2005 Mini Cooper S (supercharged)

This was the 3rd Mini owned by Nick, the first one being a 2002 Cooper, followed by a 2004 Cooper S. This car was a 2005 model, which featured the new headlights, shorter gear ratios, limited slip differential (lsd), free flowing exhaust manifold and revised supercharger.

After buying this car a number of modifications were tried, some new and some from previous Mini's which had proven to be worth doing!

Eibac Pro Kit Springs

After using these on the previous Mini Cooper S it was decided that they would be used again, we did look at alternatives from KW however the Eibachs gave a more subtle drop - if you want to go for more of a drop and a greater increase in handling it is advisable to go down the coilover route. As this car was going to be used primarily for road use it seemed the best option was to go for the subtle drop and slight increase in stiffness the Eibach Springs offer - whilst maintaining a very good ride quality (arguably better than standard)

Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels with Yokohama Parada Spec 2 tyres

In order to go for a "track look" I decided on the Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 wheels for a number of reasons. They are a light wheel 7.9kgs compared with 11.4kgs for the standard s spoke design wheels. The finish of the rims is also very good, they have a very good gloss finish which seems to resist chipping very well.

Wider 215 40 17 tyres were chosen to help the handling, the Yokohama Parada Spec 2's have a very unique tread pattern, looking almost like semi slicks. In the dry the performance of these was excellent, however in the wet as expected they were very average.

Alta CAI V1 (Cold air induction kit)

After trying the JCW air filter on the previous mini, it was decided that the Alta unit would be used instead, this is a very well made filter which comes with a heat shield to prevent hot air being drawn in from the engine bay. As the heat shield was silver on this particular model (it is available in black) I resprayed it matt black to give a more factory appearance.

The Alta reportedly gives very good gains (around 5-7bhp) and it did make the car feel more responsive. Fitting this filter also results in a pretty drastic increase in supercharger whine!

Larini Club Sport Cat Back Exhaust System

After trying exhausts from Milltek (highly recommended) and Magnaflow (very loud) it was decided to give Larini a try (known for producing exhausts for supercars). The quality of the Larini was fantastic, it gave a nice raspy tone without being boomy in the car. This is probably the best system I tried on the Mini.

M7 Tuning Strut Brace

This strut brace from M7 (an American Mini Tuning Company) was chosen for its build quality and the fact that it has a cut away to clear the Alta heat shield. This strut brace also featured strut tower reinforcers, which prevent "mushrooming" of the strut tops.

Dension Ice Link for Ipod connectivity

This Mini also had a Dension Ice link fitted, which allows the use of your Ipod with the factory head unit. It sits behind the dash board and has a flying lead which can be run into the glove box. Control of the Ipod is then taken over by the head unit, it also charges the Ipod and displays the Track ID information on the screen of the head unit. It is highly recommended by us as the sound quality is also fantastic.