RE: Shed of the Week: Mini Cooper S

[nunpuncher]

Fabia is an ugly wee car named after a bit of a ladies front bottom with a spot chucking Munich taxi engine in it.

I always assumed the fanclub was people being ironic

[daytonavrs]

nunpuncher said:

Fabia is an ugly wee car named after a bit of a ladies front bottom with a spot chucking Munich taxi engine in it.

I always assumed the fanclub was people being ironic

Probably had something to do with it pummeling cars like the the standard Mini Cooper on both price and even managed to beat it on track performance Kind of a win, win....

You can look up the fifth gear and top gear videos if you can hold back your bitterness to check

I will also be first to admit its not a pretty car, but at least you can step out the skoda without people thinking you are hairdresser or a girl.....;)

Edited by daytonavrs on Tuesday 19th February 00:33

[egor110]

How do you conclude it beats the mini on track performance?

[Dr Interceptor]

egor110 said:

How do you conclude it beats the mini on track performance?

It was quicker than a Mini Cooper (115hp), but I would never buy the Fabia over a Cooper S. In fact, I wouldn't have it over either - what the Cooper lacked in power, it more than makes up for in willingness and handling.

[nunpuncher]

daytonavrs said:

Probably had something to do with it pummeling cars like the the standard Mini Cooper on both price and even managed to beat it on track performance Kind of a win, win....

You can look up the fifth gear and top gear videos if you can hold back your bitterness to check

I will also be first to admit its not a pretty car, but at least you can step out the skoda without people thinking you are hairdresser or a girl.....;)

Edited by daytonavrs on Tuesday 19th February 00:33

Hahaha brilliant! Let me just blow dry my hair and give my breakfast a half hour to digest before I go watch the might labia bashing the (non s) cooper.

[egor110]

Dr Interceptor said:

egor110 said:

How do you conclude it beats the mini on track performance?

It was quicker than a Mini Cooper (115hp), but I would never buy the Fabia over a Cooper S. In fact, I wouldn't have it over either - what the Cooper lacked in power, it more than makes up for in willingness and handling.

The cooper get's to 60 in 8.8 compared to the fabia vrs's 9.2.

True the fabia has more hp , almost double the torque and it's got a full 4mph better top speed however it's also a lot heavier .

I very much doubt it would do well on track but on the traffic light gp and slip road gp i'd expect the fabia to be quicker ( until it has to brake or get around a corner )

[Dr Interceptor]

Oh, and I bought a MINI last night

54 Plate face lift Cooper S, totally pack-less and option-less. Only bought it for the engine/gearbox, but I look forward to running round in it for a couple of days before we pull it apart.

[Shappers24]

egor110 said:

Dr Interceptor said:

egor110 said:

How do you conclude it beats the mini on track performance?

It was quicker than a Mini Cooper (115hp), but I would never buy the Fabia over a Cooper S. In fact, I wouldn't have it over either - what the Cooper lacked in power, it more than makes up for in willingness and handling.

The cooper get's to 60 in 8.8 compared to the fabia vrs's 9.2.

True the fabia has more hp , almost double the torque and it's got a full 4mph better top speed however it's also a lot heavier .

I very much doubt it would do well on track but on the traffic light gp and slip road gp i'd expect the fabia to be quicker ( until it has to brake or get around a corner )

There was a fifth gear (I think) test where they raced the cooper and Fabia around a track and the Fabia won. The cooper was better in the corners and under braking but the torque of the Fabia won out in the straights.

[blearyeyedboy]

The Cooper S is a great proposition at Shed money.

But I wouldn't buy this one.

[egor110]

Shappers24 said:

egor110 said:

Dr Interceptor said:

egor110 said:

How do you conclude it beats the mini on track performance?

It was quicker than a Mini Cooper (115hp), but I would never buy the Fabia over a Cooper S. In fact, I wouldn't have it over either - what the Cooper lacked in power, it more than makes up for in willingness and handling.

The cooper get's to 60 in 8.8 compared to the fabia vrs's 9.2.

True the fabia has more hp , almost double the torque and it's got a full 4mph better top speed however it's also a lot heavier .

I very much doubt it would do well on track but on the traffic light gp and slip road gp i'd expect the fabia to be quicker ( until it has to brake or get around a corner )

There was a fifth gear (I think) test where they raced the cooper and Fabia around a track and the Fabia won. The cooper was better in the corners and under braking but the torque of the Fabia won out in the straights.

0.6 seconds quicker at the hands of a pro driver , in the hands of your average driver the mini is going to be easiest to drive quick around a track.

I see the criteria for that video was 2 hatches costing 12k , so a na vs a turbo charged engine is a interesting comparison .

However in 2019 both of these cars are well under 2k but that also gets you a cooper s which would be a more realistic comparison .

[Dave.]

Dr Interceptor said:

Oh, and I bought a MINI last night

54 Plate face lift Cooper S, totally pack-less and option-less. Only bought it for the engine/gearbox, but I look forward to running round in it for a couple of days before we pull it apart.

What are you doing with the engine/box?

[Dr Interceptor]

Dave. said:

Dr Interceptor said:

Oh, and I bought a MINI last night

54 Plate face lift Cooper S, totally pack-less and option-less. Only bought it for the engine/gearbox, but I look forward to running round in it for a couple of days before we pull it apart.

What are you doing with the engine/box?

Putting it into another MINI. A mate of mine has a very special R53, but the chain tensioner let go late last year, causing pretty catastrophic carnage. The engine from the one I've bought will be fully serviced, upgraded and slotted in.

[Dave.]

Has he got a project thread anywhere?

[daytonavrs]

egor110 said:

0.6 seconds quicker at the hands of a pro driver , in the hands of your average driver the mini is going to be easiest to drive quick around a track.

I see the criteria for that video was 2 hatches costing 12k , so a na vs a turbo charged engine is a interesting comparison .

Funny, that some comments on the TG comparison was the big luddite Clarkson was driving the Fabia and never looked to be in any sweat whatsoever, but the hamster was clearly noticably troubled.

The comparison is what you could get for your money, I'm so glad I've enjoyed over a decade with the Fabia, way better car than a standard cooper

egor110 said:

However in 2019 both of these cars are well under 2k but that also gets you a cooper s which would be a more realistic comparison .

Still, not really when the best shed can do is that cat write off standard car !
There are guys selling big turbo highly modified Fabias seen them online as cheap as £1500 with bigger turbo, which is another ball game from the stock Mini S.
Of course if you can get a highly tuned Mini Cooper S on a similar age basis around that do prove me wrong.

I did look at these momentarily for the wife but came to my sense and I think the advice to treat buying these with utmost caution is extremely wise.

Hence my initial point, still stands that Fabia is a cheaper/safer car than can be fettled to be capable,

[Dr Interceptor]

daytonavrs said:

Still, not really when the best shed can do is that cat write off standard car !

I've just paid £1300 for a stock, unmodified, unmolested '54 plate Cooper S in electric blue with a white roof, and under 80k on the clock.

Shed could have done a lot better!

[egor110]

daytonavrs said:

egor110 said:

0.6 seconds quicker at the hands of a pro driver , in the hands of your average driver the mini is going to be easiest to drive quick around a track.

I see the criteria for that video was 2 hatches costing 12k , so a na vs a turbo charged engine is a interesting comparison .

Funny, that some comments on the TG comparison was the big luddite Clarkson was driving the Fabia and never looked to be in any sweat whatsoever, but the hamster was clearly noticably troubled.

The comparison is what you could get for your money, I'm so glad I've enjoyed over a decade with the Fabia, way better car than a standard cooper

egor110 said:

However in 2019 both of these cars are well under 2k but that also gets you a cooper s which would be a more realistic comparison .

Still, not really when the best shed can do is that cat write off standard car !
There are guys selling big turbo highly modified Fabias seen them online as cheap as £1500 with bigger turbo, which is another ball game from the stock Mini S.
Of course if you can get a highly tuned Mini Cooper S on a similar age basis around that do prove me wrong.

I did look at these momentarily for the wife but came to my sense and I think the advice to treat buying these with utmost caution is extremely wise.

Hence my initial point, still stands that Fabia is a cheaper/safer car than can be fettled to be capable,

the best shed can do using pistonheads adverts , get on facebook/gumtree and ebay and you'll find many sub £1500 cooper s .

anyway to conclude it really doesn't matter we've all made our choices and as long as we're happy with it that's all that really matters .

i do wonder why you don't see to many diesel fabias at track days though compared to the hordes of mx5/clios/mini if there such a track weapon.

[daytonavrs]

egor110 said:

the best shed can do using pistonheads adverts , get on facebook/gumtree and ebay and you'll find many sub £1500 cooper s .

anyway to conclude it really doesn't matter we've all made our choices and as long as we're happy with it that's all that really matters .

i do wonder why you don't see to many diesel fabias at track days though compared to the hordes of mx5/clios/mini if there such a track weapon.

Fiter on 06 minis I am seeing more standard cars standard 170hp with a £1k premium over fabias of the newest possible 06 of that age, already mapped can be had £1500 or less. So figured you might get more bang for buck with it.

I was initially just stating you could probably get a good value highly tuned Fabia as better option to the stheap in this ad,
I don't doubt you can get better examples for cheaper, but have also heard the other bad feedback on their maintenance just thought the Fabia might be an alternative. So just a though eh


Track statistics - I'm guessing its down to simple numbers ?
mk2 1.4 TSI Fabias are probably a bit more popular for track, as more capable track focussed out the box,
though its accepted the TDI can be improved from standard which may have done and plenty ( that do exist) involved in track activities.

Look how common those cars are.
At least 40K+ mx5's in circulation
50k clios
mini coopers - there are 30k just in auto alone !
134K in standard coopers cars.
and 45k cooper S. and thats not even going into ones like the mini ones you might see straying out the comfort zone onto trackdays.

Prob were only about 7.6K Fabia vRS mk1 TDis ( though they stopped making and only gone from 6.7K peak to now 5.1K which actually shows they are pretty reliable.

Out the tin I never said it was "ultimate track day tool", just comparing against the mini which on maintenance aspects / realiability / value for money/ may be a better option and a lot of guys have already done the tuning work.

For me personally I've had my use of mine coming towards end of life at 141K ( only in terms of my interest for the car as it was replaced by 300hp Octavia), but may send it out with a grin to track with tuning around 200hp and will have to keep an eye out for the mini girls

Certainly enough videos providing track use if you bother to look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-_1_Nd9VUI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw0OtZUHvi0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRzgTLy86_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ19pAlHuqw

Edited by daytonavrs on Tuesday 19th February 19:53

Edited by daytonavrs on Tuesday 19th February 19:55

[s m]

Dr Interceptor said:

Oh, and I bought a MINI last night

54 Plate face lift Cooper S, totally pack-less and option-less. Only bought it for the engine/gearbox, but I look forward to running round in it for a couple of days before we pull it apart.

You rarely see them on the original x-lites -most people opted for at least the Chilli pack

[Dr Interceptor]

s m said:

You rarely see them on the original x-lites -most people opted for at least the Chilli pack

Original x-lites, no xenons, two spoke steering wheel (on a facelift) and standard all cloth Cooper S seats.

[Dave.]

There was a crossover period in 2004 where they built cars with a mixture of pre and post facelift bits, mainly the grill, steering wheel, and headlights.