BMW will supply stop & go & braking energy recovery battery systems on future Mini Coopers, tho they will not be hybrids! How 'bout them apples.

Go to Green Car Congress for more details.

 

Yup, the 2008 MINI has some changes...

http://motoringfile.com/2007/05/25/m...r-2008-models/

No more idling? Could be handy in urban and gridlock traffic. Actually I wish I had a manual pedal mode for traffic that is crawling. I would pedal like a bike and a motor/battery would store my 1/3 HP energy which would show as an energy charge on the dash, then when I need to creep along the car would chug forward and the energy meter would drop so I'd need to do more pedaling while I wait in traffic. Hey, get some exercise too.

 

Cooper S is hands down the funnest car I've ever driven. Handling is a dream, no comparison to the fit, sorry, although Fit handling is great. The sound of the supercharger is something else, and you can't beat 6-speed transmission, no doubt. It's a sporty car, I'd trade my Fit in for one if I had the money.

 

Hello everyone! Im a little new here to this forum, so i just wanted to say Hi! :D

I have been looking at the Honda Fit for about a week, researching the car and what not. (thats how i found this site) I came across this thread and it just made me smile. I am a current owner of a 2006 Mini Cooper S, and have been thinking about trading in my Mini and buying a Fit. If i decide to go through with my plan, i will be able to trade in my mini and buy a new fit outright or with only 1-2k loan which i could pay off within a year and no longer have any car payment. The Fit seemed to be the best car in its class and the best equiped. It is much like my Mini except it has alot more cargo/rear seat room than my mini does, but in return it lacks alot of the performance in handling and power. I believe the Fit to be more practical than my mini and very good bang for the buck (which is why im considering buying a Fit ;) )

I really dont have the time to take the mini to the track so all of its sportyness is not being put to use. I think i would rather have something a little more practical and get better gas milage, along with good looks and no car payment.

This is how i see things...

Mini S - Cheap sports car, i bought mine for about 25K new. I didnt pick any packages and picked out my options seperately. 167Hp 155tq in a fairly light car is very fun to drive. Especially when matched with a 6 speed close ratio trans. There are alot of things that the Mini has that most people do not know about. For example it has equal length drive shafts to minimize torque steer when you are accelerating hard. (most cars do not have this) Or a braking system that can see how far your steering wheel is turned and be able to tell if you are not on the correct line of path. The car will actually start to brake individual brakes in order to keep it going in the direction you want it to. Or how about a tire pressure sensor that will go off if any tire is 4psi lower than the others.

The car is truely a mini BMW and it has alot of things on it you would find on a lot more expensive BMW. (hince the price is a little high) As for performance the Mini S wins hands down in all areas.

Fit - I think the fit is more practical than the mini when it comes to daily driving. The Fit has four doors and alot more cargo room on the inside. Although the mini's rear seats do fold down the fit has a ton more room inside. the ability to fit a object 7'10 inches long in a sub compact is crazy! I honestly think of the mini as a 2 seater with a trunk (rear seats down) The front seats of the mini are designed to fit someone 6'10 i believe so there is plenty of room for two. However the fit has good room for 4 and a little more trunk space. The fit probably has a nicer ride (not sure yet as i havent driven one) But i can say this. The 2006 and prior minis with sport suspension like mine, are very stiff. mostly due because the cars suspension was never designed to have run flat tires, which give hardly no cushin. Although the Mini sport suspension is good for handling, its a little rough navagating through pot hole infested roads.

The fit also gets better gas milage, especially if you have a heavy foot in a supercharged Mini. Although you can get somewhat decent gas milage in a Mini S if you baby the rev's. I think i average around mid 20's in city traffic if im keeping the rpms around 2.5k. Oh and the fit sport can range 10-15k cheaper depending upon the mini's options.

But anyways, enough of my rambling...maybe soon i will be driving a Fit. :D

 

I have a 2003 MCS 6 speed modded up for autocross and track. Very stiff suspension and a set of street tires with tall sidewall for comfort. Rides find for daily use.

I have a 2007 Fit Sport entirely stock. Handling is good, power adequate with auto transmission. Utility space is excellent and overall ride is very good, it's still a small car.

I'd say comparing a base Cooper with the Fit is closer than Fit vs MCS. The power of the MCS is superior and the 2006 have really good gearing if you have the 6 speed (much better than the earlier years 2002-2004). Runflats can be changed out to improve the ride, use 205/55-16 all season tires or 215/45-17. Interior optional fabrics are superior in the MINI, esp if you got leather option, audio upgrades are superior too in the MINI.

MINI is only two door hatch so while it is versatile it's doesn't have as much space for people or cargo as the FIT- which nearly beats anything short of a MINI van.

Best gas mileage I've got in my MINI when stock was 33 mpg. Best in my Fit Sport with mixed driving was about 32-33 mpg. Most of the time I get between 25 and 29 with the MINI but it's tough not to drive it hard.

Insurance rates are good for the fit. Both are good cars for daily use. If you have really bad roads then the Fit will do better. Don't get larger wheels, stay with the stock 14" or 15" if possible. Get the manual transmission if you can find one- they are rare.

If you want to find out more about upgrades for the MINI check out Northamericanmotoring.com and if you want to learn about the Fit stay here.:D

 

Im actually a member of NAM, name is Mini Mizer on that forum.

 

What Honda needs to do is give us a "Fit SI" or "Fit Type R". Shoe-horn in that 1.8 SOHC from the Civic, retune the 1.5, or s/c the 1.5. That'd be great to see go against the Mini Cooper S.

I think at this point it comes down to just taste. The Fit is definitely a more practical, Japanese (Honda specifically) do-everything-you-want-for-a-good-price car. The Mini, although less practical, is a bit more fun and quirky.

 

pre-2007 mini's have a chrysler sourced engine....'nuff said.:eek:

 

Yes, the 2002 to 2006 MC and MCS had chrysler designed Triton engines.
They are durable and allow for moderate levels of modificatons. Although an older design and nothing really that special they have worked fine for the MINI. Not quite as large as the engines found in the Dodge Neon, parts are not interchangable but design is similar. MINI has a 1.6 liter engine.

Now the BMW/Renault designed Turbo engines in the MCS have taken over and are already proving they are quite good. Better performance and better gas mileage.

My 2003 Cooper S has plenty of mods for power and others have added a turbo to their superchargers or removed the supercharger and installed turbo only. It's pretty easy to mod up to about 220 HP and with turbo from 280 to 400 HP.

 

MINI engine is designed after the triton engines, but are not the same engine per-say. The old SC MINI engine is actually extremely durable. With its cast iron block and forged internals from the factory, it is very capable of handling alot of modding.

We still are unsure how the French built turbo engine in the new 07 MINI's will handle modding. It is an aluminum block now which is weaker than the old cast iron. Not sure how much boost they will be able to pump out of it without having to get it sleeved thicker. The block may also twist under high HP/Trq applications. Who knows...they are too new at the moment.

But i can tell you the little iron block 1.6L in the old minis can handle big HP.

Do to the cast iron block the old minis are able to run about 20-23psi of boost. The car below was running 28psi of boost but it has had forged pistons put in.

Fireballed! racing has a mini currently running 412whp in a turbo application on 104 octane. (with stock crank and rods.) This setup is in a street car driven by one of the employees at fireballed! The same engine made 513whp with the turbo and additional nitrous. The engine made 348whp on 91 octane with no nitrous.

Not bad for a little 1.6L

Also the R53 (older SC MINI's) have been out longer and are having some really great stuff developed for the car. There are new CNC heads out with larger valves and duel springs that are making about 33-38 whp with stock cam and ECU.

There is also a company making a Rotrex supercharger kit for the mini, but is still in development.

A Eaton M62 supercharger kit is also being developed. (same supercharger thats on the SS cobalt)

Of course there is always the "Twurbo" kits that are already out, that use a Turbo and a supercharger at the same time.

And last but not least you can go single turbo...of course.

I personally would rather have a cast iron block in a boosted application but thats just my preference. But hey...you never know the new MINI may have a few tricks up its sleeve. ;)

 

Hello everyone,

I think that it would probably be more appropriate to compare a FIT SI against a Mini Cooper S and a FIT Type R against a Mini Cooper GP. I always say that you can't beat Honda as far as reliability, practicality and price. I had a down payment on Mini Cooper GP #0959 but I'm glad I didn't go through with it now. :)

Cheers,
Todd