Tabla de contenidos para April/May 2021 en Performance MINI

INTRO WELCOME With the last issue technically going on sale right at the end of 2020, let me welcome you to the first issue of 2021. The new year may not have started quite the way we would have liked with yet another lockdown, but despite what the coronavirus might throw at us, I’ve got a feeling this is going to be an exciting year for modern MINI fans. For starters, 2021 marks the 20th birthday for the reborn British icon, and we’ve got a special issue coming up next time to celebrate this important milestone. We’ve also got loads of fantastic feature cars and plenty more feature ideas in the pipeline too, all waiting to be photographed just as soon as lockdown is lifted and we can get out…

FEATURE R53 JCW THE FULL MONTE GO BACK IN TIME WITH THIS R53 TRIBUTE TO A LEGENDARY CLASSIC MINI Words BEN BIRCH Photos JASON DODD Like you, we’ve really missed MINI shows over the past year or so. Seeing wicked new takes on modifying, laughing at some poor sod’s comical sunburn, and scoffing 50-quid’s-worth of burgers (that’s two, then) is always life-affirming. At every show there’s a bunch of cars that look very similar and blend into one another, but there’s always one or two that scream ‘I’m different!’ and demand your attention. With its Monte Carlo rally theme and immaculate finish inside and out, Leo Wakelin’s R53 JCW is definitely the latter. Leo grew up watching the original Italian Job and Mr Bean on his telly, so he forged…

FEATURE R53 COOPER S OCD R53 COULD THIS BE THE WORLD’S MOST METICULOUSLY MODIFIED R53? Words BEN BIRCH Photos JASON DODD We’ve featured some stunning MINIs on these hallowed pages over the years, but Jamie Rideout’s Cooper S honestly takes attention-to-detail to a whole new level. We had to chop out most of his tech spec or there wouldn’t have been space for any pictures – and there’s no room for waffle, so let’s get straight into his passionate and pricey build. “It all started when I fell for a customer’s Indi Blue R50 fitted with an Aero kit, white roof and mirrors. It was completely standard but just looked so right, and ever since then I fancied one just like it,” remembers Jamie. When the opportunity to scratch the…

TECH HANDLING CLINIC PART SIX CORNER WEIGHTING TODD EXPLAINS THE PROCESS OF CORNER-WEIGHTING, HOW IT WORKS, AND HOW IT CAN HELP IMPROVE A MINI’S HANDLING Words TODD CROOKS Photos VARIOUS One of the main reasons many people fit coilovers to a MINI is to have the ability to adjust the ride height of the car. Lowering the ride height does have benefits, but height-adjustable coilovers also give you the ability to alter the way weight is balanced around the car. The amount of load on any wheel and tyre greatly affects the way it generates grip; balancing the load between the tyres allows you to maximise the overall grip of the car. Making these adjustments is otherwise known as corner-weighting. FRONT TO BACK In many applications you will look to…

MOTORSPORT R53 COOPER S THROTTLE ROCKET HE’D NEVER RACED BEFORE. HE’D NEVER DRIVEN A MINI BEFORE. BUT LEE CAMPBELL THREW TOGETHER THOSE IDEAS AND MADE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY HAPPEN… Words DAN BEVIS Photos MITCH BROWN Think about how you drive your car. How much of your time behind the wheel do you spend with your foot absolutely flat to the floor? Unless you’re on a track or on the way to getting your collar felt, the likelihood is that it’s not very much. That’s the reality of road driving. There are many more factors at play than a simple ‘How fast can I go?’, and that’s one of the primary appeals of racing and track driving. Just ask Lee Campbell. Here’s a man who loves nothing more than to get his toe…

NEWS MINI WINS DAKAR The X-Raid MINI JCW team has secured victory on the gruelling Dakar rally for a second consecutive year. Building on the success enjoyed by Carlos Sainz last year, French legend Stéphane Peterhansel kept main rival Nasser Al-Attiyah’s Toyota in sight on the final stages in Saudi Arabia to wrap up a record 14th Dakar Rally victory – 30 years after his first one. The Frenchman won the event by 13 minutes and 51 seconds, while last year’s winner, Sainz, was just over an hour behind in another MINI after 4751 miles of demanding action. The result marks Peterhansel’s third car victory in a MINI, and ‘Mr Dakar’ now stands alone as the biggest winner in a single category with eight car wins, after previously sharing the…

PRODUCTS NEW GEAR CHECK OUT THE LATEST TUNING PRODUCTS FOR YOUR MINI… MULGARI FLAT-BOTTOM STEERING WHEEL WHEEL £387.50 (exchange) This new flat-bottom steering wheel from Mulgari will improve the interior aesthetics of any F54, F55, or F56 model. The soft Alcantara provides extra grip and a luxury feel, while the flat bottom gives that sporty profile lacking from the OE item. The price is based on an exchange for your existing wheel, but can be purchased outright – speak to Mulgari for full details. Mulgari recommend professional installation (which they offer at their Bracknell workshops for free throughout 2021) to ensure safety when dealing the air bags. For more info, visit the website. www.mulgari.com LOHEN JCW GP3 COBRA SPORT VALVED EXHAUST From £1714 Cobra Sport has released a valved exhaust…

FEATURE R56 COOPER S SCENE BUT NOT HERD CRAIG WILCOCK’S R56 FEATURES A SCENE-FRIENDLY STANCE AND ASPIRATIONAL UPGRADES, BUT HE’S CERTAINLY NOT FOLLOWING THE HERD... Words DAN BEVIS Photos JASON DODD A lot of significance is placed on the notion of ‘built not bought’. To many of us, it’s a real badge of honour – our cars are uniquely our own, thanks to the blood, sweat and swearing we’ve poured into them over the years. But this segregation can alienate the ‘bought not built’ crowd, who enjoy the modified car scene but don’t possess the skills or inclination to roll up their sleeves and tackle the job themselves – although it’s thanks to these people that the aftermarket parts world and tuning garage culture exists. Either side of the coin…

TECH SURVIVAL GUIDE FIRST-GENERATION HATCH (R50/ R53) WITH THE FIRST-GENERATION MODELS NOW 20 YEARS OLD, WE LOOK AT THE COMMON PROBLEMS TO BLIGHT THE R50 AND R53 MINIS, AND HOW AVOID OR OVERCOME THEM Words MARTYN COLLINS Photos VARIOUS This year is the celebration of a big birthday for the reborn MINI brand under BMW ownership; it’s 20 years since the first ‘new’ MINI hit UK roads back in July 2001. Now considered a modern classic in its own right, the R50 One and Cooper range grew over five years to include the fastest R53 Cooper S and R52 Convertible models. Highlights included the sympathetically executed retro exterior and interior styling, quality build, keen handling, low running costs and comfortable ride. But after almost 20 years on UK roads and…

MOTORSPORT TRACK GUIDE CADWELL PARK ALEX SHOWS US HOW TO TAKE ON THE UK’S VERY OWN MINI-NÜRBURGRING: CADWELL PARK IN LINCOLNSHIRE Words ALEX NEVILL Photos VARIOUS Known as the mini-Nürburgring, Cadwell Park presents an incredible challenge for drivers. It’s extremely narrow, and offers a fantastic combination of blind crests, big elevation changes and some really rewarding cambers. As a race track it’s better suited for bikes (it really is that narrow), so you’ll want to make sure you’re starting on pole. But for a pure driving experience it’s unrivalled, making it a great track-day venue. #1 – COPPICE The first turn is Coppice; a fast left-hander that climbs uphill steeply. You need to carry as much speed as you can through the corner; depending on your car this turn is…

NEWS MINI UPDATES WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MOST RECENT UPDATES FOR THE LATEST F56 COOPER S MODELS…

DRIVEN LCI MINI COUNTRYMAN COUNTRYMAN COOPER SE DESIGN TWEAKS, ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND NEW TECH ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FACELIFTED SECOND-GENERATION COUNTRYMAN. MARTYN’S BEEN DRIVING THE COOPER SE VERSION Words MARTYN COLLINS Photos MINI Whether or not the idea of an SUV-style MINI appeals, the Countryman – which is in its second generation – is an established and popular model with family buyers and MINI enthusiasts alike. Three years since its launch, and it’s time for the biggest MINI to receive its mid-life facelift. Outside, these Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) changes mean revised grilles, more aggressive bumpers with rectangular detailing, new LED headlights and fog lights, Union Jack-style rear light clusters, new body colours, a Piano Black exterior gloss trim option and revised alloy wheel designs. All Countryman models now…

FEATURE R59 JCW ROADSTER RUDE TUBE STAR OF THE SMALL SCREEN AND DARLING OF THE INTERNET, THIS JCW ROADSTER IS GROWING INTO A MODIFIED MOTORSPORT HERO Words DAN BEVIS Photos JASON DODD YouTube has a lot to answer for. Since its inception in 2005, it’s grown to become shorthand for the genre it represents – much like people call every vacuum cleaner a Hoover or every low-loader a Hiab, the YouTube name has come to encapsulate the ever-present and super-insistent world of online video. And rightly so; starting off with the genesis Me at the zoo clip, it’s grown into an all-pervading colossus, with over a billion videos being viewed each day, and more than 500 hours of content being uploaded every minute. But you know what YouTube is. So…

IN THE SCENE CLUB DIRECTORY IN THE CLUB! LOOKING FOR A MINI CLUB IN YOUR AREA? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR DIRECTORY FOR ENTHUSIAST GROUPS NEAR YOU… NATIONAL MINI CLUBS BRITISH MINI CLUBwww.britishminiclub.co.uk FULL ON MINIwww.fullonminis.co.uk MINI COOPER REGISTERwww.minicooper.org MINI REGISTER UKwww.bmwcarclubgb.co.uk CLUBMAN ESTATE REGISTERwww.clubmanestates.co.uk MINI TORQUEwww.minitorque.com TOTAL MINIwww.totalMINI.com GP OWNERS CLUBwww.gpoc.co.uk 210CLUB FACEBOOK GROUPwww.facebook.com/groups/210Club (Challenge210 Owners only) MINI MOVEMENThttps://business.facebook.com/groups/MINI.Movement/?ref=gysj MINI COOPER OWNER/DRIVERS CLUBhttps://business.facebook.com/groups/504433849698049/?ref=gysj R53 OWNERS CLUBhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/154538898666141/ MINI Y-REGISTERwww.miniyregister.co.uk 02 S REGISTERwww.02sregister.co.uk MINIACS ONLY GROUPwww.miniacsonlygroup.co.uk THE CLUB53www.theclub53.com BMW CAR CLUB GBwww.bmwcarclubgb.uk MINI WHORESwww.facebook.com/andy996sps JCW CLUBMAN UK REGISTERwww.facebook.com/groups/1713021032320203 MODDEDMINI.COMwww.facebook.com/groups/1727463463951925 SCOTLAND NEW MINI SCOTLANDwww.newminiscotland.co.uk MINICLANwww.miniclan.com SCOTTISH MINISwww.scottishminis.com IRELAND MINI CLUB OF IRELANDwww.miniclub.ie MINIS IN NORTHERN IRELANDwww.minisinnorthernireland.co.uk NI MINISwww.ni-minis.co.uk WALES CARDIFF MINI CLUBwww.cardiffminiclub.co.uk SNOWDON MINISwww.facebook.com/SnowdonMinis/ NORTH WALES/WEST MINI OWNERS GROUPwww.northwaleswestminiownersgroup.weebly.com NORTHERN ENGLAND LEYLAND & DISTRICT MINI CLUBwww.leylandminiclub.com NORTH EAST MINI CLUBwww.neminiclub.com OLDHAM & DISTRICT…

TECH SUPERCHARGER REBUILDS SUPERCHARGER PROBLEMS GT TUNING’S ROLAND GARDINER TALKS THROUGH THE COMMON CAUSES OF FAILURE ON THE FIRST-GENERATION COOPER S M45 BLOWER, AND HOW TO FIX AND PREVENT THEM FROM HAPPENING AGAIN Words ROLAND GARDINER & JAMIE Photos ROLAND GARDINER & LEO VECCHIO MINI specialist GT Tuning has been offering a range of supercharger rebuilds for over six years, and in that time the firm has rebuilt well over 500 Eaton M45 superchargers for the first-generation Cooper S. Not only does the company offer rebuilds for all areas of the supercharger, GTT can also upgrade and improve while giving your tired blower a new lease of life. And unless you’ve recently rebuilt it, your supercharger will almost certainly require some attention. GTT’s Roland Gardiner explains why: “Most MINI owners should…