As an 2005 R53 MCS owner, I am biased. But I think the R53 might become a classic. The best years are 2005-2006. It's my first car, and I've owned it for many years. I didn't know anything about maintenance before buying it, but I've had to learn. I've changed brake lines, calipers, pads (twice), rotors (twice), serviced the supercharger, changed the intercooler, plugs, thermostad, waterpump, lots and lots of gaskets in the engine, motormount, belt, all four wheel bearings, the exhaust (rusted away). And of course all filters and fluids regularly. I don't know how many hours or how much money I have spent. But I love the car, and I will never sell it. I've driven a Ferrari, the Aston Martin DBS, Porsche... I also own a Corvette. No other car I've driven offers as much fun as my MINI. Especially on a twisty road with heel&toe gearshifts, revmatching. It is so awarding. The GETRAG gear box feels solid. The hydraulic steering offers so much feedback. I think this car is the best BMW ever produced. And it's not even a BMW (sort of). All MINIs produced after 2006 are rubbish in my view. If you don't mind doing some work, this car might be perfect.
Glad to see you back! I watched a few of your videos a couple of years or so back and loved the production and evening dusky hue that comes through the videos. It feels nostalgic when not even having watched them before. This came up on my suggested feed and I'm so glad it did. I will definitely be looking through a few more videos again!
Awesome! Thank you and welcome back! I'm really pleased you picked up on the effort that goes into producing videos like these, it means a lot. Plan is to be much more active filming this year, stay tuned...
I bought a 2005 Cooper S JCW in British Racing Green last summer as a toy. Ive had tons of big power cars through the years, but for the money, there's very few cars that are as fun to drive as the Mini...and it's a FWD which normally I'm not a fan of but the handling is brilliant, lovely steering and very easy to modify and tinker with.
Totally agree with you ! As a 30 y/o Guy who had the chance to drive several expensive and high performance machines (Porsche 996, Z4 3.0is, Jaguar F type…). I hav recently discovered that nothing is better than cheep fun, and I don’t care anymore about what people think about me… Who needs a car to impress ? That is just nonsense… Anyway, I bought a 2005 R53 for cheep winter fun to store my Z3 in a dry garage… What a car ! It is honestly the most fun allarounder that I have. It even hapens that I want to take it for a spin during Summer… Bought for 5k€ and under the psychologic barrier of 100 000 kms, I would not be surprises to see prices going up. Cheers
Really enjoyed this video bro Thumbs Up!! i bought same year r53 cooper s August just gone.. what a great second car with Bags of fun when set up!! :-)
Good to see some fellow Mini owners, it's a great car with real character! Thanks for watching and your support! I'll look to get the R53 out on film again soon.
The way you made the camera move from the inside when you drove away, amazing detail and really creative. Nice review! I love my r53, bought it as my first sports car
Just bought a 2006 (one of the last of the Tritec) Cooper S. It has a knocking big-end bearing, but at £400 with low miles, new Toyo tyres, full history and a long mot, I'm not complaining. Even if it turns out as needing a replacement engine, it's still cheap. Plus it has had pretty much every option ticked (panoramic roof, parking sensors, etc). One to keep for a few years.
Think these are a great buy (and the 986 Boxster you mentioned) at the moment. Had an R53 last year, characterful car and the supercharger whine is addictive.
The whine certainly is great fun! There's quite a diverse range of options in the sub 5k market, but plenty of stuff seems to be creeping up into more expensive categories, like Type R's.
I had a normal Cooper R53 with 17" wheels and "sports suspension", ie very similar to the Cooper S - the ride was truly awful on British roads with those run flats. The engine was pretty weedy as well but the handling was amazing. Did have a Cooper S as a loan car and that had the power you'd expect. Your cinematography is really top class btw,
Mines mint, 2003 , 15% pulley, Airtec intercooler, Colder plugs. 59000 miles , Full Service history main dealers. Garaged. R53 Jet Black Rare OEM Factory fitted aero kit OEM factory fitted JCW wheels Red enameled calipers Factory Tinted rear windows Miltek Sports exhaust system. Electric sun roof full panoramic Reduced pulley wheel 15% Colder running NGK plugs. BCR8ES Aircon ASC +T Cruise control Zenon headlights with washers Upgraded Airtec intercooler and boots. OEM Extra dials, oil temp, battery. SERVICE March 2019 Full All fluids and filters. BMW M Macedonia. Surface Rust. Sills under rubber ..done Jan 2020 BMW Bushes control arm Done March 2020. BMW.UK Front wheel bearings .Done March 2020.BMW.UK Plugs - done Nov 18 Belt and 15% - done March19 Intercooler - done Dec 18 Engine oil / done March 19 Còolant / done March19 Brake fluid /-done March19 Air filter /done March 19 Micro filter/done March 19 Fuel Filter done March 19 .
All R53 Mini Cooper S with manual gearboxes came with the Getrag 6 speed box, regardless of whether they are pre or post facelift. The 5 speed Rover derived gearbox that was on early Mini Cooper and One models was never fitted to any Cooper S.
The 1st gen mini are for sure as reliable than the newer generation of minis and I regret selling my mini cooper s convertible than I have few good mods on it, and now I'm getting another mini S Convertible that will not thinking of selling it again
Another great little film Chris! Looks like you found a great example! To me, the R53 is definitely the most charming of the modern Minis. The supercharger makes it very unique too, but without compromising anything really. The later models are more grown up, but don't have the same playfull characther as this, and especially in the latest models i feel like the Mini-branding is forced a bit.. I'm a bit sad, that i wasn't able to try a Cooper S back when i was shopping. I fear it might have won me over. Looking forward to more on this!
I wouldn't worry, a lovely N/A V6 has more than enough charm! It's funny, when they were new in the 2000's I wasn't a particular fan of the then 'new Mini', but as the years passed and cars grew in size, the R50/53 gen Mini's look the most resolved and pure in design to me. For the money in the UK there is a lot of fun to be had!
Enjoyed your perspective. Been thinking the same about this car, here in California... cleanest modern Mini design, most connected handling, supercharger. What's not to like?
Chris just seen your review I've got a red 2005 August lady owner had it 8years only done 31.000 miles not messed with engine or wheels just added chrome inside is factory mint hope we can chat sometime keep them videos going we want more dont sell it ! made my day being this channel
Wow sounds like you found a real keeper! And I thought I'd found a low miler! I'll definitely get the R53 back out on film again soon, just hope for some dry weather....Thanks for watching, you can always get me on Instagram/overtakefilms
'lady owner'... usually that means neglected. Maintenance left to someone lese, wahser bottle not topped up, kerbed wheels, oil and tyres never checked, interior scratched by rings etc and greasy lotions on the touch surfaces, not to mention numerous scratches from stuff being thrown in and out. I'd rather buy an enthusiast owned vehicle that the owner knows inside out and has cherished.
Here in Oz the R53S is now starting to go back up in price after a huge devaluation crash and there aren't many on the market atm. My girlfriends 2010 R56 Diesel manual (yea, yawn) just clocked 500,000 Km (310,000 mi) and still on the original clutch, pump, injectors, turbo. Blows my mind. A CEL came on at 400,000km and BMW Au had to email Germany to find out what the code meant. Ended up being some service thing. When they asked BMW why this code isn't listed they said no one ever expected anyone to actually go that far. 🤣 We're thinking it might just be the highest mileage R56 on the planet now.
I traded my NA Miata (MX-5) for my R53. Mostly because I am very tall and fit much better in the Mini. The Miata has a tighter shifter, is overall easier to work on, and obviously is rear wheel drive. The Mini is much faster, and handles very well for FWD, and I like the pedal box more, but I miss the feel of the throttle cable, the mini is drive by wire. I miss my Miata, but the R53 is much more practical. I drove mine 2600 miles across America and it was amazing having the supercharger to cross the mountain passes!
I had an Indi blue metallic R53 which I loved. Not the fastest thing in a straight line, but an absolute hoot down a good B road. It did like a drink though! 😂
I’ve been thinking of purchasing a mini the last couple months for a little project car that I can have some fun with and learn how to tinker on. Is it possible to turbo a non s model?
Turboing a R50 Cooper (no turbo/supercharger) will cost you as much as buying an R56 Cooper S (has a turbo), if not more. It is possible, just it's better to purchase the later model series that has it factory, of which you know, you can upgrade it. On a side note, I love my R53 Cooper S, but unless you've always wanted one or it's your dream car, tinkering being "fun" is a very long stretch if you just want something to do, there are other cars that are fun that aren't BMW-difficult to work on, especially these Minis, that are sandwiched together, unlike its Austin/Morris predecessors designed to be for the common man/woman/creature to work on, and easy to do at that. As an example, to change the radiator, you need to remove the whole front-end (bumper, crash bar, crash bars) of the car to do something that is as easy as 1 step on almost every other car. That's one thing, now apply that process to about 60-70% of the work you'll be doing under the hood. So, like I said, unless you love the idea of owning Mini, it's not worth the hassle otherwise, especially the premium of buying BMW parts when they fail (because they will fail). I love my R53 Mini, and the my Morris Mini restoration project (Both my dream cars), but I can't recommend it as a car "you just own", it's BMW pain and suffering on a great car that doesn't deserve crappy German-over-engineering. If the R53 wasn't my dream car, I would've sold it a long time ago. All I can conclude with, is if you have an abundance of money that you want to experiment with, then go for it, it's a fun car.
Great vid, I've had my R53 for 8 years now, it's a keeper. :) Check the front lower arm bushes, they wear fast in these. And yes, get rid of the runflats!
I think the runflats are great, I still have them on mine 19 years after I bought the car. People don't like the price and try to justify that position by inventing things about road feel. But trust me, when you've had a puncture in this car you'll love the runflats. I've had three punctures in my time owning my R53 and I just check the tyre isn't slashed to shreds or punctured in the sidewall, and then get back in a continue my journey at reduced speed.
@@JussiKoukku What is NVH? And if I got rid of the runflats how am I supposed to get a spare wheel into the car? No spare turns a puncture from a shrug of the shoulders to a pain in the neck.
@@simonlloyd7557 I want to upgrade the 11% pulley + direnza + intercooler and panel filter without upgrading. Just under 200cv is more than enough for me .... Does it make sense? Or I have to do an flashing ECU and put an 17% ? Tnx in advance
@@b.o.rt.a5806 intercooler is a waste of money unless you can find an affordable GP intercooler (unlikely) or you go front mounted (unaffordable). If you can't keep temps down with the stock cooler and a diverter, I'd go straight to meth injection. I run a 17% pulley using a stock JCW belt with a stock intercooler and have had zero issues for 60,000 km. To answer your question, you could add a jcw pulley (11%) and be fine without a ECU flash. I'd consider at that point going to 1 step colder plugs. Anything more, I'd look into bigger injectors, as well as a tune. And for what it's worth, it's never enough. I started with a 210 hp JCW and I'm at 245 now... need more.
I've owned my R53 for about 4 months now and it has bags of character over my M4 and G20 3 series....have a look over my channel for some project vids on it.
As an 2005 R53 MCS owner, I am biased. But I think the R53 might become a classic. The best years are 2005-2006. It's my first car, and I've owned it for many years. I didn't know anything about maintenance before buying it, but I've had to learn. I've changed brake lines, calipers, pads (twice), rotors (twice), serviced the supercharger, changed the intercooler, plugs, thermostad, waterpump, lots and lots of gaskets in the engine, motormount, belt, all four wheel bearings, the exhaust (rusted away). And of course all filters and fluids regularly. I don't know how many hours or how much money I have spent. But I love the car, and I will never sell it. I've driven a Ferrari, the Aston Martin DBS, Porsche... I also own a Corvette. No other car I've driven offers as much fun as my MINI. Especially on a twisty road with heel&toe gearshifts, revmatching. It is so awarding. The GETRAG gear box feels solid. The hydraulic steering offers so much feedback. I think this car is the best BMW ever produced. And it's not even a BMW (sort of). All MINIs produced after 2006 are rubbish in my view. If you don't mind doing some work, this car might be perfect.
A true enthusiast would never call other versions of his car rubbish and his a 'classic". Only fanboys do that.
@@larsbjrnson3101 I still think they are rubbish.
@@IamMagPie Well, at least all the others are british made and can be driven daily. It depends on everyones perspective i guess :)
the r53s should be a hot hatch reference point,it is indeed THAT good!a true budget sportscar inmo
This intro omg so good ! Great job 👌👌
Thank you so much!!
Glad to see you back! I watched a few of your videos a couple of years or so back and loved the production and evening dusky hue that comes through the videos. It feels nostalgic when not even having watched them before. This came up on my suggested feed and I'm so glad it did. I will definitely be looking through a few more videos again!
Awesome! Thank you and welcome back! I'm really pleased you picked up on the effort that goes into producing videos like these, it means a lot. Plan is to be much more active filming this year, stay tuned...
They are now very collectable and shooting up in value, keep it stock on the exterior.
I bought a 2005 Cooper S JCW in British Racing Green last summer as a toy. Ive had tons of big power cars through the years, but for the money, there's very few cars that are as fun to drive as the Mini...and it's a FWD which normally I'm not a fan of but the handling is brilliant, lovely steering and very easy to modify and tinker with.
It is fun man , indeed.
Totally agree with you !
As a 30 y/o Guy who had the chance to drive several expensive and high performance machines (Porsche 996, Z4 3.0is, Jaguar F type…). I hav recently discovered that nothing is better than cheep fun, and I don’t care anymore about what people think about me… Who needs a car to impress ? That is just nonsense…
Anyway, I bought a 2005 R53 for cheep winter fun to store my Z3 in a dry garage…
What a car ! It is honestly the most fun allarounder that I have. It even hapens that I want to take it for a spin during Summer…
Bought for 5k€ and under the psychologic barrier of 100 000 kms, I would not be surprises to see prices going up.
Cheers
A very well presented video, love the smile on your face as you opened her up !
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed this video bro Thumbs Up!! i bought same year r53 cooper s August
just gone.. what a great second car with Bags of fun when set up!! :-)
Good to see some fellow Mini owners, it's a great car with real character! Thanks for watching and your support! I'll look to get the R53 out on film again soon.
Just bought a 2007 mini cooper convertible under 40,000 miles - everyone should have one as a spare fun car - v cheap fun!
Great review, I have a silver R53 also, absolutely beautiful to drive.
Brilliant! It's certainly fun and the Supercharger really adds to the character. Thanks for watching.
Just bought one in 6 speed manual yesterday. Amazing machine indeed
Enjoy it!
I’m gonna look for one today. Had a R56s but that engine gave me so much problems while it was fun driving. It was a hell to maintain.
I have a 2003 ,and it's mint. 59000 miles. Had the control arm bushes changed, all wheel bearings. Goes like a bastard.
The way you made the camera move from the inside when you drove away, amazing detail and really creative. Nice review! I love my r53, bought it as my first sports car
Thank you so much! They are really affordable at the moment and I think a great buy, enjoy your R53!
Nicely done video and review. Keep it up! :)
Thanks, will do!
Just bought a 2006 (one of the last of the Tritec) Cooper S. It has a knocking big-end bearing, but at £400 with low miles, new Toyo tyres, full history and a long mot, I'm not complaining. Even if it turns out as needing a replacement engine, it's still cheap. Plus it has had pretty much every option ticked (panoramic roof, parking sensors, etc). One to keep for a few years.
Think these are a great buy (and the 986 Boxster you mentioned) at the moment. Had an R53 last year, characterful car and the supercharger whine is addictive.
The whine certainly is great fun! There's quite a diverse range of options in the sub 5k market, but plenty of stuff seems to be creeping up into more expensive categories, like Type R's.
I had a normal Cooper R53 with 17" wheels and "sports suspension", ie very similar to the Cooper S - the ride was truly awful on British roads with those run flats. The engine was pretty weedy as well but the handling was amazing. Did have a Cooper S as a loan car and that had the power you'd expect. Your cinematography is really top class btw,
Currently looking for a cooper s to use as a daily and trackday toy.. great little review that
Mines mint, 2003 , 15% pulley, Airtec intercooler, Colder plugs. 59000 miles ,
Full Service history main dealers. Garaged. R53 Jet Black
Rare OEM Factory fitted aero kit
OEM factory fitted JCW wheels
Red enameled calipers
Factory Tinted rear windows
Miltek Sports exhaust system.
Electric sun roof full panoramic
Reduced pulley wheel 15%
Colder running NGK plugs. BCR8ES
Aircon
ASC +T
Cruise control
Zenon headlights with washers
Upgraded Airtec intercooler and boots.
OEM Extra dials, oil temp, battery.
SERVICE March 2019 Full All fluids and filters.
BMW M Macedonia.
Surface Rust. Sills under rubber ..done Jan 2020 BMW
Bushes control arm Done March 2020. BMW.UK
Front wheel bearings .Done March 2020.BMW.UK
Plugs - done Nov 18
Belt and 15% - done March19
Intercooler - done Dec 18
Engine oil / done March 19
Còolant / done March19
Brake fluid /-done March19
Air filter /done March 19
Micro filter/done March 19
Fuel Filter done March 19 .
All R53 Mini Cooper S with manual gearboxes came with the Getrag 6 speed box, regardless of whether they are pre or post facelift. The 5 speed Rover derived gearbox that was on early Mini Cooper and One models was never fitted to any Cooper S.
I just hit 140mph on German Autobahn in my 2004 R53 convertible - 118,000miles so far... That thing seems as wild as undestroyable..
The 1st gen mini are for sure as reliable than the newer generation of minis and I regret selling my mini cooper s convertible than I have few good mods on it, and now I'm getting another mini S Convertible that will not thinking of selling it again
Another great little film Chris! Looks like you found a great example! To me, the R53 is definitely the most charming of the modern Minis. The supercharger makes it very unique too, but without compromising anything really. The later models are more grown up, but don't have the same playfull characther as this, and especially in the latest models i feel like the Mini-branding is forced a bit.. I'm a bit sad, that i wasn't able to try a Cooper S back when i was shopping. I fear it might have won me over.
Looking forward to more on this!
I wouldn't worry, a lovely N/A V6 has more than enough charm! It's funny, when they were new in the 2000's I wasn't a particular fan of the then 'new Mini', but as the years passed and cars grew in size, the R50/53 gen Mini's look the most resolved and pure in design to me. For the money in the UK there is a lot of fun to be had!
Enjoyed your perspective. Been thinking the same about this car, here in California... cleanest modern Mini design, most connected handling, supercharger. What's not to like?
Well spoken!
I came for the piano music. Namaste! P.S. They put your steering wheel on the wrong side. (2002 R53 owner)
Chris just seen your review I've got a red 2005 August lady owner had it 8years only done 31.000 miles not messed with engine or wheels just added chrome inside is factory mint hope we can chat sometime keep them videos going we want more dont sell it ! made my day being this channel
Wow sounds like you found a real keeper! And I thought I'd found a low miler! I'll definitely get the R53 back out on film again soon, just hope for some dry weather....Thanks for watching, you can always get me on Instagram/overtakefilms
'lady owner'... usually that means neglected. Maintenance left to someone lese, wahser bottle not topped up, kerbed wheels, oil and tyres never checked, interior scratched by rings etc and greasy lotions on the touch surfaces, not to mention numerous scratches from stuff being thrown in and out.
I'd rather buy an enthusiast owned vehicle that the owner knows inside out and has cherished.
when purchased it she done nothing like that and hardly used it so was lucky but I know what you mean about some lady owners and poor ownership
Proof you don't need massive horsepower to have a blast.
Here in Oz the R53S is now starting to go back up in price after a huge devaluation crash and there aren't many on the market atm.
My girlfriends 2010 R56 Diesel manual (yea, yawn) just clocked 500,000 Km (310,000 mi) and still on the original clutch, pump, injectors, turbo. Blows my mind. A CEL came on at 400,000km and BMW Au had to email Germany to find out what the code meant. Ended up being some service thing. When they asked BMW why this code isn't listed they said no one ever expected anyone to actually go that far. 🤣 We're thinking it might just be the highest mileage R56 on the planet now.
The US needs more diesel cars, you're so lucky to have a diesel Mini... too bad that time has passed over here :(
Had 1 20024 excellent cor , speedo would get on my nerves ,would move every time you started the thing but amazing FUN
I've been priced out of JDM, these things are very tempting now.
Where are these roads!? Looks beautiful. Great video too :)
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! The roads are outside Reading, in Berkshire.
@@OvertakeFilms oh wow not even far from me and I didn't know this! Thanks alot matey
Brilliant review, thank you. How would you compare this to MX-5 NB?
I traded my NA Miata (MX-5) for my R53. Mostly because I am very tall and fit much better in the Mini. The Miata has a tighter shifter, is overall easier to work on, and obviously is rear wheel drive. The Mini is much faster, and handles very well for FWD, and I like the pedal box more, but I miss the feel of the throttle cable, the mini is drive by wire. I miss my Miata, but the R53 is much more practical. I drove mine 2600 miles across America and it was amazing having the supercharger to cross the mountain passes!
@@aaronredbaron brilliant review, I'm holding onto my Miata MX-5 until it's beyond my means to repair.
Great video guys. I just made on on my Mini Cooper R50 that you might want to check out. Cheers!
I'll check it out! Thanks!
I had an Indi blue metallic R53 which I loved.
Not the fastest thing in a straight line, but an absolute hoot down a good B road. It did like a drink though! 😂
It was thirstier than I expected! Good fun nonetheless!
I love my r53 and r56 but my r53 has a special place in my soul
They're certainly great fun!
@@OvertakeFilms I just wish my R53 was right hand drive like yours
Just waiting for the next video on this toy 👌
Coming soon! If it ever stops raining...
after watching this put a deposit on an r53 eek!! but so excited
Amazing! Hope you enjoy it!!
@@OvertakeFilms its now written off. but was fun
@@finnmarsh396 what happened??
@@ImperialGaming met a tree on the way to work , backwards.
I’ve been thinking of purchasing a mini the last couple months for a little project car that I can have some fun with and learn how to tinker on.
Is it possible to turbo a non s model?
Turboing a R50 Cooper (no turbo/supercharger) will cost you as much as buying an R56 Cooper S (has a turbo), if not more. It is possible, just it's better to purchase the later model series that has it factory, of which you know, you can upgrade it.
On a side note, I love my R53 Cooper S, but unless you've always wanted one or it's your dream car, tinkering being "fun" is a very long stretch if you just want something to do, there are other cars that are fun that aren't BMW-difficult to work on, especially these Minis, that are sandwiched together, unlike its Austin/Morris predecessors designed to be for the common man/woman/creature to work on, and easy to do at that.
As an example, to change the radiator, you need to remove the whole front-end (bumper, crash bar, crash bars) of the car to do something that is as easy as 1 step on almost every other car. That's one thing, now apply that process to about 60-70% of the work you'll be doing under the hood.
So, like I said, unless you love the idea of owning Mini, it's not worth the hassle otherwise, especially the premium of buying BMW parts when they fail (because they will fail).
I love my R53 Mini, and the my Morris Mini restoration project (Both my dream cars), but I can't recommend it as a car "you just own", it's BMW pain and suffering on a great car that doesn't deserve crappy German-over-engineering. If the R53 wasn't my dream car, I would've sold it a long time ago.
All I can conclude with, is if you have an abundance of money that you want to experiment with, then go for it, it's a fun car.
hi Chris where did you get the bmw advertising strip on the number plate please
It must have been on the car when I got it, maybe from new!?
Great vid, I've had my R53 for 8 years now, it's a keeper. :) Check the front lower arm bushes, they wear fast in these. And yes, get rid of the runflats!
Thanks for your support and thanks for the tips! I'll definitely look into the bushes.
I have mine for over 12years. My wife knows she will always come 2nd... after the MINI. lol
I think the runflats are great, I still have them on mine 19 years after I bought the car. People don't like the price and try to justify that position by inventing things about road feel. But trust me, when you've had a puncture in this car you'll love the runflats. I've had three punctures in my time owning my R53 and I just check the tyre isn't slashed to shreds or punctured in the sidewall, and then get back in a continue my journey at reduced speed.
@@owensmith7530 Runflats' weight and rigidity cause NVH. Doesn't help handling either. Try some proper tyres, you might be surprised.
@@JussiKoukku What is NVH? And if I got rid of the runflats how am I supposed to get a spare wheel into the car? No spare turns a puncture from a shrug of the shoulders to a pain in the neck.
There is no replacement for short-wheelbase.
If you put a reduced supercharger pulley and an induction kit the wine is twice as loud = twice as fun ;)
It is proving to be very tempting! Amazing bang for buck too!
Don't forget to upgrade the I/C though. A -11% pulley is okay but anything smaller will cause a few problems.
@@simonlloyd7557 I want to upgrade the 11% pulley + direnza + intercooler and panel filter without upgrading.
Just under 200cv is more than enough for me ....
Does it make sense? Or I have to do an flashing ECU and put an 17% ?
Tnx in advance
@@b.o.rt.a5806 intercooler is a waste of money unless you can find an affordable GP intercooler (unlikely) or you go front mounted (unaffordable). If you can't keep temps down with the stock cooler and a diverter, I'd go straight to meth injection. I run a 17% pulley using a stock JCW belt with a stock intercooler and have had zero issues for 60,000 km.
To answer your question, you could add a jcw pulley (11%) and be fine without a ECU flash. I'd consider at that point going to 1 step colder plugs. Anything more, I'd look into bigger injectors, as well as a tune.
And for what it's worth, it's never enough. I started with a 210 hp JCW and I'm at 245 now... need more.
Sorry but the mini has never died
I've owned my R53 for about 4 months now and it has bags of character over my M4 and G20 3 series....have a look over my channel for some project vids on it.
I will check it out, thanks!
First thing you have to do ... 17% Charger Pulley, Bigger Intercooler, CAI & Cooler Plugs, .... Then it's a real fun car to drive ;-)
It's very tempting to do, maybe once lockdown lifts....
It's plenty of fun without doing any of those. And reducing the pulley will increase engine wear, not a good idea at the age these cars are now.
What's a CAI?
not so much of a review - more like an standard Driver Overview view point
Oops sorry, that's why I included the caveat of 'initial', I'll be doing a more thorough review once I've lived with the car for longer.