Background Info:
The First Generation MINI Cooper has been enormously successful since its reintroduction by BMW nearly a decade ago. It consists of three main models: the R50 (1.6L NA motor), the R53 “S” Model (1.6L powered by the Eaton M45 Super Charger), and the R52 convertible which shares the same power plant as the R53.
Even from the get go, many companies have tried to provide power modification to boost the mildly powered MINI from its 168bhp rating to something a little bit more respectable. Some have tried a bigger Eaton unit, going from the M45 to the M62; others have tried to ditch the Eaton and go with a different brand such as the Rotrex or TVS. The most extreme yet, is to remove the supercharger altogether and replace it with a turbo charger set up. While the aforementioned are all acceptable upgrades to those with unlimited funds, there are two basic requirements that must be met in order for such a system to be feasible:
=> One, of course, is to have a kit that’s economical for the typical enthusiasts who have a limited budget;
=> Second is to have this power kit to be “Street Legal.”
When our business associate, Dr. Hubie Fuh of ABF Performance, came back from SEMA and told us about the Sprintex replacement kit for the R53, we were excited to hear about an OE-type replacement that’s economically priced at under $4000; although, we were a little skeptical of the +50HP claim as stated on the marketing brochure. Based on our experience with tuning these vehicles, such power gains typically require multiple performance parts and a lot of fine tuning.
Out of courtesy, I sent off an email to Mr. Jay Upton of Sprintex (the Australian mfg) and Mr. Rick Rimmer (the North American Distributor for Sprintex) in search of some clarification and further details. After a few very informative emails from all sides, we finally connected on the phone and decided some testing should be conducted here in Southern California.
The Facility:
For this testing, we selected the use of a DynoJet that is located in the City of Brea, CA. We have done extensive tuning on this dyno and the calibration of this unit is inline with other dynos. For a point of reference, a typical R53 manual vehicle with mods (Cam shaft, header, exhaust, IC, Intake, 15% pulley, Injectors and tune) net around 200 wheel HP.
The Test Vehicle:
The main test vehicle is a stock 2005 MINI R52 “S” equipped with a 15% reduction pulley. We have a base run on the dyno with the Bytetronik FullAccess Tuning Kit with fast data-logging via the OBD port and recorded the log. Car registered 162 HP to the wheels and 142 ft-lb of torque with the factory ECU mapping.
We were not able to find a 100% factory stock S for this testing, but based on estimation, if the test vehicle did not have the 15% reduction pulley, its projected HP is probably around the 150~155 whp range.
The Test Parameter:
Sprintex claims that the Stage I 'bolt-on' kit will provide +50HP from the factory M45 unit. So in theory, our test MINI-S should be close to the 200whp mark without any additional tuning or other upgrades.
The Pre-Testing Data Gathering:
Before we remove the M45 super charger from our test car, we use the Bytetronik Software and data-logged the vehicle.
The Sprintex S5-210 Kit:
Mr. Jay Upton hand-carried two complete Sprintex Kits to us from Australia. First impression: WOW!!! Here is what we mean...
The Installation:
The installation of the Sprintex unit was quite straight forward. Mr. Jay Upton assembled the “pre-production” kit in about an hour. All the parts came together as designed and there were no fitment issues. We were told that the production units will come fully assembled and ready to install. We elected to use the 70mm pulley for this MINI as the basis for our test. The entire super charger swap took about 5 hours.
Here are some installation pictures:
Post-Installation and start up:
After the installation was completed, we started the engine and monitored all the engine parameters. Everything looked to be normal. Aside from the nice grumble coming from the S5-210, the engine was running normal and sounded really happy. Next, we put the MINI to the real test and strapped the car to the dynamometer.
Dyno Testing:
We first took the MINI to the lower RPMs to make sure everything was operating within specs. We were immediately pleased with the engine temperatures as well as the lower inlet air temps. After a few initial safe runs, we performed some red-line dyno pulls and recorded the numbers.
Dyno Results:
Based on the specs from Sprintex, we expected the test car to be around the 200whp range. Actual result on our test car was 197whp!!!
***NOTE*** Sprintex is considering a 68mm pulley setup for those cars already equipped with the JCW injectors. This would raise the boost level to the 15.5 range.
Test Recap:
To some, the 200WHP is just a number. Based on our experience, getting a MINI from its stock configuration to reach the 200WHP mark typically requires the following power modifications:
- 15% or 17% reduction pulley ($500 in parts and labor)
- Performance Intake ($300 in parts)
- Performance Cam Shaft upgrade ($400 in parts + 3 hours of labor)
- Performance exhaust ($600 to $1000 in parts + 1 hour of labor)
- Performance header ($300 to $800 in parts + 2 hours in labor)
- Bigger fuel injectors ($300 in parts + 1 hour in labor)
- Performance ECU mapping ($400 in labor + dyno time)
So for a single bolt-on upgrade to get the MINI to near the 200whp without any tuning or even injector upgrades, that actually exceeded our expectations. The stock injectors, as expected, were pretty much running at their max; at 6800 rpm, the injector duty-cycle was at 106%. But perhaps due to the fact that the Sprintex at this boost level runs at a much cooler temp and generates less heat than the M45, the AFR is held steady at 11.5~11.8 from 4800rpm to redline. On a M45 Eaton at this power level, the AFR would be spiking to the high 12's or low 13 AFR on the stock injectors.
With this SC upgrade, the Sprintex raises the power potential of the R53 platform. So by upgrading other performance parts on top of this SC kit, then the 250whp becomes quite obtainable for the typical R53 owners.
Stage II Kit testing
We are performing additional testing on our Stage II test car (Green MINI - Ducky). This is an ongoing project and the final results will be published once the testing is fully completed. We are having great results with the stage II testing and will likely achieve our target whp in the high 200's
Streetability and gas consumption
The Sprintex unit definitely has a more aggressive tone; it has a small whistling sound coming from the charger. The belt-tension works great in keeping the belt on target and providing consistent boost, and the electric water pump works great in keeping the engine temp down. Gas consumption remains the same and the S5-210 kit runs smooth without a hitch on the street.
Overall, we are pleased with the kit and its power delivery. Pricing and availability will be announced once those are confirmed by the manufacturer and importer.
cheers.
mike
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, this is for the testing production units, for the production units, there will be a o-ring type gasket. 
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