Nope, but I should have, especially at Doncaster but was done at the dealer where I bought my MCS. FYI, parts were quoted at 39. The installation was not done properly on two counts, with one of them going back for warranty. Having said that, I am happy with the kit.
It crackers and pops, especially from 1st to 2nd! I like it. I agree, 5K is not cheap but factory warranty is a must for a new car and I never have to worry about the mod or noise issues.
An alternative to the Stage 1 kit would be to fit a bigger intercooler and do the dump-pipe mod. You could probably do both of these for about $1500 and the performance benefits would be better than the JCW kit.
I hear what you are saying about warranty - I went that way with my R53 and did the whole JCW thing. But the 2 mods I have listed are both really passive, simply opening things up rather than putting extra strain on any components. The intercooler can only mean the air flowing into your engine is cooler and getting rid of that first Cat will allow better flow through the exhaust and reduce the heat-soak back into the turbo. IMHO neither of these will effect your warranty, and you will have an extra 3k to spend on a full JCW body-kit
if the price is right i will probably go ahead with it.
trying to get some good prices from someone i know at one of the dealers.
$4k sounds more reasonable.
I'm not sure I'd agree that the cost effective mods would be the intercooler and the downpipe. I'd go for air intake (because it's cheap) and the exhaust cat system because that's by far and away the most limiting bit of kit in the stock set up other than the ECU.
Still, I'd pay $4k for JCW just because of the warranty as has been said. I think I'd balk at 5. I happen to be at the dealership on my laptop while they change my rear numer plate... I think I'll ask.
i agree that JCW is not cost effective but makes sense for a car under warranty.
you could buy the parts from the JCW kit seperately if you know someone in parts.
won't be able to get the JCW flash later on though, as they only sell the flash with the full kit
Righty so BMW Melbourne reckoned about $4,300 in parks and around $5,600 fitted. Which is really far too much money. For me at least, particularly given the inevitable insurance hit that comes with it.
Comment about cost effectiveness was less aimed at JCW and more where you'd go if you were doing something else. Quickbrick's post.
I'm a little frustrated at the outrageous australian costs for these things. I took me medicine when deciding to buy a mini for near on twice what I could have bought it for when I lived in the UK. However... $2,600 for JCW side skirts. $5,600 for JCW stage 1. It just means they get no business at all where as if they were at least trying to meet you half way between reasonable and complete and utter rip off merchants we might reach some accomodation.
As it stands, I'm probably better off just flogging the whole motor in a year and buying a JCW model. Assuming you can convince someone to swap you the front and back body work with the infinitely better looking OEM stuff
The JCW model comes with the standard cooper s kit so you will still need to fork out for the side skirts.
Aussies are forever getting ripped off
Most of us buy parts from overseas as even with shipping and taxes, it comes to a lower cost. Some people say we should support local businesses but at those kind of prices how?
Eh? The JCW model has the full JCW aero kit on it. I've seen it in the dealership. Unless they just did that specially but.... JCW definately has full aero kit in the UK. Why would they do it different in Oz?
Hmm, i think it had 17s on actually but I can't be sure. It had a chrome letterbox (great addition btw, cheap from outmotoring) and jcw carbon bits, jcw badges and the jcw grill and exhaust etc.
On another note, I gotta say - I'm not having a big problem with the stock exhaust note! I've had a few people comment on how cool it sounds as it is. In fact it's clearly audible over engine noise from inside the car when you give it some welly.
Although I do reside a bit further away from the racy/monster look/sound preference than some. Be dull if we all wanted to be the same eh? :nice:
When I spoke to those Mag Wheel Center guys (who quoted stupid numbers for ultraleggera and even quoted $30 a tyre more than Tyrepower for Kuhmos...), pitched me some other stuff including an Optican ECU reflash. Essentially they reckon this kit boosts an R56 to 150kW.
Costs $1,395 and when I said thanks but.. warranty, this guy said:
"As Optican files are installed through the OBD2 port it is not detected by dealer diagnostic
equipment and does not alter any factory settings, boost etc."
Yeah... well, I'm not sure I feel like taking their word for that. But if you you're thinking seriously about JCW stage 1 alternatives. There's always this plus whatever aftermarket stuff you can do. They do Miltek exhausts too though going on their other prices, bugger knows what they'd want for that...
Oh yeah it's http://www.odbtuning.de that they're reselling. I couldn't find much/any third party views on it on the web.
I have to say, there comes a point where the cost of maintaining warranty is so high - assuming you want upgrades - that there becomes a reasonable case for just going third party and counting your money saved towards any eventual issues that might have been covered under warranty.
Requires a steely disposition though eh?
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