I have been all over NAM, and the people there are just STOOPID. There are as many opinions on the best tuning options as there are stars in the sky, and no one agrees on anything. The few people I would consider "professionals" all seem to have their own hidden agendas. It is for this reason I am hitting up the 6speeders - people who tend to be into high end cars and high end tuning.

Here's what I'm looking for:
1. Turbo-Back Exhaust, including downpipe & cat. My options are Way Motor Works, Milltek, and Exhaust Depot. Alta makes one, but I know I don't want Alta. The biggest argument here is 2.5" vs. 3". I personally believe the 2.5" model is the way to go on our dinky 1.6L engine. Thoughts?

2. ECU - there is a choice of Unichip or GIAC, both of which are a bit rinkydink at the moment; neither of which produce appreciable gains below 4K RPM. Any thoughts on the existing options or know about any upcoming items?

3. Suspension - I was originally going to go with springs over OEM dampers, but it just seems way too half-assed. I am debating coilovers now: M7 vs. H&R vs. KW V1/V2 vs. BC BR. My goal is spirited street driving with ZERO track exposure.

 

First and foremost, I never seen any forum (including 6speed) that has every member agreeing to a product/car. Personally, I think that is great!!! Every member should be entitled to voice out their own opinions/feedbacks and who wants to look at a car with similar setup, not me.

That being said, collecting info. from forums is great, but at the same time, contact the sales manufacturer (directly) and not a vendor. By doing so, you will learn more about the product they sell, and from there you can do your comparison.

What I look for in a product? A product that has a life time warranty, where the product is manufatured, and how long have they been in business.

1. Turbo-back exhaust - everything you wrote down you can't go wrong. The question is: what are you looking for? Low/deep pitch sound, 2.5/3" exhaust, titanium/steel/aluminium bend, hp, etc...

2. ECU - I'll PM you person to contact.

3. Suspension - great choices again. I'm assuming you are looking at coilovers, if so, the queston is; what kind of ride are you looking for? Coilovers are available with progressive or linear springs. Progressive springs are usually recommended for daily driving, and I know a lot of MINI owners are running progressive springs. And the linear springs are often used by weekend warriors/track racers, and a better choice IMO. You have more selection with spring rates (soft-hard), moreover, you will be able to fit wider tires/rims on your MINI.

Good luck!

 

First and foremost, I never seen any forum (including 6speed) that has every member agreeing to a product/car. Personally, I think that is great!!! Every member should be entitled to voice out their own opinions/feedbacks and who wants to look at a car with similar setup, not me.

That being said, collecting info. from forums is great, but at the same time, contact the sales manufacturer (directly) and not a vendor. By doing so, you will learn more about the product they sell, and from there you can do your comparison.

What I look for in a product? A product that has a life time warranty, where the product is manufatured, and how long have they been in business.

1. Turbo-back exhaust - everything you wrote down you can't go wrong. The question is: what are you looking for? Low/deep pitch sound, 2.5/3" exhaust, titanium/steel/aluminium bend, hp, etc...

2. ECU - I'll PM you person to contact.

3. Suspension - great choices again. I'm assuming you are looking at coilovers, if so, the queston is; what kind of ride are you looking for? Coilovers are available with progressive or linear springs. Progressive springs are usually recommended for daily driving, and I know a lot of MINI owners are running progressive springs. And the linear springs are often used by weekend warriors/track racers, and a better choice IMO. You have more selection with spring rates (soft-hard), moreover, you will be able to fit wider tires/rims on your MINI.

Good luck!