Yup, pretty much. . .

 

I think that was a ballpark number bantered about on Motoringfile some time back. I'd bet it's close, though.

Figure you're getting the parts from the Stage I kit... intake, exhaust, ECU for $2100.

Plus, the additional parts I would assume present will be:

-bigger turbo and downpipe (Alta's GT turbo is going to be around $2300)
-Some type of big intercooler ($700-800)
-Larger diameter intercooler and intake piping ($300-400)
-Big brake kit (most kits are a minimum of $1500+)

Add it up... you're at $6900+ and that's not factoring in the premium for the "factory exclusivity" of the Stage II. Granted, manufactured by MINI and installed at the factory will allow for some savings... but $6000 doesn't sound like it's too far out of reach.

 

What about the Aero kit? Doesn't that come with it too?

 

I'm really disappointed in MINI not offering the JCW Stage II kit as a dealer upgrade. I was told by my MA and the service manager that there was going to be a Stage II upgrade coming down the pipeline and the possibility of Stage I customers ability to upgrade was very high. I just spent 30K on a new car + the cost of a Stage I upgrade and now I feel like I need to trade my car in a year later in order to get the factory Stage II. Just doesn't seam fair. They should have never called it Stage I, that implies that it is a first in a series of upgrades, they should have just called it JCW HP Kit or something other then Stage I.
Although Im enjoying the Stage I kit and the extra 17hp is much appreciated I sure would have like to be in the 220hp range with a factory warranty.

I understand the marketing ploy and exclusivity of a factory car, but I'm sure there are others out there that feel the same as I do about the Stage II kit. The MA's and Service managers of most of the dealerships had no clue about the Stage II kit when the Stage I was first released, hell they didn't even know about the Stage I, I had to give them that info!! it was all speculation on there part, but they were happy to take our $2,500. I mean come on, is it really that hard for Mini/JCW to inform the dealerships about there intended plans for there long term projects, I think it was very poor information management on their part and very misleading to the customers. I'm not saying they deliberately did this, who knows, but there was a lot of gray area, you know what I'm talking about. So with that said, I think all the current JCW Stage 1 owners should write JCW/MINI a letter that expresses our interest in a dealer installed Stage II kit. It doesn't have to be the same kit coming on the factory car, it could be different, give me a bigger turbo and a new ECU tuning for for $2900, or throw in the bigger brakes too and make it like $4500, but for goodness sake, thow us a bone here JCW!!! We are loyal followers!! They can still have their factory car and make a lot of JCW Stage 1 owners happy. Plus the dealers would profit from the installs, so I'm sure they would be totally behind something like this.
Win, Win for everyone involved.
Anyway, I'm sort of attached to my Mini now and don't want to trade it in just yet, maybe when the come out with an AWD JCW in 2010 I will, but not yet.

So, who's got the address to JCW headquarters??? Where can we send our letters???? What is the VP's name??? I'm serious.

PS: I know there are aftermarket options available to accomplish the same thing, but I'm doing this solely to preserve the factory warranty.
If we can't convince them on the Stage II upgrade, then this will be the route I will take.

 

Talk about disappointment, I am still waiting and now wondering if the auto trans stage 1 that was said to be released in 2007 will ever be out. I would love motoring file to find out whether it is coming out or not. Sitting in one is not helping other than to keep me from buying the alta catback and drop in filter. I would much rather have the JCW kit because I swore after selling my heavily modified 05 mustang gt I would not do anything to cause warranty issues again. I love my JCW Suspension but feel like the stage 1 kit would be the perfect finish for the car.

If anyone can give a definitive answer as to the kit coming out or not that would be helpful. If I was assured it would be out at some point I would definitely wait.

 

So...is the aero kit included?

 

No: MotoringFile Exclusive: Factory JCW Kit Revealed

 

Yeah, I've read that. It doesn't say that it's NOT getting the aero kit. When the JCW 53 was released for the aforementioned $6k, did it include an aero kit of any sort? I guess that would be the best barometer?

 

No, it didn't.

In addition to that, there never was any "JCW Aero Kit" for the R53s, except for the unique one that comes with the GP (and not available separately). There was only one OEM aero kit available for R53s and it was called "the Aero Kit".

 

Gotcha. I think I'd have to get the aero kit if I got the Stage II. Mean mini. I was about to order, but now I may just wait. By then I'll have the money to make up the difference anyway. I'm glad I found this thread.

 

Well, I share your disappointment... but MINI never actually called it the "Stage I". Your MA mis-spoke.

It's officially the "R56 JCW Engine Tuning Kit".

It's been owners (or other MINI community members) who have given it the Stage I monniker... I asume since it's similar in components to a standard Stage I upgrade for any performance car/bike: intake, exhaust, ECU.

 

I wrote that article and it was originally in there. I took it out due to the sensitive nature of the info at the time for my a source's sake.

Nevertheless, it won't have the aero kit standard unless there's an 11th hour change.

 

Gabe:

Is there any update for the JCW tuning kit for the auto trans. I don't want to call anyone out but there does not seem to be any other way to get info on this subject.

I really want the JCW kit but if I new it was dead I would start putting a few alta parts on the car

Thanks

 

I don't have an update. Last I knew they were tweaking he software to comply with emissions regulations. They were expecting it this fall but obviously it's been pushed back a bit.

 

Unfortunately, with the $6k tag you're basically looking at 135i money- I know it's a bit different conceptually, but for a daily driver it would be hard to beat...

 

Your pissed because they don't offer a kit as a dealer install that does not even exist yet?

That I don't understand.