MotoringFile Spotlight: Ryan Malcolm

In the third of our “Spotlight” series we'll be featuring Ryan Malcolm or Ryephile as he's known on various MINI forums. Some of you may remember Ryan from his work with MINIUSA in helping them identity a solution to the “yo-yo” issue that has plagued the Cooper S.

So without delay let's hear about Ryan's MINI experience:

My MINI experience began at the MINI’s debut into the U.S. at the ’02 NAIAS. Their display was quite a departure from everyone else’s; colorful lighting, a DJ mixing live, and the cars had lines to sit in them! While I was aware of the Mini history, I was unsure this brand resurrection was the real-deal or just a marketing ploy.

Fast forward to late 2003. I was now in the market for a new car. My ole’ 325i was getting dangerously expensive to maintain, and I was looking for something more hands-off in terms of maintenance. My goal was simple: it must feel and handle better than my //M suspension equipped 3-er. This turned out to be quite a challenge, and only one car met my goals; the Honda S2000. This was, until…

My first MINI test drive was actually while I was on vacation in southern Florida. My friend and I were cruising around and I saw Lauderdale MINI. This was the first MINI dealership I had seen, and I decided I simply must drive one immediately. The motoring advisor I spoke to, Andy, was very nice a bit too nice actually. He was making idle chitchat the entire test drive, and I didn’t feel comfortable throwing the car around while he was blabbing up a storm. I left Lauderdale MINI amused, but not enthralled. It took me several more test-drives at my local dealership before I realized the MINI is certainly something special. It took days upon days of hard deliberating before I was able to decide on a specification: Indi Blue Cooper S with White roof and white S-lites, with Space Cloth and alloy patina trim, Sport and Cold Weather packages, harman/kardon, and the multi-function steering wheel.

Three months of waiting (The April Club forever!); Mr.Motor came home and I was a happy man. Never being one to leave well enough alone, I promptly installed H-Sport springs, added H&R wheel spacers, and EBC Green Stuff pads. I attended Randy Webb’s 2nd Pulley Party in Cincinnati (thanks wjklos for hosting me!), and got a 15% pulley and EVOtech ECU update to go with my Madness CAI. Wow, life is now really good! I upped the ante; I installed an H-Sport Competition rear sway bar. Most of you already know the outcome soon afterwards; I spun and crashed Mr.Motor, totaling him out in the process. Big thanks to the airbags that I’m still here in one piece. My insurance was great, and handled the whole thing admirably. There was no question that the MINI was still right for me, and I promptly ordered a replacement.

Three months of waiting; Mr.Motor2 came home and it was strange seeing the exact same specification sitting in my driveway. It felt cold and cynical, or perhaps it was just the wet October weather here in Detroit. Mr.Motor2 (or MM2) underwent transformation even quicker than Mr.Motor. After four days of ownership, complete H-Sport suspension, lightweight wheels and grippy tires, Ferodo brake pads, Schroth harnesses, and a host of other goodies. It didn’t stop there, MM2 needed to be more powerful too. I hosted the Detroit Pulley Party for Webb Motorsports in December 2003. MM2 received a 15% pulley, ALTA CAI, Powerchip ECU, Milltek cat-back, and ignition kit. Last dyno session yielded a calculated 203 HP and 188 Lb-F at the crank, a healthy margin over JCW figures for a fraction the price. Similar to Dave Bunting, my MINI follows an OEM Plus theme. My MINI rides better than stock, handles better, has better drivability, and better fuel mileage. All in a discreet package, only the wheels and exhaust tips being a subtle giveaway. I’m currently running KW springs, which offer a slightly lower stance and even softer ride at the expense of bringing back some understeer.

The Yo-Yo Chronicles begin. There’s not much more to say than hasn’t already been either covered or been exclusive here on MotoringFile, thanks to Gabe! I was first mystified the day I picked up MM2, and then annoyed. My inquisitive and problem solving nature lead me to find the root cause and find a temporary fix until MINI could resolve it properly. I’m glad they took up the slack, and now have V38 coming out soon. I can only offer my thanks to the MINI community for backing me, as well as providing the ambition to help make all our Motoring more enjoyable. [ED: you can read more about Ryan's Yo Yo chronicles here]

I’ve been lucky enough to be a moderator for NAM now for over half a year now. I take pride on being able to help fellow Motorers, as well as keep our North American content organized and relevant. It’s been great fun (and even some hard work) working with the NAM team, and I hope to continue as long as I’m useful (old and gray, hopefully!)