it done,what is the power to weight ratio of a fully built mini on average?do you guys do weight reductions?and with a proven coil-over setup and grippy tires what level of g-forces could you make on a skid pad,before losing traction?
sorry to ask so many questions ,and all responses would be appreciated,its just that im trying to find a daily driver to get thats as much fun as my evo and this car seemed to be way more fun and unique(my evo is being transformed into a strictly track car)
oh and this car was a beautiful brown, if the owner is possibly reading this i was the silver evo that passed you a couple times,id love to take a ride sometime

[justbob]

If you need a daily driver, start with an MCS (MINI Cooper S), the supercharged version with a beefed up suspension and some other performance enhancements. Then check into a John Cooper Works kit--lots you can do there to get your LB/HP ratio to 10/1 pretty fast.

There's so much stuff out there for the MCS that I can't keep track of it all.

Evo--nice car. I've driven one that belongs to a friend at work. You won't be disappointed by an MCS, though--especially by one that's modified with a JCW kit.

[RickB]

There are a lot of bolt-on mods; it's easy and pretty cheap to get 220-230hp. Probably the most popular performance upgrade is ditching the heavy stock wheels and tires; the 17" stockers weigh almost 50# per corner, and it's easy to drop 10 or 15 pounds. The Cooper S is really a miniature GT car, more than a sports car, as it has just about every comfort and convenience option anyone could want. A fully loaded (and I don't mean with passengers) Cooper S is pushing 3000 pounds, and I think some forum members have managed to get 100 pounds or more out of the interior. The MINI is short, but is not really small, and every crevice is packed with reservoirs, electronic gizmos, sound deadening, etc.