Hi all,

I am new to this forum so I apologize in advance if this is similar to the millions of other threads here, but no worries, I´ve done a fair share of research too.

Recently I bought a 2012 Mini Cooper R56 Hatchback Automatic(sad I know, but it was a steal!) which came with the JCW tuning kit, brakes, wheels, and exhaust. All I know from the dealer (Official Mini Store in Chile) is that the only JCW components its missing is the JCW Sway Bar and the JCW Aero Kit.

I live in Chile so the market is very limited when it comes to upgrades...something to take into consideration. However, I´ve loved the mini since I got it and man it is fast!

I´ve never been on a track but I intend to some day in the future. However, the most fun I have with my mini is flooring it every now and then on the highway coming from and going to work.

I´ve been looking into purchasing the JCW Aero Bodykit from the Mini store here in Chile, but I also know that ST Coilovers are a great upgrade for a daily driver.

I was wondering what mods+brand you guys would suggest in terms of performance/comfort/handling for a daily driven car?

Remember this is a daily driver. I know you can mod plenty of stuff such as pulleys, head, cam, injectors, belts, etc. But I seriously have no idea if this will take a toll on the gas tank and I am going to have to fuel up constantly. (I drive 46 miles 5 times a week for work)

Thanks in advance and sorry if I make anyone cringe for my lack of knowledge! I promise I´ll get better with time!

 

First off, welcome to NAM.

I firmly believe in working from the ground up. Meaning, start with the suspension and handling and then move into the engine. Since you're daily driving the car and not wanting to go to extreme measures, I'd start with your suspension and maybe later down the road mess with things under the hood. ST coil overs are most certainly the best bang for your buck coil over. We installed so many of them onto performance builds at the old shop I worked at (non-MINI cars), but seeing how they performed with high horsepower builds, really was great. Plus, they're manufactured by KW, which you can't beat. Respected in the industry for solid design, ST Suspensions offer the versatility to adapt to both the street and the meanest of tracks. Can read more information on them and pricing here. For a sway bar, I'd highly suggestion Whiteline. I've been running all of their products for daily and track application. Really great quality. Whiteline Sway bars dramatically improve the grip, handling and performance of your vehicle. Cornering loads are spread more evenly across the tires delivering more grip and frankly, that's what it's all about. Can view the bar here and read more information. Read up and look into Powerflex Polyurethane Suspension Bushings as well. Can view them here. All of this stuff will make for a stiffer ride though, so it wont be as comfortable as stock. Just keep that in mind. Let me know if you have any other questions or if I can help you out with anything else!

 

Thanks for the quick reply! And yes, ST Coilovers are definetly next up on the upgrade list after the bodykit...something about that rear diffuser just makes me want to get it and love it every day.

Driving comfort is definetly a must. My dad already finds my car stiff...I guess its the JCW suspension?

And speaking about sway bars....the JCW Front Sway bar is available here....is it worth it to stick with JCW or should I got with another aftermarket sway bar like the Whiteline? Is it a MUST to have both the front and rear sway bars or with just either one you are good?

 

My pleasure! I know what you mean about the diffuser. It definitely looks good.

Coil overs will be much stiffer. So keep that in mind. There are kits that allow for adjustable dampening to help with daily driving, so maybe look into those, but they're also going to be more expensive. Maybe look into lowering springs instead. H&R makes a quality spring here and VOGTLAND springs here. You'll be sacrificing your adjustable ride height though as springs will be a fixed height.

The most effective sway bar is the rear sway bar. The higher rate the bar is the easier it is to rotate the car into the corner and reduce initial under steer. You can do a bigger front bar no problem, but it may not be the best for tighter radius corners. For example, you could raise the front rate for faster corners. This is mostly for track talk though. I think the JCW front should be just fine and maybe the Whiteline for the rear if desired.

With performance comes some sort of comfort sacrifice (not in all instances, but in most). So, I guess all of this depends on what you're wanting out of the car as well. Do your research and find what suits your needs/wants the best.

 

Amazing suggestions, thank you! I did look into lowering springs at first, but I´ve heard mixed reviews about longevity and also "if you can afford coilovers over just springs...go for it". But thats an interesting point you make about stiffness. Thanks for the sway bar clarification as well!

Don´t get me wrong, I am willing to sacrifice some comfort for performance. I do giggle like a little girl when I floor it and my JCW exhaust kicks in :P. I am just here to look for suggestions outside of the JCW upgrade package. Looking to see if having the JCW tuning kit is already enough or if there are some pieces I could change in order to get some more kick and fun while driving long commutes.

 

Glad I can be of assistance. It definitely seems like you're enjoying your MINI, just like you should be. The JCW kit is already great, but the performance upgrades will definitely give you some more kick. I'm sure others will chime in with some other great information as well. If you ever need anything or have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

Ok, voice of reason here...

If you've never been on a track, it isn't the car or suspension that will be a problem. It's going to be you. For a good while. Face it, you aren't the next Senna...

That said, tires... Those and a larger rear anti roll bar, and some more front camber. Learn to drive that. Once you really feel you need a change, you will have a really good idea what you should change.

 

Haha I appreciate the honesty! Don't get me wrong haha I know if I ever want to step on a track the main problem is going to be me.

Thanks for the input! I was wondering what your take is on Springs vs. Coilovers (HR 30mm springs all around vs. ST Coilovers). Are springs just for the stance addicts and will give me a much stiffer ride or if I'm no "Next Senna" like you mention, should I calm down on coilovers and if i want to go for a small drop Springs would be just fine for a daily driver? I know theres some performance benefits by dropping the car a little bit, but I would also do it for looks. Can't drop it too low though cause over here in Chile, its packed with potholes haha

 

I'd calm down. Drive the car for a while and see if you could live with it lower. I mean really, you do kind of live in a 3ed world country... Suspension travel really is your friend. As are 16" wheels and tires.

 

I guess you are right. Just gonna build a wishlist from here. From what I've seen in the forums...people seem to like the Koni Yellows + Some lowering springs instead of the whole coilover system. Looked into rear sway bars as well so adding that to the list...and completely off topic but Chile is not a third world country haha...don't mean to scare anyone off from suggesting mods because they feel that I'm driving through the Amazon :P haha...there are potholes...just like in any other country. There are also very nicely paved highways which I take to work and is where I drive most of the time.

Thanks for the insight though. I guess I'll work on aesthetics first and then performance.

 

you don't need to bother with front sway bar its not that important on minis. get a rear sway bar it will make a huge difference in handling. As for suspension listen to the other guy, know what kind of roads you are going to be driving on and decide on the suspension set up.

Koni Yellows + springs might be your best bet if you want a 'lower stance' and ride comfort. IMO i dont think there is a set of coilovers out there that not going be alot 'stiffer' than stock. so if your JCW suspension is already stiff and your family don't like it than I would stay away from any coilover set up. Even the koni + springs going be stiffer than your current suspension set up.

also grab a JB+. That will give your MCS the extra juice without modifying anything else in the engine. it will work well with your JCW tuning kit as well.

Lastly don't forget your tires are as good as your mods. You can have the best mods and suspension on the planet, but if your tires aren't up to par with performance then it be your weakest link and you will not be able to have full potential of all your mods.

 

Thanks for the info! Getting my windows tinted and just ordered the JCW Aero Kit yesterday, so as far as looks come...I think with that I am satisfied...for now:P

You mentioned the JB+ and I went on a huge search rampage cause yesterday I asked a MINI store mecanic what exactly came in the JCW Tuning Kit that the previous owner got installed. He mentioned that there are 3 stages. Engine, Exhaust, and Wheels/Brakes (correct me if I´m wrong please). So my 2012 mini cooper S currently has all of those. I asked if it had JCW Suspension and he said no. It still runs on Cooper S Suspension but it has run-flats. From my research rampage and you mentioning the importance of wheels, I see now that the stiffness could be due to the tires on my JCW R112 17" Cross Spoke Black Challenge Rims. And yeah, the rear sway bar would be the first thing I´d get.

So aside from that, can my mini handle the JB+ tune with just the JCW tuning kit mentioned above? Is it a do it yourself tuning?

And can you or anyone recommend me the brand/size of some non-runflat tires for my current rims? Also any suggestions on the rear sway bar brand? mm size? aside from the Whiteline suggested above?

I´ll leave suspension for last.

Thanks!!

 

Michelin AS 3's and Continental DWS are very popular choices for all-season performance tires... I also heard that the Conti DW06 is an upgraded version of the DWS.

For longevity, the Michelin AS Premier would be good choice as touring or less aggressive tires.

All mentioned come in:

205/45-17
215/45-17

For rear sway bars, there's plenty out there but I ended up with WMW 22mm on medium setting and very happy with it for my daily commute.

There's a lot of potholes and dips on our freeways here and the Koni / H&R combo handles it pretty well. No bottoming out and ride comfort is manageable. It's all about anticipation...

Best of luck!

 

JCW tune kit is the intake filter/box, exhaust catback. Also there was a ecu tune as well. Not too sure about brakes. Check if you have the red caliper with John Cooper Works stamp on them. I think rim wise yours just came with an upgrade as a wheel option.

Do check if the JB+ work with your jcw tune kit. The JB+ works with mcs, jcw and gp r56 after 2011 using the n18 engines. JB+ is for engine hp/torque improvements at a fraction of the cost. There are different ecu tunes that requires specific parts in 3 stages of turbo as well. JB+ is just a little module that cost very little and require zero mods.

As for stiffness your tires/wheel you have now has nothing to do with it. Run flats are crusing tires. The stiffness you are experiencing is the stock mcs suspension. It is set to be more stiff than other regular cars you might experience. So any changes will be even more stiff. Tires also affect the ride comfort. The lower profile you go the more discomfort and road noise. You say you got 17s. That is profile 45 which will be noisier and less comfortable than stock 16s profile 60. As for recommendations i assume where you live is mostly sun and rain? Then you can stick with summer performance tires which out perform all seasons and winters. I cant really recommend any because price ranges. Read the reviews on the tires that are in your price range.

As for sway bars there are adjustable and non adjustable. The thicker you go the more stiffness you get. The better handling of the car.

Remember stiffness in a car improves performance but decrease ride comfort. You and your family need to find the balance in between.

 

Yeah, went through the Tire section here in the forums and saw the ones your recommended and some Cooper ones stand out. However, I think as far as tires come, I´m going to have to work with whats available here, thanks for the input though.

May I ask, what Koni/HR combo do you mean? Do you mean the Koni Yellows with HR Sport Springs?

 

Thanks for the JCW clarification. Yes, I do have the JCW red calipers. And I´m 100% sold on using the JB+ because from what I´ve read so far it is truly a bang for your buck and it has very little effects on MPG and don´t require additional performance mods.

And thanks for the tire insights as well! Much appreciated! I think I have to stick with all-seasons...or being really cold but no snow can still be handled with summer tires? Right now is winter here in Chile, temperatures reach 40´s in the morning and night and climb to 60-70 during the day. If summer tires can handle rain and cold pavement, then I´m convinced.

And like I mention in the post above, I´m gonna have to work with the brands available here. Michelin, continental, etc are all available, but I don´t think the versions recommended are. Most popular brands here are: Pirelli, dunlop, bridgestone, yokohama, falken,

And the car is only driven by me and the stiffness didn´t affect me one bit when I tried it for the first time. I actually like it because I feel more in control and that go-kart feeling....which is a mini in the end. But then again, I do not know what more-stiff means. But that will come with time and sitting in others peoples cars.

Thanks for the all the info though! Is there any major difference going from a 205 to a 215 tire? Will it rub against the wheel wells on stock suspension?

 

 

Seems like my messages from before didn't post. Anyways to answer your question. Summer tires can be used in rain or dry, but not in cold temperatures around less than 5C. The tire compound 'freezes' up and lose grip. People in California for example use summer tires only as they don't get snow most of the time. Also tire thread on summer gives you excellent grip and control in dry conditions. All seasons/winters have tire thread for light/heavy snow which lowers performance of handling.

"Stiffness" can mean a lot of things to anyone on this forum. Usually its associated with drive comfort and handling. The more stiff you go (swaybars, braces, coilovers) the more 'feeling' you get with your car and better it handles. When I say 'more feeling' it means you feel every bump every corner every little rock. Like a race track car essentially if you go all out with suspension modes. Honestly you just get used to it and it doesnt bother you in the long run. the only people it bothers are the passengers as they aren't used to 'mod' cars. My girlfriend doesn't mind as she got used to it, and my friends who mods their cars don't feel a different. only thing is my mother complaining the car is too low =)

If you are the primary driver I would invest in a set of coilovers for height adjust ability. You will want this because you might want the best height for your needs. Some more expensive sets can adjust dampening for stiffness. A regular set of coilovers like below cost same or almost same as koni + springs.

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...coilovers.html

Also remember when installing coilovers get a set of rear control arms as well. These will help with the rear camber wear. install both at once so you save money on wheel alignment.

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...trol_arms.html

As for tire profile stick with 205. They work best with Mini Coopers. They won't rub with your stock suspension, but in future when you do go coilovers you won't run into as much trouble.

Lastly in future if you need new rims, make sure they are 17 inch+ and correct offset to clear the JcW calipers.

 

That was a lot of great information! Thanks!!