Buying a BRABUS

[jmariog]

Sorry but think you are thinking of the wrong mini.

[Bari87]

Haha, yes of course i whas thinking of the fast Minis, since it is a competitor to the Brabus / better then the Brabus

[CrazyG]

AMT is not the best...but acceleration figs for 1.5 AMT v 1.5 manual
show the AMT is quicker to 60mph.  Gear spread/band is better.

If AMT has a re-teach and adjust every year then it should be ok
for most owners who do general driving. Anyone with an AMT
that does a lot of town driving would benefit from having that
done every 6-9 months rather than yearly.

And yes...any normally aspirated (NA) petrol will never manage
much more than a 5% increase in output with the right 'mods'.
The Brabus and CDI (both turbo'd) can gain far more with a
remap and little else. With a few mods it can be even more.

[mr singh]

And yes...any normally aspirated (NA) petrol will never manage
much more than a 5% increase in output with the right 'mods'..

i would have to disagree with your statement of 'never manage much more than a 5% increase'

while i agree that modifying a n/a is pointless and the costs will out weigh the power gains, Smart offered a tuning pack for the 1.5 n/a, as you and the majority here are well aware of (SB3) and it took the power from 109bhp to 122bhp, which is a 12% increase in power. i haven't driven a standard 1.5 but im pretty sure the 12% power gain will be noticeable.

[Bari87]

Dont forged that torque wins races and PS just sells Cars for standard users.

What do you need a few horsepower on the top end of rpm? For +5km/h TopSpeed?! Redicilious. What you really need is torque from low rpm to get performance and acceleration and climb the rpm scale fast.

The most important thing on a engine is the torque diagramm. Not top End PS.

I know the difference from a supercharged SL55 and a N/A SL63. Last one has +25PS TopEnd but looses every straight line race / every comparison cause its 700Nm@2000rpm vs  630Nm@5250(!)rpm.

[snookey]

...I'm wondering if a lot of owners have
decided to SORN them...

Not decided, but forced by circumstance, in my case.  The MOT expired just before Christmas 2019, and due to health reasons I opted to park up and leave it until the new year.  Things didn't get better before the coronavirus came along, and aside from putting the bins out three times I've been indoors since February, therefore it's ended up on the SORN list.  Every time I'm at the kitchen sink I look at it out on the drive, and I absolutely ache to drive it again and hear that Brabus grrrowl when I turn the key.  Last summer someone stuck a note under the wiper asking did I want to sell it, being as it hadn't moved for a long time.  I sent a text to the given number saying that isn't ever going to happen.  When this all eventually ends I'm going to be driving my dog to every beach in the North of Scotland.

Sidebar: this has been on Autotrader since at least last spring, which probably means it's overpriced.  Looks like a fun option for local pottering though, just so long as it isn't raining.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202003178503651?onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=ab387bw&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&year-to=2020&model=CROSSBLADE&make=SMART&sort=relevance&page=1

[pcbrookside]

Hi, newbie on the forum here, but a black brabus 56 owner since 2009. I'm looking to sell it this month, I'll put in the 'marketplace' forum soon. I'd rather sell it to someone who wants it/appreciates it from here, it's in good nick, apart from alloys, s2smarts has taken care of it for years. I can't see a single other forfour brabus for sale at the mo!

[El Tel]

Sidebar: this has been on Autotrader since at least last spring, which probably means it's overpriced.  Looks like a fun option for local pottering though, just so long as it isn't raining.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202003178503651?onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=ab387bw&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&year-to=2020&model=CROSSBLADE&make=SMART&sort=relevance&page=1

Or try here? https://es.wallapop.com/item/smart-crossblade-cabrio-2003-440117402 - if you don't mind going to Ibiza to pick it up. For such a rare car, I found 2 or 3 for sale pretty quickly. My guess is the economic squeeze is forcing a lot of these sales.

So... it's a lot cheaper in Spain (for a change) but that one has 21k km on the clock, while the one you linked only has 82 miles on the odometer... it's a car to be put in a private collection, really.

Sure there's no doors, no roof, no windscreen - but also very little weight. I'll bet it's like a little go-kart to drive.

[snookey]

You're correct that, sadly, it probably will end up in a collection and continue to be unused.  The Spanish one has a better chance of some life though, because of the obvious weather advantage.  I reckon they'll be brilliant for scooting about a resort on sunny days, no matter where.

[jmariog]

Think there is one of those for sale Uxbridge, car showroom , also not as good as my mini moke

[CrazyG]

Agreed.....more or less anyone can work on a Mini Moke without the need
or necessity for any electronic diagnostics gadgets etc. Ah such memories...
The only thing I would do if I had a Moke right now would be to swap out
the points and condenser for an optical ignition conversion...a defo must have.
Something like a Lumenition, as that's what I had on seriously modified
Morris 'Moggy' Minor 1000.  Well that's what it started life as !
(Slammed 3 inches, disc brake converted fronts, 1340cc lump, 3branch,
  40DCOE carb, straight cut 1275 Midget gearbox, straight thru exhaust,
  banded 13" wheels, uprated shocks etc etc).
It were fun driving that about way back in the early 70's...
in a way it's how I feel when driving my modified 451.....
(except it has to have a diagnostic..).

[jmariog]

Totally agree no need for stars computer, twist distributor till the engine sounded good and that was the timing done,