The 2007 MCS Non-Functioning Hood Scoop

I guess it will be up to aftermarket vendors to come up with some parts that put the scoop to some positive use.

But these laws are not in the US right? So I wouldn’t be shocked to see someone in the US come out with something.

So here’s the thing… I am not aware of any stipulation in the pedestrian laws that state there should be X-amount of room between the bonnet and other things inside the engine bay. The way the pedestrian “friendliness” is tested, they shoot dummy headforms against the bonnet to simulate head-strikes and measure the severity of the impact (as well as test the bonnet/bumper with dummy legforms).

Since the R50/R53 were relatively poor performers for the head-strike tests I do wonder how much conservatism there was in the R56 design. I just can’t imagine that a well-designed plastic or molded rubber duct would have that detrimental of a result on the outcome of the pedestrian tests. Instead, I would guess that the components to receive the scoop’s airflow were placed somewhere where complicated duct routing became the bigger issue.

I would love to see the duct have some usefulness and woudl gladly pay for a JCW part that brought some functionality back to the scoop.

Oh and yes, the pedestrian regulations are only in effect for European market vehicles.

There will no doubt be aftermarket solutions to this unfortunate injustice released, making this scoop into a functional ram air delivery system to a cold-air intake.

This unused scoop is perfect for just such an application. I’m sure vendors like m7, Webb Motorsports, ALTA, etc. are probably already hard at work on this modification.

Be patient.

I guess they weren’t testing the MINI’s in Texas in the August heat when they said the engine doesn’t need any further cooling!

“Does that include the large fake air diffusers on every Cooper S since 2002?”

Fake is fake. The phony hood scoop was just the icing on the half-baked cake. :)

You’re correct, they were testing it in Death Valley in August. ;^)

“But it was a dry heat”…

Does beauty count for nothing?

Although there is something about the ‘eye of a beholder’ or whatever, Josh I think you raise a very valid POV: form may be a higher ‘order’ of function. It does look good.

“Unfortunately that also rules out any use of the scoop in the upcoming JCW model due out sometime in 2008.”

Are you sure they won’t bring a functional hood scoop to the US (and other non-European countries?)

So here’s the thing… I am not aware of any stipulation in the pedestrian laws that state there should be X-amount of room between the bonnet and other things inside the engine bay.

I believe I read somewhere that the Euro pedestrian protection regulations do require a minimum amount of clearance between the underside of the bonnet and the engine block — 4″ maybe? I’m not sure — but I can’t remember the exact figure. Anyone know more specifics?

There are at least a couple of issues worthy of comment:

a)If the elevated scoop protrusion has been proven to increse the severity of pedestrian imapct injury the obvious solution would be to eliminate it entirely thereby achieving even greater compliance. Let “safety” take precedence over “beauty;”

b)How can a functional open sccop vs. a decorative non-functional scoop make any difference? They both break the vertical and horizontal planes;

c)As has been mentioned, U.S. models are presumably built to meet DOT and NHTSA standards which may differ significantly from European mandates;

d)Arguably heat greater cooling is not necessary. This contention may be viable under a specific set of optimal environmental conditions, but given the broad range of climatic variance greater cooling capacity would seemingly be a major engine durability asset:

e)If there is greater need to differentiate the “S” from the Cooper perhaps a larger intake valance beneath the front bumper similar to that used on the turbocharged ’07 MINI D would provide both model differentiation and greater cooling.

BMW has attempted to re-create an authentic vehicle by drawing upon a remarkable BMC heritage that succeefully married performance and efficiency. It may be time for the “CAD-ets” manipulating the next design iteration to refocus to “keep it real” while keeping the “fun factor” intact

Here’s my take… the car was never supposed to have bonnet scoop in the first place. The R53 was always going to be turbocharged, but the supercharger was the best thing at the time, hence the need for the scoop. Now, with this great new twin-scroll turbo, the scoop is not necessary.

I am sure we all agree that the Cooper S bonnet scoop had, without question, become a signature part of the R53. It only made sense to carry it over to the model… functional or not. I can’t see the S without it.

FrankInMiami Feb 15th, 2007 wrote: “Something has to give, either the”silly “Pedestrian laws” or the overall performance potential of the car.”

I’m sure that the use of “silly” was not meant to put down safety but instead only disappointment in the cars (Minis) appearance.

As a Safety Professional (I’m in Occupational Health & Safety) we work very hard to ensure people come home to their families and loved ones every day & night, health and safe. Unforunately I’ve heard many times that Safety is either silly or gets in the way things.

I’ve seen many of those same types of comments on this site over the last couple of years, devaluating Safety, and yes it does disturb me to read those types of comments.

I would take Safety over “silly” Performance any day and so would most Fathers and Mothers when it comes to their families (especially children)

Safety Advocates and Professionals have fought and worked hard for decades to protect people from serious injury or death. If it wasn’t for those people we wouldn’t have Seat belts and safety glass, better reinforced car body, impact crash testing and yes Pedestrian Safety standards.

The dead pedal and the back seat usless????? Not on either of my MINI’s. I use the dead pedal every time I drive.

We all know that the chrome is there to enhance the air flow over the vehicle.:-)

Cheers, Jack

guys – not to be obnoxious or anything – but who cares? does it really matter? does it affect your mind that much to know that the really cool look of the cooper s might be purely visual? does everything have to have a function?

seems like making a big deal about nothing at all…

I’m not too concerned with the mostly-non-functional hood scoop. I look at it as a tool where if I need a source for some airflow in the future, I’ll look into tapping off that. Otherwise, it’s a carry-over design cue from the R53, just like the faux rear bumper vents Gabe mentioned.

Wow. You people have one h3ll of a lot of time on your hands.

I saw the R56 for the first time today and a few impressions,

You can so put a forced air induction on that puppy. That will be so cool. Yeah, I asked if you could swap a MC bonnet with a MCS bonnet. The MA didn’t know.

There was a bonnet rub on the front passenger(US)side of the car from what looked to be an air conditioning filling hose cap. It does look like it will be ease to fix though. (44 miles on this car and it had rubbed through to metal)

Laser blue is a really cool color!

I miss the supercharger whine but the engine sounds really nice and powerful.

The thing that really made the biggest impression on me was the “Fob” Key.

The key, proximity door opening, push start is way cool. The door handles look just like the R50/53 only with a small additional button where your thumb would go. To use it, simply have the Fob near the door, Push the button with your thumb and the car unlocks, then open it just like a R50/53.

The Fob has a valet key built into it that comes out and is able to open the door if the fob is dead. Reinsert fob into “fob hole” and it recharges!

The secret glove box above the glove box is unaccessable (sealed) when you have the iPod adapter put in.

The center stack is still not so pretty but looks less “Playskool” with a higher build quality than the pictures allude to.

That is a huge Speedo! Would like to see one with nav.

A nice new tale from the marketing people on its reason for being.

Obviously if you consider the design brief of the R56, this was to create a new MINI but to convince the consumer that it was almost a facelift rather than a new car, to keep the overall look the same as the last car this meant the Scoop had to stay.

For me, I don’t have a problem with it, I do think in design terms that if there was no function for it then the bonnet would have looked better without it, but it didn’t stop us from buying a MCS.

I haven’t been here in a long time, why did you even bring up the issue… too stir the pot?! It’s beyond me why some folk have a problem with this item it’s kinda kool looking whether it works or not. To me the Cooper looks plain/lame without it. But rave on all you fake hood scooper haters, rave on!

…wouldn’t a pedestrian stand less chance of injury when being hit by a car without a hood scoop, than by one with a gaping hole in the bonnet?

it would seem to me that the opening would allow more opportunity for ears, fingers, glasses, etc., to be caught…

i agree that the scoop is iconic to the MCS, but i do like the stealthier idea of a smooth, uninterrupted bonnet also…and if it’s safer, why wouldn’t it be mandated?

Iconic to the Mini Cooper S?! Nonsense. Paddy’s car didn’t have a bloody scoop? Watch your hyperboles there, Mister.

My biggest beef is not that the scoop is non-functional, but that it is an air brake. I saw one yesterday for the first time at the launch party and the plastic grille material is solid. On the previous generation car, they did that with the fake diffuser in the back and that annoys me too. I was going to swap it out for real mesh, but found that there’s a solid metal part behind it anyway, so there wasn’t any point. On the new S there is a hole through the sheet metal, but then it’s blocked with solid plastic. I would at least remove the plastic, maybe replace it with real mesh (aftermarket please help here!) or as others have suggested, just put a Cooper bonnet on an S. The ‘iconic’ status doesn’t mean much to me, the only car that had it was the ‘New MINI’. You don’t see twin fuel filler caps on modern Ss do you..?