Ask MF: What Aero-kit should I Get?
This edition of Ask MotoringFile comes from Chris:
>I’m new to the MINI world and am in the middle of ordering my car. I was wanting something a little more aggressive than the standard look so my motoring advisor suggested the aero-kit. However he said there were two, one yo can order from the factory and the JCW aero-kit. The factory kit seems to be much cheaper but he said the JCW kit is much nicer. What’s the difference?
An easy answer (JCW kit on the left, factory kit on the right):
In our opinion the factory MINI aero-kit is not only not worth the money, but it’s also not as attractive or aggressive as the standard car. The JCW aero-kit on the other hand is the money.
Beyond the obvious difference in looks the JCW body kit also has a more aggressive front-end and side-skirts that (according to inside sources) creates a bit more down-force as compared to the standard kit and the factory kit.
If you want your MINI to look MEAN then look no further than the JCW body kit. It changes the whole entire car. It commands respect from everyone. You shoudl see the looks that I get motoring around town. WoW!
Ehhh, I’m going to dissent on this one too, as I did with the nav. I think the JCW kit is just a little bit too over-done; just across the line towards a ridiculously overdone after-market kit. I’m not saying its ugly, I’m not saying I don’t like it. I just think it needed a little bit more restraint in the phony vents, and a little bit more in purposeful changes from the stock kit. Maybe if there is a Stage 2 kit it will fulfill the promise. I mean if there are going to be vents, by all means have them deal with air – front side vents should blow air on the brakes, side sill vents the same with the rear brakes, the rear vent should be taking air out from under the car for better aerodynamics. Too much show, not enough go. It does look more aggressive than the stock body, but it does not look better to me. And the factory kit does nothing for me.
So which kit should you get? None. Sit it out and see what Stage2 brings.
I think the Aero kit is a good looking kit but in needs the arches body colored to make it look like they did not make a mistake. Overall, it is pretty subtle and smooth.
>I think the Aero kit is a good looking kit but in needs the arches body colored to make it look like they did not make a mistake. Overall, it is pretty subtle and smooth.
In all these years I think that’s the one thing you and I have ever disagreed on 🙂
Personally I think the colored arches (on any MINI) do a bit of disservice to the design language of the car and it’s character.
Ironically the factory kit is so seemingly out of the MINI’s character in it’s personality that the painted arches actually don’t make the MINI look worse. Yeah.. that’s faint praise 🙂
The JCW Aero kit helps the puffy look of the “07” MCS. I would paint the wheel arches as it helps the over all look of the car. I would also paint parts of the fake vents to give some the kit some detail.
As for the Cooper Aero kit, I agree, finish the job by painting the wheel arches.
MINI were you thinking?
JCW! JCW! Look at Gabe’s car. It’s too sexy for its own good!
I went for the JCW kit over the factory job. In my opinion the factory kit would only work on a black car due to the awful wheel arches and the way they just terminate at the skirts. Horrid. Anyway, this kit is a real winner with the astro black and the older JCW black rims. Turns lots of heads and may be in the garage again next month for the power hike. [See it here.](<a href="http://www.davidluscombe.com/folio/mini2.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.davidluscombe.com/folio/mini2.jpg</a>)
The JCW Aero Kit is the way to go. In person it is striking- actually what the Cooper S should look like in my opinion. Now, when will the JCW kit be available for the Clubman?
There may be a theme here… JCW Stage I and JCW aero package on a Clubman S…. Time to start saving up.
The factory aerokit looks aweful. What a joke!
The JCW kit is clearly the better choice in the R56.
Hey, have you seen the thread on NAM about this? One owner of a 2007 MCS did the factory kit and had the dealer paint the black arches on the wheel wells. It made all the difference in the world. As far as design on this factory kit, not sure about the vents adjacent to the front fogs and around the rear fogs??? that to me looks like a way the designer broke up the big bumpers, but I might be wrong. Painting the arches proves that the kit works and is worth it – well maybe not worth it in moey as the aftermarket paint on arches probably brings the price within reach of the JCW AERO Kit.
who makes this body kit:
<a href="http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=602349275&size=o" rel="nofollow ugc">http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=602349275&size=o</a>
>who makes this body kit:
It’s a one off based on the design of the GP and the R56 JCW kit.
well just like my 2005 mcs, i would submit that just doing the front jcw aero kit bumper is actually the sweet spot.
i’ve never been a fan of the side skirts – and i think all the rear bumpers look better stock.
my two cents…
I’m a bit too utilitarian but if it’s not functional I don’t get it, so I say neither. Kits aren’t too hard to add after the fact so I’d wait and see what the aftermarket does. Looks are important but you can have form and function and hopefully they’ll at least add some function with the factory JCW kit.
OMG! Great Question Lavardera, I wanted to know who made that body kit since the first time I saw it. They should put it in production.
I want that!… why not meeee?!
thanks for reminding me of the factory kit. Hauntingly ugly. I will not sleep well tonight.
IMHO the factory kit looks like an after thought and does not match the lines of the car. The JCW is a bit over the top. I have seen it in person on a yellow MCS and it didn’t look right on that car. The contrasting faux vents looked out of place. Where as Gabe’s black MCS looks very aggressive. I think the monochromatic theme helps to subdue the kit and ties it together visually.
>The contrasting faux vents looked out of place. Where as Gabe’s black MCS looks very aggressive. I think the monochromatic theme helps to subdue the kit and ties it together visually.
I agree. As much as I love the new yellow and JCW kit – I’m not sure they work together well (IMHO).
<blockquote>I want that!… why not meeee?!</blockquote>
I want the venom!
More to the question at hand, I second Gabe’s outlook that messing with the wheel arches thoroughly scrambles the design language of the car in a bad way – especially on the R56 because of it’s higher arch gap. As for the rest of the kit, the JCW kit is certainly more aggressive and in a very good way I think. Not too much, not too little. I don’t love every little aspect of it, but overall it still looks like it belongs to the car in the same way the factory kit seems to be from another planet.
Let’s hope they do a JCW-esque kit for the Clubman.
>In our opinion the factory MINI aero-kit is not only not worth the money, but it’s also not as attractive or aggressive as the standard car.
Please note that the ‘our’ above does not include me. I like ’em both. Yes, even the factory Aero kit. Yes, even without painted arches. Much like the horseshoe wheels (gasp!), it needs to be seen in person to really tell how great it is.
<blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>who makes this body kit:</blockquote>
It’s a one off based on the design of the GP and the R56 JCW kit.
Really? That looks nothing like the front end of the GP. Not even close.
Well, in any case I like this treatment much more than the JCW front end.
>Really? That looks nothing like the front end of the GP. Not even close. Well, in any case I like this treatment much more than the JCW front end.
Right – it’s a combination of the two as I mentioned. The front is an interpretation of the JCW kit, the sides are based on the GP, the rear is based on the stock kit and the spoiler is based on the GP.
>Please note that the ‘our’ above does not include me.
The “we” in this case then is Matt and I. I only wish I could post the IM conversation he and I had about this question earlier 🙂
The factory kit reminds me of those cars you see going down the road with one door in a completely different color than the rest of the car. It just looks unfinished.
I saw pix of the factory kit on NAM and it looked great on a black car and on a white one(with painted arches). Great topic Gabe, however, not a fair question without some real life pics to compare. The red one in the photo looks awful I agree. Can someone with the factory kit send in some goods pix? I think on a black S this might be a viable option for $1300. $2500 for the JCW is robbery.
And someone PLEASE answer this question. Can the JCW kit be installed front and sides without(the terrible looking) adding the back? If so what is the cost savings?
<blockquote>The front is an interpretation of the JCW kit, the sides are based on the GP, the rear is based on the stock kit and the spoiler is based on the GP.</blockquote>
I understand now. I can’t see the sides, rear in that photo. The front end of the JCW kit has an odd bulge at the outside edge of the fog light “vent” which this one-off does a much better job with. It looks more aggressive to boot. I’ll check your flckr stream to see if you have any photos of the rest of the car.
>And someone PLEASE answer this question. Can the JCW kit be installed front and sides without(the terrible looking) adding the back? If so what is the cost savings?
FYI – In person the back has much more dimension than it does in photos. It looks fantastic – especially in darker colors. I used to feel the same way.
And yes you can install just the front if you want but I would consider that mixing design metaphors.
>I think on a black S this might be a viable option for $1300. $2500 for the JCW is robbery.
You can get the JCW aerokit installed at the VPC for well under $2k if you try.
<blockquote>Yes, even the factory Aero kit. Yes, even without painted arches.</blockquote>
Are you serious? It’s time for an intervention, man. 😉
Do you find this acceptable?
<img src="http://www.matthewgifford.com/img/911-with-mini-aero-kit.jpg" style="margin: 6px 0 6px 0;" />
If not, then why is it okay on a MINI?
AC Schnitzer would be my choice over the JCW Aero Kit. I find it [AC Schnitzer] has better more aggressive look. Gabe’s looks great but I’d get this one. Don’t have any cost comparison but they do have a dealer here in the USA.
<a href="http://www.cecwheels.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.cecwheels.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/mini/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/mini/</a>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/yrxzny" rel="nofollow ugc">http://tinyurl.com/yrxzny</a>
AC Schnitzer would be my choice over the JCW Aero Kit. I find it [AC Schnitzer] has better more aggressive look. Gabe’s looks great but I’d get this one. Don’t have any cost comparison but they do have a dealer here in the USA.
<a href="http://www.cecwheels.com/" rel="nofollow">Text to link</a>
<a href="http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/mini/" rel="nofollow">Text to link</a>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/yrxzny" rel="nofollow">Text to link</a>
That was weird, don’t know what I did but I did a boo-boo!
>Do you find this acceptable?
Of course I don’t. But then, I’m sure the Porsche designers use something other than MS Paint for their design work ;).
Also, in reference to the above pic, it’s not a MINI. I’m just saying that in person, the OEM kit looks pretty good to me that’s all.
but hey, I also like the center stack.
Gabe – Perhaps at some point, a post expanding on your shots above in which all three(?) trim types (stock, factory, JCW) are displayed from similar multiple angles, and, preferably all with the same body color – avoiding the darker body colors so as to make seeing the differences a bit easier.
Like you don’t have enough to do! 😉
Gabe, did you have to pay extra for painting and installation when you order your JCW kit with new car? I was told $3000 to complete install the kit after I purchased the car. Thank you.
1825vine, who told you $3000? I was told $4000 by BillJacobsMini…to which I said no thanks.
Gabe and others: How different from the currect JCW Kit do you expect the 2009 factory JCW Works MINI to look?
My advise to to original question is to look at the options, preferably in person. Don’t let others tell you what you should like or not. I like part of each kit and dislike other parts, don’t think I’ve seen a perfect aero kit ever. Look at whats available and pick the one that does more for you. I start by listing the things I like with those I don’t and figure out how important each are to me and make my pick from there. My personal pick would be the JCW kit currently, though I really would love to get rid of the less than stellar vents.
I hope with the factory JCW car they remove the fog lamps and put in break cooling ducts. Do have to say I think the black Mini goes well with either kit, but on the lighter cars would only do the JCW.
I’ve found Gabe’s photos of the orange R56 from MU. Here are links:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridger/601664107/in/set-72157600298397156/" rel="nofollow">front quarter</a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridger/595712975/in/set-72157600298397156/" rel="nofollow">the rear</a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridger/595924288/in/set-72157600298397156/" rel="nofollow">quarter view larger</a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridger/595921302/in/set-72157600298397156/" rel="nofollow">other side</a>
I’ll try to post the photo:
![front quarter](<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/601664107_00853c9881.jpg?v=0" rel="nofollow ugc">http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1392/601664107_00853c9881.jpg?v=0</a>)
The side skirts have that little “air effect” winglet at the back. I could leave that. Big problem with that is it visually interrupts the black sweeping down to the bottom of the sill. I don’t see any GP in these.
The rear is great – It reminds me more of the base R56 than the GP. Again I don’t see any relation to the <a href="http://autoshow.roadfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/mini_cooper_s_gp.jpg" rel="nofollow">rear treatment of the GP.</a> The best part is the vent area is open – I’m sure I can see the rear arms through there – so its reasonable to assume that it helps take air out from under the car. I’m not sure they have not done anything but mod the stock piece here.
This is the only body kit I’ve seen for the R56 that I think is well done. The JCW looks fine, but I hope they do better on the factory/stage2 or whatever it will be called.
To be honest you can’t say that the factory kit looks like a aero-kit, but more like a bad paintshop. It does nothing to give the car a faster or sportly look. The JCW kit is just a little bit overdone but the best choice for now.
>did you have to pay extra for painting and installation when you order your JCW kit with new car? I was told $3000 to complete install the kit after I purchased the car.
It’s all included if you order it from the VPC through your dealer. Dealer cost is below $2000 which means your cost should (hopefully) not far above that.
I don’t really like either of the MINI kits, myself.
The JCW is too much (though it’s muted a bit on the black car). Feau vents everywhare and it just makes the car look … bulkier than a MINI should IMO.
The Aero kit might be more aerodynamic, but visually without painted arches it looks really bad (and I don’t like painted arches on the R56 – it makes the higer beltline jump out and the car looks even taller than it’s stock 4×4 stance suggests).
AC Schnitzer front and rear… Hamann sides & arches… all painted black for a slightly more agressive stock (unless you look close) look. But for now, since I’ve decided to go with the JCW engine kit this month, my body kit of of choice is going to be no body kit at all.
see..now I am sure I’m gonna get kicked in the teeth for this but…..
I actually opted for the Factory kit on my 2007 MCS because I DON’T want the overly aggressive look but I did want a bit more than the stock. Mine is BRG and I think the Black over the wheels look fine. Bottom line is it has to be chalked up to personal preference. Plus I don’t plan on racing mine.
Ok…I have braced myself and am prepared for the thrashing!
-Bob
JCW kit — this is not even close. The JCW kit looks even better with a lowered suspension.
Bob no peer pressure here, making your car your own is at the center of the Mini community. There are several things about the factory kit that I prefer, the largest is the lack of those silly faux vents on the JCW. The way the arches end still kinda disturbs me but then again it your car, and if you like the look of the kit your picked well.
The funny part is both kits are 99% for the looks of it, the GP is basically the only true performance changing kits out there. Who knows, maybe the factory kit is lighter too and hence actually faster around the track.
>There are several things about the factory kit that I prefer, the largest is the lack of those silly faux vents on the JCW.
FYI – the factory aerokit also has front and rear faux vents. And since they aren’t as recessed they are more obviously faux.
>The funny part is both kits are 99% for the looks of it, the GP is basically the only true performance changing kits out there. Who knows, maybe the factory kit is lighter too and hence actually faster around the track.
It was confirmed to me that the JCW aerokit did indeed go through aero testing and that it does contribute some down-force specifically due to the front apron.
<blockquote>The funny part is both kits are 99% for the looks of it, the GP is basically the only true performance changing kits out there.</blockquote>
But the GP and factory kits both have the same “unfinished” look … the wheel arches need color coding.
I know Gabe, however the JCW’s vents just leap off the car to my eyes. On the your car the black really helps those offending vents disappear but they still rather bug me on the lighter colored cars. Still have my fingers crossed that they add actual working vents to the factory JCW kit when we see it.
It still puzzles me why if either of these kits have actual aerodynamic bonuses why Mini would not actively promote this. I would think this would be a major selling point to a lot of people. While looks are important I would like to think that if I am spending funds on a car its has something more than bling factor, lol.
MINIAC have to say that personally the painted arches have never done anything for me. I think the reason for this is painted arches remove one of the design aspects to the car, it also think unpainted arches help the visual transition between the wheel and the body. But once again I will say the Mini culture isn’t about doing whats popular as much as making our cars personally perfect to each owner.
Jon …
I’m not a fan of painted arches either, but both the GP and factory aero kits look “disjointed” in relation to the wheel arches.
As the owner of a GP now have to say there isn’t anything on the outside including the trim I have objection too.