The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33537
Motors Across America side window artwork. Given Seattle’s rather gloomy weather November-February we had thought the solid vinyl (instead of the perforated type) would make the Clubman rather dark inside forcing us to remove the window graphics. Although it’s like driving a panel van, we really like the artwork Mike did and will likely keep it into 2011. It simply gets everyone looking, and that’s the general idea. What the general public doesn’t see are the Wet Okole seat covers we installed before driving the 3,000 roundtrip miles to MITM. These neoprene covers are just terrific! As I consumed sandwiches and Diet Coke while driving the roundtrip, I can attest they clean very easily, thereby saving the factory cloth seats from stains. The Black gearknob (available in the MC2 General Store) has also worked out fine, albeit rather cold (due to it being billet aluminum) to the touch in the early morning, even though Project Clubman is garaged at all times. The Forge intercooler is working great. Even our skeptical editor, Peter DuPre, noticed that the underhood tones were different last week due to the N-M Engineering turbo inlet and outlet pipes installed just before the long trip to Denver. We have had no fault codes, or any other indication that the engine is anything other than happy. It still hums as nicely as the day we took delivery, nicer infact, because our custom mods have added power, improved driveability and added a nice exhaust burble to tickle the ear. A Sprint To The Finish We’ve added several items that improve horsepower/torque, but the Sprint Booster is an odd duck that we’ve been interested in for several months. We’ve actually had it since a few days before we left for Denver’s MITM/MTTS events and should admit that we didn’t make time to install it. Chalk it up to not believing that anything electrical could be a 10-minute job. Oh brother, were we ever wrong, this gizmo is a 10-minute install job max! In a palm-sized box, there’s a short collection of cables bound with electrical tape (with male/female connections both ends), a foot of thin- gauge wire with the selector button one end, and the connector to the gas pedal the other, plus a piece of two-sided tape and an easy-to-follow instruction sheet. In days gone by, your gas pedal connected you to the carburetor via a steel-stranded throttle cable. This ended at the turn of the century in most vehicles from the introduction of the ECM (Electronic Control Module) and computer-controlled systems. It was a required interface often called Drive-By-Wire. The single problem is that electronic throttles are slower to reach the requested throttle opening than mechanical systems. It’s rather like the turbo lag many snivel about. When you press the throttle pedal, the system reads a pedal position, interfaces with all the other electronic engine software and responds with RPM. The Sprint Booster modifies this signal, effectively “fooling” the ECU and engine into giving you more throttle opening than is actually programmed into the ECU at a given pedal position. At lower and mid-RPM gas pedal positions, it’s very effective, and immediately felt by drivers who are in touch with their MINI’s characteristics. The one thing it doesn’t do is increase horsepower/torque or your speed from 0-60 mph. You could almost say it’s a device that increases the driver to vehicle connection. If you’ve had some electronic tuning done, then you know of this already, as the throttle maps have likely been modified. However, the Sprint Booster will likely allow greater advantage of that expensive tuning as it noticeably increases the sensitivity of the throttle. Is it for everyone? No, it’s not, as it takes getting used to. It has three modes indicated by the switch that we placed on the center console using the kit’s two-sided tape. The lack of a light says Sprint Booster is off and the MINI factory programming is in effect. The green light equates to a significant increase in throttle sensitivity. The red light indicates a 1. A easy-to-follow instruction sheet, the Sprint Booster wiring harness, adjustment button and harness, two-sided tape, wire tie and window sticker are all the parts of the kit. maximum sensitivity that, for some, should likely be used on a closed track. You can even set the throttle and remove the Sprint Booster, setting it back to factory,or to one of the other two settings. Maybe it’s a “safe” or “valet mode” for some family members? The Sprint Booster comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It retails just over $300, which seems a lot for no horsepower increase, but then how many of us have paid $400 for a cold air system that makes a paltry 4-5 HP when installed alone? Besides, it makes the MINI more fun to drive, and isn’t that what owning a MINI is all about? Remember the old phrase,“Try it, you’ll like it.” We did and we do. 2. Use a screwdriver to pop off the little plastic button in the pedal that covers a 5 milllimeter Allen bolt. Issue 29 MC2 Magazine 37