Most liked posts in thread: MINI Performance????

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I'm in the 'engaging driving experience beats raw HP' camp. I'd rather own and drive a well-sorted R53 than a GTR. Really. I would. A GTR has mind-bending performance, but only a droid could love it. Gimme a S4lt box with some soul and I'm happy, like my current daily S4lt box:

 

We have a BMW/MINI performance shop here in Dallas call Clownshoe performance...here's one of their cars.

 

This is the great irony, and I'm guilty of it. The MINI at it's heart is like the Miata; it's all about handling first, power second. But, both cars can handle so much more HP on the chassis, and, as many of us like the wolf in sheep's clothing aspect to the whole thing.

There is something to taking a (relatively) slow car and turning it into something altogether different. And although it's not what the MINI represents in stock form, it does stay true to the MINI heritage in that part of the appeal of the original MINI was modding it to perform on the track.

At the end of the day, even highly modded, most MINI's aren't insanely overpowered. Seriously, 300WHP in a MINI is considered extreme. That is nothing compared to modded Subie's, M3's, Porsche's, Mustang's, Corvettes, etc. Even modded, we're not super fast in a straight line. But give the MINI just a bit more oomph, and the car is hellacious on the track, and can run quicker lap times than many cars with much more HP, similar to the Miata.

It get's back to the HP/Weight ratio we were talking about; a car like the MINI and Miata, because they are so light, are an excellent platform to mod to become a giant killer.

The beauty of the MINI is it's a great car to learn on before you decide to touch it. Once you get comfortable with what the car can do, how to drive it fast as a momentum car, then start adding more power to it, it's really a rewarding way to become a good driver.

 

No MINI will ever have more power then the lowest BMW. You can take that to the bank.

 

I have a 260 HP Gen 1, No need to buy a GP III.

If you want more power you need to look at RMW, not BMW Ooops MINI.

 

Meh, it's not all about power.

I'd rather lighter weight and handling over sheer brute force.

 

Power to weight is the best determination for a cars performance. All of those cars weigh a lot more than the current MINI 2 door.

 

Also some of the cars in this thread are AWD and RWD, which also makes a difference.

Yes, but if you look at the the first post in this thread, the VW Golf R, Civic and Ford Focus RS are all going to be 40kish. A better comparison would be with the GP when it comes out. The second list are cars all a notch lower than what the OP started the thread with.

 

Damn......I love that car!

 

I love me some clownshoe.

 

But this is one derail that I can support!

 

MINI or Mini was never known for high HP. Nimble cars yes, rocket ships, not so much.

There is a bit a of cultural difference between us "Muricans" when it comes to vehicle dynamics. Our wide open spaces allow for the massive size and grunt that defines performance to most people.

 

It all boils down to seat time. You can have all the HP available but if seat time is not there, even the fastest cars will be slow. I've seen R50s tear up the Dragon and other twisties, namely because their drivers knew how to "git-er-done".

 

I'm familiar with what a halo car is...

That being said. MINIs have never been about all out performance, as Nathan said. Fun, yes. Zippy, yes. Great handling, you betcha.

But speed and power? No.

 

With the gen 3 MINI the same 2 liter motor puts out more power in a BMW. Dave has it when he said they won't let it have more power than a BMW.

I had an '89 SHO rated 220 hp it actually had 230-235 and was purposely restricted to that by the exhaust. Why, the Mustang had 225 hp.

 

There's no car I've owned that's been any more fun than my old Z3M roadster. I might just get an M coupe one'a these days.

 

I haven't spent a dime on increasing horsepower, FWIW. Adding a ton of power to this car would just overpower the front tires and would be an entire waste everywhere but the highway.

I bought the GP, because it's the best answer for what I want in a car right now. I've grown tired of having to modify every vehicle I purchase - the GP has everything done right out of the box:

- Coilovers
- Camber
- Exhaust
- Rear seat delete
- Rear wiper delete
- A little extra power, but nothing crazy
- Better seats
- Extra bracing, aero, and none of the complicated tomfoolery you get in a 'fully loaded JCW'

It was nothing about the power. It's more about the raw, visceral feeling this car provides when I drive it. I like my cars to be razor sharp and focused, I don't want them to coddle me in a bubble of complete isolation.

The best part is that I essentially have a sports car that can haul a bit of crap in the back when needed, or throw bikes on top. I can't do that with a Miata or even a FR-S or BRZ.