Disclaimer- I don't own a MINI, nor have I ever really seriously considered
purchasing one. But I have driven a Cooper on the street and have researched
the options.
The cool thing about the MINI for autoxers is that there are no "forced" option
packages. Every option that is available in a package is also available as a
*stand alone* option. That means you can change your mind later on what wheel
size to run or add/remove anything which can be added or removed without having
to retrofit other unwanted parts of a package because essentially a MINI can be
had with any combination of options from the factory.
If you buy the base Cooper, I think you want the Sport Suspension Plus. Maybe
also sport seats as Carl said. But everything else is probably just dead
weight.
You can choose between 15" and 16" wheels. It doesn't really matter which you
get because if you're serious about autoxing on race tires you're going to get
another set anyway. But unlike my MR2 the Cooper is not a torque monster and
has rather tall gearing in 2nd, so smaller outside diameter of the tire you run
is probably good. If you are serious and willing to run Hoosiers, you will end
up using the 16" rims as the 215/40/16 "shorty" Hoosiers are way smaller than
stock. If you want to play around at local events on Kumhos or Falkens you may
get better gearing at the expense of some width on the 15s.
If you care most about the car being nationally competitive, the Cooper is
proven in HS and a safer bet. The Cooper S could be good in GS but there are a
lot of proven cars it must un-prove.
If you care more about how the thing feels on the street, the choice is
obvious. While the base Cooper makes okay power up top, I can't remember
another car in which I wanted to use 1st gear so often on the street. I guess
the Cooper S makes most power up top as well, but at least there's more of it.
Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: Ms Katie Kelly [mailto:katiekelly@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 2:54 PM
To: ba-autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Let's Talk Minis
A friend is buying a Mini, and wants to autocross it.
What's the best option-package (most competitive) for
a Mini? I guess it has all these options, like
five-point harnesses (??) and the like, and he is
overwhelmed. Is there an "R" version? I know there's
an S, but that's not what I mean. What's the most
kick-a$$ set up for a Mini for autocross.
Any suggestions would be REALLY appreciated!
-Katie
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