BMW will add Valvetronic to the turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine in the 2011 Mini Cooper S and Cooper S Clubman. The result is 12 more horsepower for a total of 184 at 5,500 rpm. Torque holds steady at 177 pound-feet.
Valvetronic is of course BMW's electric-motor-driven variable valve lift system. The other main benefits are reduced fuel consumption and emissions. BMW claims this update saves almost half a liter of gasoline per 100 km on the European test cycle.
The company has not yet made any predictions on U.S. EPA ratings, but the engine change should go through sometime this spring.
The normally aspirated 1.6-liter engine in the base Mini Cooper and Clubman does not get Valvertronic, but minor changes (which BMW has not specified) will provide a slight increase in horsepower (from 118 to 122) and torque (from 114 lb-ft to 118) for the 2011 model year.
firstclass says:
05:21 PM, 01/14/10
12 more horse power and better gas mileage, nothing to complain about (sure someone will). If Mini’s on your list wait till spring.
firstwagon says:
06:18 PM, 01/14/10
I rather see 12 more hp in the base engine then the turbo. The turbo has plenty of power but the base car is little light on HP for what people expect in this price range.
huyracing says:
07:24 PM, 01/14/10
more hp is easier to get on a turbo engine, that is why. be happy that the base engine gets anything at all.
firstwagon says:
09:14 PM, 01/14/10
HP is easy to get these days on any engine.
Even a decade ago Honda got 160 hp out a 1.6 in the Del Sol. It's at the expense of torque but in a light weight car like the Mini (which needs premium anyhow), BMW should have no trouble getting a driveable 140 hp from the base model.
blueguydotcom says:
10:35 PM, 01/14/10
The del sol Si had zero torque though - 111 ft-lbs at 7k rpm.
The Cooper S' turbo engine gives it torque over the rev band. Tons of it for a 2600 lbs car.
There's no mention in this article of overboost which gives the R56 a big boost of power in sudden WOT applications. Regardless, 12 horses on a Cooper S adds a nice bit of fun to an already super little car.
huyracing says:
01:29 AM, 01/15/10
the base mini engine is actually acceptably peppy to me and i'm sure that has to do with it being tuned for torque. more hp is far from easy these days... with stricter emissions and the highly complex computers regulating that, its become harder and harder to squeeze more power out of a car and keep it legal. exhaust systems are also so optimized (surely all in the name of mpg's) that on many cars, you don't really gain any power by swapping it out.
cr_driver says:
08:47 AM, 01/15/10
And don`t forget, it adds OVERBOOST as well!!!
20 more lb-ft of torque!!!!
Gotta love that improvement.
blueguydotcom says:
01:02 PM, 01/15/10
Best part of the Cooper S - I beat on it daily and still got 30 MPGs.
k55 says:
10:10 AM, 03/13/10
Blueguydotcom "best part of a Cooper S - I beat on it daily and still get 30 MPG"
Not sure I understand the relationship between beating on it ....and getting 30mpg. Give it a break and stop beating on it and get a girlfriend. Then it wont turn blue. You may even get better than 30mpg.