R56 Cooper Upgrade suggestions....

[GDud]

Im thinking about investing in a few external upgrades/modifications for my 2014 R56 Cooper S, which will improve performance
So far, im think about the JCW tuning kit & exhaust, side skirts and getting the suspension lowered.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

[stoney]

Why not go decat and see how you like that sound first then I would go IC and a tune you would be 1/2 the price of the jcw kit

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[badwolf340]

Better alternative's to tuning Kit ,remap (supported with or without I/C) CAI and Exhaust (De-cat /sports cat)

[MINI William]

As above there are better alternatives to the JCW tuning kit which will give better results for less money. CAI, decat or sports cat, IC and a remap.

Suspension wise you can go springs or coilovers

[GDud]

Thanks for the suggestions, is it possible to get these modifications and not effect my warranty? As i still have a year to go...

Sorry, what does CAI mean?

Are there any good garages in Scotland where i could chat through upgrade options?

[stoney]

I have had no problems in the past with warranty work after my mods have been done just don't tell them lol

CIA is Cold air induction I.E Alta air filter for the R56 or AEM air filter

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[weefossy]

invest in a set of recarro seats, best upgrade ever.....imo

[M600-RKJ]

Ive done a few mods to my r56 S. Jcw exhaust with resonator delete, eibach lowering springs, greenstuff brake pads, soon im getting thicker anti roll bars. And im going to lohen in may for a manic stage 1 tune. Im holding off on the CAI just because of the price will probably get one in the future.

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P.S i would advuce doing suspension before power S's are pretty quick standard. Decent suspension and a brake pad and fluid upgrade mean you can have a lot more fun in the bends

[GDud]

Sorry, getting the suspension done before power S's?

Did you go down to Lohen for the rest of the work?

[M600-RKJ]

All the work was done myself. Tune will be the first time ive visited lohen

[GDud]

Sorry what did you mean? "i would advice doing suspension before power S's are pretty quick standard"

[badwolf340]

invest in a set of recarro seats, best upgrade ever.....imo

spot on ..but the hardest part is trying to find a set of JCW by Recaro seats (CS sportsters)

[badwolf340]

Sorry what did you mean? "i would advice doing suspension before power S's are pretty quick standard"

I think m600 is saying do suspension mods first (make it handle better) so you can make better use of the power that you have ,handles better = faster

[GDud]

Sorry, IC?

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Ok thanks, this makes sense.

So would this be a case of just purchasing the JCW suspension kit and trying to get a decent garage to fit it?

Thanks for the advice!

[M600-RKJ]

Sorry. The Cooper S is a pretty quick car as standard. Ive been able to keep up with cars that are meant to be much faster on paper

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No need to be jcw. The jcw spring are most likely rebranded eibach or h&r springs. If you have a bigger budget then i would consider coilover. Stay away from cheaper brands though. Seen a lot of cars running ap and kw. Im thinking of going with tein just because you seem to get a lot for your money and damping adjustment isnt a necesity for me

[CiderFex]

You'll get a lot better than JCW for the same money.


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[MINI William]

IC is intercooler

[ELFMAN]

I bought my R56 S new in 2009 and for warranty reasons I stuck to JCW parts over the first few years - 4 Pot Brakes, Suspension and the 'Stage 1' engine and exhaust. This gave the car a useful boost in all the above areas, these mods were comparatively expensive compared to 'non-MINI' aftermarket gear, but it did ensure my MINI Warranty was intact.

I also managed to get a hold of a set of JCW Recaros second hand for about half the price MINI were asking.

When the warranty was longer an issue, during the following years I fitted a Forge Intercooler, Milltek Sports Cat/Downpipe, Alta Induction Kit and recently had the car remapped by (club sponsor) Knox Performance/DNA Tuning (who do lots of the MINI Challenge cars). The car now goes, handles and stops quite well and has recently been dyno'd at 230bhp/260ftlbs torque.

My advice for what it's worth?
If you're still on runflats, ditch them now! I switched to ContiSport 3's which were a vast improvement and I now run Michelin Pilot Super Sports which are the best tyre I've had.

Get yourself a decent set of seats as this will transform the driving experience and mean you're not relying on the steering wheel to keep you in place when pushing on.

Brakes - I went for the JCW 4 Pots, but you can get good results from upgrading the discs, pads and brake lines on the standard setup.

Suspension? If I was starting now with no warranty issues, I'd go for Coilovers, but not 'slammed' as that'll just slow you down on bumpy roads - other folks can advise on which make to go for. Just to clarify, the JCW suspension isn't just springs, it's shock absorbers and anti-roll bars as well.

Big intercooler and either a Decat or Sports Cat downpipe makes a decent difference to the way the engine performs and sounds (decat can be a bit 'in your face', sports cat gives you a nice 'edge' but isn't too loud). The Alta induction is a popular NMS upgrade which sounds nice but probably doesn't add much to the power output - but it doesn't loose power either! Finally, if you do need more power, the intercooler and downpipe etc mean the car's set up for a remap.

So, in order, I'd do: Tyres, Seats, Brakes, Exhaust, Suspension, Engine.

Hope the info is useful - it's taken me over seven years, but it's finished now. Probably. Once I get my Oil Catch Cans from William!

[GDud]

Very helpful, thanks for the post.

Yep aware that the JCW suspension upgrade is a number of other items e.g. Anti roll bar, etc. How have people found the JCW 'suspension' upgrade package?

I was also thinking about the JCW tuning and exhaust package, but this is coming in at £2k. There seems to be few cheaper upgrades to consider before then.

[emicen]

No need to be jcw. The jcw spring are most likely rebranded eibach or h&r springs. If you have a bigger budget then i would consider coilover. Stay away from cheaper brands though. Seen a lot of cars running ap and kw. Im thinking of going with tein just because you seem to get a lot for your money and damping adjustment isnt a necesity for me

We fitted Eibach springs to lower a fJCW, removed the arch gap nicely, tightened it up in the corners, doesn't take the front splitter off on speed bumps.

FWIW, I would choose Eibach springs over poverty spec coilovers every time.

TEIN coilovers with the latest generation EDFC are some piece of kit.

[ELFMAN]

Engine Tuning, if I was starting now, I'd go for the Forge Intercooler, Milltek Downpipe and a Remap from Mr. Knox. You could go for the Alta intake or just put in an ITG replacement filter. For that you're probably looking at around £1200 plus fitting? Not sure of the up to date prices, but it would be cheaper and more effective power-wise than the JCW Tuning Kit. You get an upgraded inlet manifold and cat-back exhaust with the JCW kit though...

The JCW Suspension Package is pretty good, and is certainly an improvement over the standard setup. It still prefers smoother roads and can be a bit jiggly over some of our crappier roads, but I'm happy with mine and have had some fantastic drives with it. You might want to look at some good quality lowered springs and a set of really good tyres (like my Michelins) before you start chucking large sums of money at suspension kits though. I've found that tyres are a major factor in being able to enjoy your MINI, so don't fit fancy suspension and rubbish tyres! You'll probably get decent results on standard suspension and the best rubber.

[weefossy]

I find the JCW suspension works fine, if a bit hard, but i'm an old man :thud:

[emicen]

Eibach springs are progressively wound so more supple initially and stiffer when leaned on.

[ELFMAN]

Eibach springs are progressively wound so more supple initially and stiffer when leaned on.

Much like myself... :smilewinkgrin:
I must admit I'm quite tightly wound these days :ragin:

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I find the JCW suspension works fine, if a bit hard, but i'm an old man :thud:

Never mind Malcolm, I'll bring plenty of Werthers Originals on HB2 :thumbs up: And a spare Zimmer.