Quite a bit has been written about the current MINI’s Tritec Powerplant over the years. While there’s a certain amount of respect out there for it’s packaging, power, and apparent reliability, much has also been said about it’s relatively low-tech design. Interested in making up your own mind? MTZ, a company that has been documenting research and development results in the field for more than 60 years, brings us the following detailed analysis of the MINI Cooper S powertrain. (originally released a few years ago)
[ MTZ MCS Powertrain PDF ] MTZ Worldwide
<p>I read this a month or so ago, I can’t remember where.
It is a translation from german, and the German pdf has all the diagrams and figures that are referred to here.</p>
<p>Yeah I’ve had this laying around for almost two years now. Just kept forgetting to post it.</p>
<p>This was very interesting, but rubs an old sore spot for me. If the supercharger is such a good match for the application, why are they going to all the trouble of changing to turbo in the new drivetrain? This article spends several paragraphs comparing the two and very decisively chooses the supercharger as the better way to go. I know that the new BMW powerplant has a duel-chamber turbo that is supposed to eliminate “lag,” but the supercharger does that automatically and with the heat and catalytic light-off advantages listed in the article. </p>
<p>But I suppose most of all, the supercharger is part of the charm of the Cooper S for me – just has more soul. If the new Cooper S engine can deliver on its promise of max torque at 1400 rmp and beyond, then I’m sure it’s nothing any of us would really complain about from behind the wheel. I wonder however, with no apparent hp increases noted for the new powerplant (suprising since they’ve added variable valve timing), would a supercharger make the new motor higher-performing? Perhaps the 240+ hp JCW rumored to mate with the new powerplant will trade in the turbo. I’d be down.</p>
<p>The article praises the super charged 1.6 L unit for being amoung the best in it’s class.</p>
<p>Since the HP was increased for the 2005 MCS model
(and this article appears to be a study of 2004 and earlier MCS) BMW designers should be congratulated even more.</p>
<p>Let’s not forget weight and fuel consumption. Maybe that’s where the new engine is improving on. Also there might be cost efficiencies in the area of parts and maintenance training as BMW diesel engines use a similar twin turbo.</p>
<p>Cheers
Philip</p>
<p>240+ HP for 2007 JCW? Great! But will it still weigh less than 2700 lbs? Personally I’d like to see something along the line of 280 HP to compete with the super hot but ugly Subaru and Mitubishi.</p>
<p>Greg, I think you meant “butt” ugly.</p>
<p>so who’s got the german pdf witth all the figures???
:)</p>
<p>The <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mini2.com/pdf/mcs_powertrain_de.pdf">German version</a> is located at:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mini2.com/pdf/mcs" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.mini2.com/pdf/mcs</a><em>powertrain</em>de.pdf</p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>ty</p>
<p>but 404.</p>
<p>“As a departure from the basic version,
the exhaust valves are manufactured from
Inconel to take account of the significantly
higher temperatures involved.”</p>
<p>Probably no surprise to the mechanical engineers out there, but this gives my inner 10-yr old a little thrill. Inconel is the metal that was used to build the 4000+ mph X-15 rocketplane back in the 60s.</p>
<p>The German version, complete with all figures, is available at </p>
<p>Sorry about the bogus posting.</p>
<p>The German version, complete with all the graphs & drawings is also available at:
<a href="http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS" rel="nofollow ugc">http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS</a><em>Powertrain</em>DL.pdf</p>
<p>and the English text (no figures) is at:
<a href="http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS_Powertrain.pdf" rel="nofollow ugc">http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS_Powertrain.pdf</a></p>
<p>Tom</p>
<p>And a correction (an “<em>” is missing)
<a rel="nofollow" href="http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS_Powertrain_DL.pdf"><a href="http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS" rel="nofollow ugc">http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS</a></em>Powertrain_DL.pdf</a></p>
<p>Sorry, Tom</p>
<p>Sorry cubed — I’m having a problem getting underscore characters to register properly. To get the German text, an underscore characyer is needed before and after the word “Powertrain” (one last attempt):
<a href="http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS" rel="nofollow ugc">http://mysite.verizon.net/w3iwi/MCS</a><em>Powertrain</em>DL.pdf</p>
<p>Tom,
You don’t do brain surgery on the side, do you? (:</p>
<p>No brane surgery. I are a fizzycist — Tom</p>
<p>In the May 2005 issue of “GoMini”; a UK magazine, they had an article on a company that modifies MCS to bring the bhp up to 260.</p>
<p>The company is “Minispeed”. </p>
<p>Their website is:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.minispeed.co.uk" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.minispeed.co.uk</a></p>
<p>Here’s some of what they did to an MCS:</p>
<p>They use a Stage 5 conversion kit –</p>
<p>added a Accralite forged pistons which boost capacity to 1700cc,</p>
<p>alloy flywheel,
ARP rod bolts
Quaife differential on top of Stage 5
larger intercooler
new camshaft
modified throttle body
smaller supercharger pulley
new stainless steel exhaust
A adjustable Bilstein PSS9 suspension kit</p>
<p>The article claims this Mini can do
0 to 60 “well under six seconds”.</p>
<p>I’m sure many of the people who read and post on this site probably have seen or read the article or get the Magazine, but thought I’d post the info just in case someone hasn’t read it.</p>