Category Archives: Clark

Introducing Clark 2.0

It’s been a while since my last post and lots of exciting things have been happening. After a long search to find my next vehicle that even extended outside of the MINI brand (more on that later), I found myself not only staying in the MINI family, but also moving up to a Factory John Cooper Works hardtop!! Say hello to Clark 2.0!This new iteration of Clark is equipped very similar to his predecessor except Clark 2.0 has heated seats, a back-up camera, satellite radio and, oh did I mention, the full factory John Cooper Works package!?!?

All the suspension, exhaust and wheel upgrades from Clark 1.0 have made it over to Clark 2.0 for the ultimate package in MINI performance. All I can say is WOW! This is, hands down, the best performance MINI I have ever driven!!Stay tuned for some videos from my recent trip to MINIs On The Dragon 2018 where Clark 2.0 got to stretch his legs ;).

FOR SALE – 2016 MINI Cooper S With JCW Tuning Kit

UPDATE: This MINI has been SOLD!

Many of you have followed the adventures of Clark, my 2016 Superman-themed MINI Cooper S with JCW Tuning Kit and upgrades galore.  The time has come to welcome a new MINI into our home and in order to do that, Clark will be going up for sale to a lucky individual!

As many know, Clark is in excellent shape with no mechanical issues at all.  He started off as “Kal-El”, a Deep Blue Metallic MINI Cooper S with white roof and mirror caps and silver wheels and transformed into Clark/SuperMINI with the addition of various upgrades (see list below).

Clark has just under 41,000 miles on the odometer currently (as of 11/29/2017) and is still under MINI USA’s full bumper to bumper OEM warranty until 2019 or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first)!!  OEM warranty can be extended to 7 years/100,000 miles by purchasing an extended warranty from MINI USA if purchased before the warranty expires.

Specs are below straight from the original order form from MINI USA (upgrades are then listed below that):

 

2016 Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door

Color – Deep Blue Body Color

White Roof/Mirrors

Packages:

Fully Loaded Package

JCW Interior Package

JCW Entry Door Sills

JCW Stainless Steel Pedals + Footrest

JCW Leather Shift Knob

Exterior:

LED Fog Lights

Rear Fog Lights

LED Headlights with Cornering Lights

Heated Mirrors & Washer Jets

Rain Sensor and Auto Headlamps

Panoramic Sunroof

Rear Spoiler

White Turn Signals

Interior:

Sport Seats

Center Armrest

Standard Floor Mats

Leatherette: Carbon Black

JCW Leather Steering Wheel w/Multifunction

Chrome Line Interior

Anthracite Headliner

Black Checkered Dash Surface

Carbon Black Color Line

Automatic Climate Control

Storage Package

MINI Excitement Package

Performance:

MINI Driving Modes

6-Speed Getrag Manual

2.0L TwinPower Turbocharged Engine

Toggle Ignition

Dual Stage, 8 Airbag System

Performance Control

Audio & Tech:

Harman/Kardon Sound System

Alarm System

Connected + Visual Boost XL

Navigation System XL

Real Time Traffic Information

MINI Head-Up Display

On-Board Computer

Comfort Access System

Enhanced Bluetooth and USB/iPod Adapter

Original MSRP Price $32,450.00 before upgrades

UPGRADES:

John Cooper Works Pro Tuning Kit with Pro Sports Exhaust and Bluetooth remote control
(Stock Exhaust also included)

John Cooper Works Big Brake Kit
(Stock Brakes also included)

NM Engineering 17″ Chili Red RSe05 Light Weight Wheels

NM Engineering Lowering Springs
(Stock Springs also included)

NM Engineering Rear Sway Bar
(StockRear Sway Bar also included)

NM Engineering Front Strut Bar

NM Engineering Rear Control Arms and Rod End Boot Kit
(Stock Rear Control Arms also included)

NM Engineering Cold Air Intake
(Stock Cold Air Intake also included)

John Cooper Works front grille
(Stock front grille also included)

John Cooper Works side indicator turn signal scuttles
(Stock side indicator turn signal scuttles also included)

Black-out Front Bumper Grille Surround

Black-out headlight and taillight rings
(Stock headlight and taillight rings also included)

Chili Red Painted Front Brake Ducts

Chili Red Painted Side Mirrors

Chili Red Painted John Cooper Works Spoiler

Chili Red Wrapped Roof

Chili Red Door Handle Covers

Chili Red Gas Lid Cover

Superman Logo Puddle Lights

MINI Click and Drive System with USB power and Universal Smartphone mount

Service History:

All service and repair work since car was brand new done at Vista MINI.

Mileage: 41,000 (November 2017)
Asking Price: $21,500

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SOLD AND IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

Additional Photos below:

Video: Interview with John Schneider (aka Bo Duke)

This past week I had the honor of meeting one of my all-time favorite actors, John Schneider, at the CineFlix Film Festival in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.img_2714John was super nice and allowed me to do a Facebook Live stream of the interview where we had a chance to talk about not only the film festival, but the Tail of the Dragon and my MINI, Clark.  Some will remember that John Schneider has a Superman connection (he played Jonathan Kent in the TV series Smallville!). Click below for the video (sorry it was filmed vertically – not sure when Facebook Live changed from square format, but on well…)

Video: Sebring Track Weekend 2016

This past weekend was the first time running the full course at Sebring since I last drove it in 2008 in my 2006 R53 MINI Cooper S, Scooter.  Last year I was lucky enough to take the Ford Shelby  GT350 R out for a spin at Sebring, but it was the club course and not the full 3.7 miles.  All I can say is WOW!!  I wasn’t sure how well the F56 MINI would perform on the track compared to the R53, but I was quickly impressed by not only the power, but the amazing handling I was able to get out of the MINI Dynamic Damper suspension coupled with the NM Engineering lowering springs, control arms and sway bar.img_6159Overall, the car felt amazing around the track.  Plenty of torque allowed me to power out of turns in 3rd gear without having to drop to 2nd.  On the straights, the 2.0L engine provided plenty of power to not let the higher horsepower V8s get too far ahead ;).img_6125Body roll was almost non-existent, which made for a very stable and comfortable feeling whipping through the twisties.  I had forgotten how much I love being out on track and am very happy to have had this chance to get back out there and surprise some Corvette owners again lol.

Photo Credit: PhotosByJuha.com

Clark At MINIs On The Dragon 2016

Last week I took Clark up for MINIs On The Dragon to join about 900 other MINIacs driving the mountain roads of North Carolina and Tennessee.  The previous MINIs On The Dragon events I attended were done in my previous 2006 MINI Cooper S, Scooter, so I was looking forward to bringing my 2016 F56 MINI up there for some comparison.  I have spent quite a bit of time working on setting up Clark to at least match the handling of Scooter and driving the Dragon (US 129) is a sure way to test the setup out.

1122764 Continue reading Clark At MINIs On The Dragon 2016

Clark Takes Best In Class @ Wheels Across The Pond 2016

This past weekend I entered my first non-MINI-only car show – Wheels Across The Pond 2016.  I have attended the show as a spectator in the past, but never had an entry.  The show draws about 250 registrants showing off their cars in over 30 different classes.  I entered Clark in the Modern MINI class and the competition was fierce.   My good friend, Jackie Hardy, presented her MINI Clubvan, Preston (a Wallace and Gromit Anti Pesto van-themed MINI) – always a crowd favorite.  Michelle and Howie Rosenberg showed off their Green Lantern themed MINI, Kilowog, among other great MINIs.  All in all, there were quite a few MINIs that came to impress so Clark needed to put on his cape and become “SuperMINI”.  After the voting finished and the tallies counted, Jackie Hardy took 3rd place with Preston, Michael Rose took 2nd with his silver R56 Cooper S and Clark took 1st place in the Modern MINI class!!!! 

Dyno Comparison: 2016 F56 Factory JCW and 2016 F56 S JCW Tuning Kit

A few people have asked me to compare Clark’s dyno numbers from August to the factory JCW dyno numbers from this weekend’s dyno day.  So before I start posting comparison graphs from yesterday, I figured I would post this comparison for anyone on the fence about adding the JCW Pro Tuning Kit to their F56 Cooper S.  IMG_1015 Continue reading Dyno Comparison: 2016 F56 Factory JCW and 2016 F56 S JCW Tuning Kit

Clark: Final Exterior Details

So this week I received the last planned exterior detail to complete Clark’s transformation – Chili Red door handle covers!  These were hard to find – let me tell you!!  Apparently due to the various versions of door handles on the F56 MINI (ie. comfort access, non-comfort access, etc.), many MINI aftermarket vendors are not carrying colored door handles anymore.  Luckily I was able to find a reputable vendor in China that delivered these beauties as promised.
IMG_0966

The handles cost $112 and attach over your existing chrome handles with adhesive tape and provide the comfort access hole cut out already for a great fit.  The only modification I chose to do to the handles was to use a Dremel to cut-out a notch for the small LED light on the bottom of the door handle so the light would shine down (this is not required if you don’t care about the light, but I wanted the light to shine on the ground when I opened the door).

IMG_0970I also decided to black out my chrome beltline with some 3M Super 88 vinyl tape to complete the de-chroming.  Awesome stuff by the way at under $4 a roll! IMG_0973Big thanks to Lam Lan of Car & Woman Mini Cooper Shop for making sure I received exactly what I needed.  If you are interested in some custom door handles or other custom pieces for your MINI, check out their site on AliExpress:

Car & Woman Mini Cooper Shop

RSe05 Wheels & F56 JCW Brakes Up Close

I have gotten a few requests for some close up shots of how the new RSe05 wheels sit on my F56, Clark, and how they clear the John Cooper Works brakes that were just installed this week.   I may post some photos later of the actual brake install, but for now, check out these shots of how the wheels and brakes look.  I personally think they look fantastic!IMG_0644 Continue reading RSe05 Wheels & F56 JCW Brakes Up Close

New Wheels In Preparation of JCW Brakes

If you have been following Clark’s progress over the past month or so, you know of the struggles in finding an aftermarket wheel that will clear the JCW brakes on the F56.  My JCW brakes have been sitting in a box in the garage for almost a month waiting for new wheels to be installed that will clear the large calipers.  After a lot of work on behalf of Jerry at NM Engineering, Clark is now sporting new wheels that not only will clear the JCW brakes, but also helps complete his “Superman” theme 🙂

IMG_0237

I decided to go with the 17×8″ RSe05’s with a +45 offset and the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in a 215/45-17 configuration.  The wheels are so much lighter than the stock wheels that the difference was noticeable right out of the gate.  So far the Pilot Super Sports are WAY stickier than the OEM Hankook run-flats so handling has improved immensely.  I couldn’t be happier with the way the wheels came out and highly recommend contacting Jerry at  NM Engineering if you need some custom wheels for your F56 JCW!  You can reach Jerry at (800) 423-3623