Monday 23rd July 2007

Mini tweaking

AC Schnitzer work on the new Mini Cooper S

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AC Schnitzer has been fiddling with the new Mini Cooper S.

They have taken the 173bhp engine and given it an extra 40bhp – meaning you now get 210bhp to hoon around with. Apparently, the exact recipe is still being finalised so we've no details on the engine modifications for now.

AC has also persuaded Manfred Wollgarten, a 'Ring specialist, to set up their new Mini suspension. After testing it on the Nordschleife, they claim it will now run, er, rings around the already well-regarded standard car.

In typical tuner style, they have added a revised body kit to the car. This includes: a new front spoiler, two choices of wheels (17” or 18”), new exhaust and body colour matching wheel arches.

No prices have been released for it yet, but we’ll let you know when they are.

[MK4 Slowride]

Sorry but the R56 Mini Cooper S comes with 175 BHP as standard. The R50 Cooper S had 210 BHP with the JCW tuning kit so there's hardly been any progress. Somethings gotta be wrong.

[Diverted]

Those wheels look awful.

[MK4 Slowride]

The set of Schnitzit wheels for a BMW will set you back £5000! I thought they're quite bad boy actually.

[Tony*T3]

MK4 Slowride said:

Sorry but the R56 Mini Cooper S comes with 175 BHP as standard. The R50 Cooper S had 210 BHP with the JCW tuning kit so there's hardly been any progress. Somethings gotta be wrong.

The new engine is not about the BHP figures, its about the power delivery - torque band makes the car much faster than the equivalent older super charged model.

Unfortunatly the article doesnt explain this well. Its been noted that the new R56 standard cooper S with 175bhp is actually faster than the 210bhp Works cooper S of the older model, in real world driving situations.

[A1GOY]

Tony*T3 said:

Unfortunatly the article doesnt explain this well. Its been noted that the new R56 standard cooper S with 175bhp is actually faster than the 210bhp Works cooper S of the older model, in real world driving situations.

Sorry! I was going off the AC press release - I didn't really take the old JCW Cooper S into consideration.

Any comments on how I can improve are appreciated; I just want to keep you all happy!

TTFN,

A1

Edited by A1GOY on Monday 23 July 16:09

[davidapress]

I must say I am not a huge fan of the newest Mini compared to the previous shape, although I understand that they have seriously improved the cars overall driving dynamics etc.

One thing I have noticed on the latest Cooper S is that the car appears to be sitting very 'high' and when you drive behind one you can see the rear wishbones...does anyone else think that it totally ruins the look of the car?

This new Schitzer version seems to have sorted that out with the bodykid and lowered suspension and imho seriously improves the overall look of the car (although still a little bit 'geezery' for me!).

[flattotheboards]

if i were to have one i would leave the bodykit and wheels ad just go for the tuning kit.

[Marf]

Kits nice, wheels are hideous.

[twin sparky]

Was behind a new Cooper S this morning and noticed the high ride-hight this morning... also the rear bumper has vented sections on either side... why? These look really ugly!

I've got a mini one at the moment and I wanted a new Cooper S when it was time to trade in, but the look is putting me off slightly.

[A1GOY]

Worth going for a test drive. They're not a hard edged as the last ones, but they're a pretty entertaining steer.

[wiz 1]

Diverted said:

Those wheels look awful.

Yep!

Think the front end looks good and the backs an improvement on the standard Still prefer the old model. There's a lot of flimsy plastic trim on the new one.

[Roop]

Bleagh. Looks bab. The plainest Minis look the best.

[MK4 Slowride]

As it goes the BMW - Mini division wouldn't allow for a new car this important, as a design icon, to be inferior to the previous model. Mini, is being transformed from a part of & heavily associated with BMW, in to a brand & league of it's own. The Mini Traveler's out in November.

[vlad]

my seat leon has 210 bhp and 307 pound/foot torque and 5 point multilink rear suspension and 6 gears so bring on the mini !!--oh and 16k on the road and german.

[dvs_dave]

vlad said:

my seat leon has 210 bhp and 307 pound/foot torque and 5 point multilink rear suspension and 6 gears so bring on the mini !!--oh and 16k on the road and german.

But handles like a shopping trolley in comparison to a MINI.....

[taffyracer]

terrible wheels, apart from that it looks decent

[havoc]

dvs_dave said:

vlad said:

my seat leon has 210 bhp and 307 pound/foot torque and 5 point multilink rear suspension and 6 gears so bring on the mini !!--oh and 16k on the road and german.

But handles like a shopping trolley in comparison to a MINI.....

Perhaps...but even a modestly-loaded (chilli pack, metallic paint etc.) MCS will cost >£19k...which is the same as the forthcoming Cupra with 237bhp and more praticality, or any of the other 'top-end' hot-hatches (Astra, Focus, MeganeSport RST321, Civic Type R, Golf GTi are all within £1k).

It almost certainly IS a good car (possibly a very good car)...but it's also very expensive for what you get (an impractical, over-styled 2+2).
And if you don't need the extra space and practicality of the bigger cars, well there's a whole host of 2-seaters out there for similar / not much more money (S2000 import for £22k-odd...and the S2000 has a similar boot-size to the Mk1 MINI, 237bhp and far better looks!)

[vixta]

not liking the wheels at all.

[Tony*T3]

I have to agree, that in comparison to other vehicles, the Mini costs way more. Probably more than its worth in fact. It does however have very good residuals, which go some way to compensating for this.

Optional extras are a great way of throwing away money on many cars - including the Mini. Most 'optional' items are now included in the price of many cars, unlike the Mini. however, not many cars are as 'customisable' as the Mini is from the factory, and people seem happy to pay for this to get something 'indevidual'.

Theres also little point in people pointing out the fact that the Mini is impractible in certain areas, such as rear access and boot space. Mini owners really dont give a s**t that a Seat Leon has a larger boot. If they wanted a larger boot, they'd choose a different car, and it probably wouldnt be a Seat Leon. Mini owners are more than aware of the dimensions of the car that they buy.

[havoc]

Tony*T3 said:

Theres also little point in people pointing out the fact that the Mini is impractible in certain areas, such as rear access and boot space. Mini owners really dont give a s**t that a Seat Leon has a larger boot. If they wanted a larger boot, they'd choose a different car...

True...which was why, to balance the mention of the Seat Leon, I mentioned the S2000.

The Seat is the same price for more performance, practicality and kit, albeit less style and probably slightly inferior handling. Oh, and probably slightly inferior materials quality and residuals.

The S2000 is, as an import, a few £k more for more style, more performance, at least equal handling and build/materials quality, similar practicality (bar two kid-sized rear seats in the Mini), similarly excellent residuals and an electric hood (how much is the MCS convertible going to be?).


The MINI is, despite it's obvious dynamic credentials, still as much a fashion statement / accessory as it is a good car, and as such is priced above where it should otherwise be. That the residuals are so good for the Mk1 shows how right BMW got the styling/positioning (fair play to them)...I'll warrant 80-90% of owners couldn't use the chassis' full ability and have never ventured there.