e30 vs Mini S??

[EThirty318i]

Well, I'll be lowering and adding sway bars to a friend of my brother's mini s in the next week or so. My question is, just how quick are these little cars.
Correct me if i am wrong but the S is a 1.6 turbo'd 4 banger.
Could an e30 w/ a 10.5 lbs. lightweight flywheel, turner chip, 173 ecu and a 3.73 lsd beat it?

[blefevre]

A new mini S will do 0-60 in the low 6 second range. A pretty much stock E30 will not. All depends on the model and transmission too. Is the mini a vert/auto, new turbo or old supercharger? Is your car a 318/325e/325i, auto/man, etc? But no, given the average of the two cars and the average of drivers yours will be slower.

[EThirty318i]

I know its a newer mini s not sure the year. Hard top Manuel.
Mine is a 325i coupe 5-speed.

But just thought I'd ask. Never really been around one. Guess I'll have to take it on a little test drive after the installation on some back roads.

[samiam3356]

Those cars are actually a blast to drive in the twisties. I would think an e30 would have a hard time keeping up without some decent susp mods.

[RainierHooker]

I own both an R56 Mini Cooper-S and two E30's. While it pains me to say this, the Mini is every bit as quick as my E30 M3. The only thing that I don't like about the Mini is the horrific torque-steer when on the power, or any time you go over an expansion-joint on the highway.

[e30orDie]

Sam is right on- my sister has one. However, I fucking hate these cars and I hate hat BMW did to them. Now, I'll take a real mini ANY DAY!!!!! Talk about hell raising rally fun- you flip it, flip it back over keep going!!!! Hehe

Watch some old videos of the originals.... Nothin like the new ones.

[brian52555]

New minis are really, really quick on the autox course...

[Paukert11]

lol both are great cars. I love driving my friends mini. But I still rather have my monster of a build.

[Wh33lhop]

I've toasted a stock older (supercharged) S or two with a chipped M50; I doubt a stock M20 would be able to hang with a turbo one, everything else being equal.

[ill4noreason]

new minis are ugly as fuck. Old e30 wins on style. if you had unlimited funds you could build an e30 to be faster than a new mini in every type of racing I believe. rwd vs fwd. I'll take a classic mini over most e30's i see though. I drove a supercharged mini and was not impressed. My old mkv gti would smoke that thing badly...

[psyber_0ptix]

I own both an R56 Mini Cooper-S and two E30's. While it pains me to say this, the Mini is every bit as quick as my E30 M3. The only thing that I don't like about the Mini is the horrific torque-steer when on the power, or any time you go over an expansion-joint on the highway.

What year was this? The newer models with the electronic power steering, torque steer should be dialed out via an application of counter steering-torque applied dependent on acceleration.

The new MINI is definitely something that has to grow on people. At first I was not a fan of the non-conventional dash layout, but after driving so many of them (among other cars) it really isn't that big a deal. You get over it within a day. All the relevant info is displayed in a simple format, then the clutter is shifted to the dash center.

Could definitely use more power, but handling is quite nice for a factory car imho (call me bias), but I think this is also a function of many drivers aid DSC has to offer.

MINI GP is a blast, MINI Coupe is definitely the best handling (but theres just something about those blindspots...)

in the end, to offer an opinion regarding the OP's question:
If it were straight line speed, I have no clue having never driven a 325i

If it were in corners, with the mods you listed, and drivers being equal, i'd say MINI.

But at the end of the day, you know you can fit more hot girls in an e30 than a MINI; but the MINI might attract more. Catch22

[graphikg]

You gotta be kidding me OP. A new mini would easily surpass an e30 i.

[RainierHooker]

What year was this? The newer models with the electronic power steering, torque steer should be dialed out via an application of counter steering-torque applied dependent on acceleration.

Mine is an '08 MCS (R56 N14 Turbo). My feelings may be a bit skewed, since every other car that I have ever owned has been RWD. Don't get me wrong, I love the 'out-of-the-box' handling that the Mini has, but just like any other FWD car there is going to be some compromise in the steering area. No amount of computers is going to change that.

Both the Mini and the E30 are great cars and have tons of personality. They just have very different personalities. The numbers and objective data is going to be on the side of the new Mini over any stock E30, and that includes the M3. On the other hand, if you skillfully grab an E30 by the scruff of its neck I think it'll put a bigger smile on your face...

[TurboJake]

I read the first post.
Mini. Hands down. You'll struggle just to keep up because you have no suspension mods.
But that struggle will be fun as hell for the both of you. Especially if it's a winding road

[naplesE30]

The mini will destroy you with drivers ability being equal.