Curious about Mini performance...

Hola, I was looking into Mini Coopers and was wondering, what is their performance in regards to the street racing scene? I looked up the price for a 2003 base Mini w/out any frills on KBB and the price came out to 15K. The 0-60 for an '03 Cooper is 8.3 and 16.6 in the quarter-mile ~ Car and Driver. For 15K a serious buyer could find a used car with pretty good quality that would destroy the Mini on a dragstrip (according to these times). Is this all for the Mini or would it make up for it's poor speed w/ better handling? I understand that the Mini would have better reliability and more *luxury* because of it's relatively recent manufacturing but in terms of speeds around say... a track. Would the Mini stand up to a 3000Gt for example. We know the 3000GT would burn a mini at the 'strip, so what would be the outcome? Just wondering.

if its a vr4 just forget about it......
if its a mini s and your racing an sl then maybe....

yeah i would never look into a base model mini for racing. you need atleast the super charged S. and from driving those they have good tq but power falls off fast after 5K rpm. stock they run high 15's. not very impressive but they handle and they're a dream to parallel park.

So why'd you buy your Ferrari? "For the exclusivity, history and performance."

Why did you buy your WS6? "For the raw power of a modern day muscle car."

Why did you buy your Mini? "It parallel parks like no other!!1!"

mini cooper? blah!!!!!!

herbie the love bug wannabes!!

yeah i agree with these guys...and even if you had the mini S and the other dude had an SL, i the SL would cruise by from a roll...from a dig...about the same....

if you're contemplating between getting a mini cooper S and a VR4....

1. you're a HUGE mini fan....
2. you think they're "cute" and don't care much about your balls..
3. or you aren't very well versed on the performance of VR4's

like these guys said....good track cars but for the strip a mini would have a hard time keeping up with everyone...

j/k with the love bug wannabe's comment...:D

I would think that if you were planning on autocrossing, the Mini would be better. The VR-4 is getting a bit geriatric. I would buy something lighter and newer like a WRX or '06 Civic SI

Mini's arent straight ling performers...never have been and never will be. The new ones are based on the curvies because the old ones where such good handlers and where constantly raced on tracks with turns (ie real tracks). they handle(d) so well because their tires where placed in the absolute best area, the 4 far corners, you absolutely could/can not flip them w/o trying and it allows for better weight distribution for more neutral handleling and the traction patch stars more even because there is less swaying.
the supercharged one is sapposed to be pretty quick and have even more "little elves", as the heel toe tutorial site said, to keep yours tires firmly planted and transmission properly rev mached.

Would the Mini stand up to a 3000Gt for example. We know the 3000GT would burn a mini at the 'strip, so what would be the outcome? Just wondering.


Funny you should ask:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=415415&highlight=mini

I used to own a JCW MINI Cooper S. I put out 205HP and I had some suspension work done to it.

It was not a 1/4 mile car at all. It was quick though and would run neck and neck with my friends 2002 Mustang GT from a dead stop to 110 MPH. On the interstate? I destroyed a BMW 330i from 70-130 MPH he was bus lengths behind. Some kid in a Spec V Sentra was talking up all kinds of smack on me at a red light telling his friend in his car I was afraid of his car. We cought 2 lights together and I was on my phone at the 1st light so I did not play with him even though he wanted to and made it clear. I got off the phone in a hurry at the second light and pulled a good 7+ cars on him by the top of 3rd. Think Sentra SpecV vs. Mustang GT and you get the picture.

At the track? Road course that is? Here is a review of an open track day I did. I had a driving instructor because I was new to the club and had to be evaluated. This was supposed to be a MINI only event and my 1st time tracking the MINI. I normally track my RX-7.


My instructor had a hard time turning the racer off in himself. I have the same problem. I see a car in front I want to chase it down and pass it. I call it Grand Turismo disease.

When we went out for our 3rd run group we ended up going out a little late. So the other MINI's and "other cars" were on track. We got the go ahead to pull out of the pits and onto the track. Nothing in front of us and a couple of MINI's rounding turn 10. We were able to get up to speed quickly and had a wide open track in front of us. 1st time all day.

We cranked out some really nice laps perfect lines the car felt great and I was getting really comfortable with it close to its limits both in turns and in braking. I was in a good groove. My instructor had shown me some great lines around the track and the MINI loved it.

We see a red car pretty far in front. It was a C-5 Vette. I said to my instructor, "awesome we will not catch him we have tons of room to really drive."

2 laps later we are about 10 cars behind and closing. I was content with just pacing the C-5, Robin (my instructor) however wanted to cloe up the gap. (Race Driver - hard to turn off) We did!! I was amazed that my MINI could keep up with this Vette. He definitely had the advantage on the straights...well sort of.

He would come out of a turn 10-20 MPH slower than I. On some of the shorter straights he never got to see anything else but me in his mirrors. Very Happy!!

For 3 laps I pushed him around the track. Each lap we would round turn 10 and I would be that much closer to him. By the last lap I was 1 car length behind exiting 10 and could have passed him if I was allowed.

I cannot tell you how much of a rush it is to be driving a 205 HP MINI and chasing down a 350+ HP Vette. I could out turn and out brake that Vette by so much it was amazing. When we got to the end of a long straight he would open the gap to about 10 cars only to have it closed by 5 cars just in the braking zone the the other five cars would get eaten up in the turns. I attribute a lot of this to the fact that I have Zimmerman rotors and Metalic Racing brake pads from MyMini along with the Spax Coil over and rear swaybar..... Wow!

As far as a MINI loosing its power over 5K RPM is dead wrong, in actuality the power pours on from 5K to the 7,300RPM redline. I would hit my rev limiter a lot because it just does not stop pulling. Its not rocketship but it moves out nicely. It makes no mistakes on the road course that is sure. I sold the car because it was just too easy to drive and I like a good challange. When I turn a fast lap in my RX-7 it is much more rewarding because I did it not the car. A MINI will make you look like a pro on the track.

BMW's Elves to teh rescue!!!!!un!!!on3!!!

Found this vid the other day and thought of this thread.

http://members.tripod.com/ghmyc_1m/lrppca4.wmv