MANIC Stage 1+ by MQuebed (MarioKart) Review
#1
04-15-2015, 12:49 PM
MANIC Stage 1+ by MQuebed (MarioKart) Review
Vehicle: '08 MCS 6-speed manual
Last week I sent my ECU out to Ventura California for a MANIC Tune by Mario Palza. I shipped it late Wednesday afternoon and by Friday afternoon I was bombing around in my newly tuned MINI
. (I live outside Boston, that's fast shipping!!!)
First and foremost Mario provides top notch personalized and extremely knowledgeable customer service. This may sound totally cliche, but Mario goes above and beyond. Before I sent my ECU we spoke on the phone for a good 45 minutes discussing everything from what I'm looking for in a tune, to amongst other things his former CTS-V
. At that point I knew he was a true gearhead, not some bussiness man trying to cater to a corner of the tuning market. He knows every little detail of the N14 and N18 motors with everything in-between. My ECU was in good hands.
Ultimately I opted for the Stage 1+ since I have a K&N CAI and Invidia 2.5" CBE. My car was a true Stage 0. Brand new Synthetic Oil, Redline MTF, New NGK Iridium spark plugs, new upgraded "N18" valve cover ect. Mario even knew to ask me if I wanted the exhaust burble and pop programmed in since from '07-'10 MINI didn't offer it. It may seem trivial but to me it's kind of a big deal since it sounds so neat on the newer R56's and R53's.
So how does the MINI drive now? Fantastic! Power delivery is incredibly smooth. No peaks and valleys to speak of. I've seen Mario's older Youtube video of his GP2 doing a pull with a JB+ tune. Up until 4800 RPM it revved normal. Then BAM! The "tune" kicks in strong. Like an on/off switch. No offense to JB, but that's not refinement. The MANIC tune feels Factory strong, OEM-like characteristics, but on steroids. Engine will rev to redline no problem whereas before you could... but it wasn't entirely enjoyable. Power used to go flat after 5500 RPM. Not anymore.
Mario estimates this tune is good for 220hp and 240 lbs/ft of torque, ~17 psi boost, so figure around 200hp to the wheels. Not bad for a 2,700 lb car. Before the tune it was roughly 15lbs/hp. Now it's down to around 12lbs/hp which is in the realm of a BMW 335i. Quick indeed. I haven't done any "official" 0-60 times because I hate abusing my clutch, but I'd estimate 5.5-6.0 seconds (6.5-7.0 stock). Let's just say the MINI still pulls very hard at 120mph in 6th. That's power my friend! From a tiny 1.6 no less.
Surprisingly fuel consumption hasn't suffered a bit, around 27.5 mpg combined (I drive like a MINI was intended to be, wink wink). Yeah I could easily get over 30 mpg, but what's the fun in that? Plus I enjoy burning $$$ in 93 octane premium fuel
(not kidding).
If you're looking for a tune, or already have one of the "other" tunes, I strongly endorse a MANIC tune. It's impressive power is served up creamy smooth. And you know who to get it from!
MQuebed
http://mquebed
Phone number: 805-746-2666
617 Saratoga Avenue
Ventura, CA 93003
Last week I sent my ECU out to Ventura California for a MANIC Tune by Mario Palza. I shipped it late Wednesday afternoon and by Friday afternoon I was bombing around in my newly tuned MINI
. (I live outside Boston, that's fast shipping!!!)First and foremost Mario provides top notch personalized and extremely knowledgeable customer service. This may sound totally cliche, but Mario goes above and beyond. Before I sent my ECU we spoke on the phone for a good 45 minutes discussing everything from what I'm looking for in a tune, to amongst other things his former CTS-V
. At that point I knew he was a true gearhead, not some bussiness man trying to cater to a corner of the tuning market. He knows every little detail of the N14 and N18 motors with everything in-between. My ECU was in good hands. Ultimately I opted for the Stage 1+ since I have a K&N CAI and Invidia 2.5" CBE. My car was a true Stage 0. Brand new Synthetic Oil, Redline MTF, New NGK Iridium spark plugs, new upgraded "N18" valve cover ect. Mario even knew to ask me if I wanted the exhaust burble and pop programmed in since from '07-'10 MINI didn't offer it. It may seem trivial but to me it's kind of a big deal since it sounds so neat on the newer R56's and R53's.
So how does the MINI drive now? Fantastic! Power delivery is incredibly smooth. No peaks and valleys to speak of. I've seen Mario's older Youtube video of his GP2 doing a pull with a JB+ tune. Up until 4800 RPM it revved normal. Then BAM! The "tune" kicks in strong. Like an on/off switch. No offense to JB, but that's not refinement. The MANIC tune feels Factory strong, OEM-like characteristics, but on steroids. Engine will rev to redline no problem whereas before you could... but it wasn't entirely enjoyable. Power used to go flat after 5500 RPM. Not anymore.
Mario estimates this tune is good for 220hp and 240 lbs/ft of torque, ~17 psi boost, so figure around 200hp to the wheels. Not bad for a 2,700 lb car. Before the tune it was roughly 15lbs/hp. Now it's down to around 12lbs/hp which is in the realm of a BMW 335i. Quick indeed. I haven't done any "official" 0-60 times because I hate abusing my clutch, but I'd estimate 5.5-6.0 seconds (6.5-7.0 stock). Let's just say the MINI still pulls very hard at 120mph in 6th. That's power my friend! From a tiny 1.6 no less.
Surprisingly fuel consumption hasn't suffered a bit, around 27.5 mpg combined (I drive like a MINI was intended to be, wink wink). Yeah I could easily get over 30 mpg, but what's the fun in that? Plus I enjoy burning $$$ in 93 octane premium fuel
(not kidding). If you're looking for a tune, or already have one of the "other" tunes, I strongly endorse a MANIC tune. It's impressive power is served up creamy smooth. And you know who to get it from!
MQuebed
http://mquebed
Phone number: 805-746-2666
617 Saratoga Avenue
Ventura, CA 93003
#3
04-15-2015, 07:15 PM
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post