Nially P's Mini Cooper S JCW

[niallyp]

Got the new car a few weeks ago, today I washed with ag body shampoo, dried with ag aquadry, clayed with megs clay bar and quick detailer, polished with ag super resin and finally waxed with megs NXT Tech wax. Bumper plastic done with ag bumper care.

Nothing wrong with the Fabia, just I wanted something different and quicker. Not as many about as the usual Focus ST/Type R hot hatches. Bad points - It's 18 months older than the furby, the cruise control is not as spot on as the fabia was and the stereo doesnt sound as good straight out the packet. But who cares about the stereo - the exhaust pops and bangs like crazy on the overrun after the charger whines like a banshee. Windows down in every tunnel!!!

MPG now steady at 33ish over the last 1500 miles so not that bad really. 0-60 is quick, book is 6.7 secs, but not any real timings yet. Next month getting the further Works upgrade kit which changes the air filter, spark plugs and gives a further ecu tweak.

Other options fitted to it are the chilli pack (wheels, xenons, a/c and sports seats) full black leather, park distance control, stability control, corner braking control, multi function steering wheel, cruise control and ipod connector in glovebox. Free servicing until end of 2008.

It may be camp but im still loving it!!!

All comments welcome

Niall

[sharkrider]

as long as you're happy with it fella, thats all that counts....

and the s-works IS a fast car

[mluton]

I like.

[fabmark]

Suppose you'll get to the appointments quicker, don't want the old dears waiting for their blue rinse do we?

Is that the intercooler sat on top of the engine?

[ChrisRs]

Very nice but do you find it has hard suspension?

[niallyp]

fabmark - thats the usual response or "when did you start with foxtons" haha, yeah thats the blower sat on top of the engine. does get pretty hot, but the scoop is there to do the job. the new cooper s is turbo'd but they have kept the scoop.

chris - people criticise the ride on the runflats but tbh i dont mind it, you point it, it goes. it doesn't have the jcw suspension package, just standard cooper s suspension. quite a fan of your new brief - test drove a diesel one before i got this - its got a fairly stiff setup!

[blackmagic]

Looks well, needs a pair of spotlights on the front to finish it off though.

[niallyp]

spotlights like everything with bmw/mini =

[bengie]

very very nice, good looking quick motor. bet you miss the uphill torque though don't you

[Tom_vRS]

Lol, stop trolling Ben!

Lovely motors these - I really wish I could justify running something like it. Even my mates One is a hoot in the twisties. FWIW a remapped Fabia matches a standard Cooper S in acceleration pretty identically - hardly suprising as they are both around the 170bhp mark.

[bengie]

they might well be both 170bhp but the scooper has a much better spread of power and weighs nearly 200Kg less

and either the scooper i went up against wasn't standard or they were quicker than a 4x4 octavia with a smidge over 200bhp(that was quicker than a fabia :P )

[niallyp]

having driven the fabia back to back against the mini on the same roads i.e. going to pick up the new brief and coming home, the torque hit isnt there like on the fabia but throw this into a corner and it grips like **** on covers. The fabia wallowed and scrabbled at lower speeds but this is SO much more balanced. wheels at the corners of the car.

acceleration wise a standard cooper s is allegedly around the 7 - 7.5ish mark to 60, so prob about the same as a remapped furby but feels pretty gutless compared to the fabia. The works cooper s is 6.6s to 60 and an extra 40bhp so went for that

in twisties it will take a lot to match it. most played with cooper s machines have the tuning badge on the boot (John Cooper Works, Hartge, GTT) and have non standard exhausts so if it aint got puny silver coke cans then expect more than 200bhp which makes things interesting

[faboka vrs]

Nice.

Gets the from me.

If only...

[andypandypoos]

the exhaust pops and bangs like crazy on the overrun after the charger whines like a banshee. Windows down in every tunnel!!!

the world needs more of stuff like that

they might well be both 170bhp but the scooper has a much better spread of power and weighs nearly 200Kg less

and either the scooper i went up against wasn't standard or they were quicker than a 4x4 octavia with a smidge over 200bhp(that was quicker than a fabia :P )

wasn't that a new cooper s though? with a turbo?

[bengie]

nah, over a year ago.

[Babs]

I drove a Cooper S the other day... didn't think it was that quick?

[Wardy]

Looks nice Niall - like the zorst especially

You may want to blank your plate out in the 3rd pic though?

Steve

[andypandypoos]

I drove a Cooper S the other day... didn't think it was that quick?

doesn't have to feel quick to be quick though

[niallyp]

babs - agreed, the standard s does not feel that quick, much less torque than a vRS. The Works kit changes that slightly and gives it a nice sountrack to listen to.

wardy - that plate aint on the car anymore so i'll leave the pic up. cheers anyway!!!

Niall