On paper: (dyno shows lb ft, not nm)
Cooper S: 184hp@5500rpm - 240nm@1600-5000rpm (136g CO2)
BMW 116I : 136hhp@4400rpm - 220nm @1350-4300rpm (about 130g CO2)
BRZ/GT86: 200hp@7000rpm - 205nm@ 6400-6000rpm (181g CO2)
Took a dyno from Perrinperformance and tried to add Oves 116I numbers. - yellow line.
GT86 -green line.
Mini Cooper S - pink.
The yellow line is not that accurate, and the dynos used are different. But tought it would be funny to see.
I own a Cooper S. And have test driven both the GT86 and 116I for short trips. Considering either the GT86 or 116I/118I as my next/future car.
GT86 have a short powerband and you have to work to stay in it. Basically you only have high-range powerband between 7500-4700=2800RPM.
In tight hairpins you will easily get into the torque dip/lower HP output using 2. gear. It is also a car you do not wish to hit the rev limiter in since the fuel/power cut is a little annoying. Due to lack of torque you never get the real sensation of getting pushed hard back into the seat. Throttle response good!
Cooper S have a huge powerband thanks to its low and midrange torque and good HP from lowrange to high rpms. You basically have a good lowrange, midrange, and a pretty good high range. Great output between 6500-2500=4000RPM. but I could easily say 5000RPM+ thanks to low weight and extreme torque from 1500RPM and even lower. There is no need to completely max out the revs since the midrange is so effective. So it is not as exiting to rev as the 86, but does not feel as dull as the 116I.
It does have a little turbo-lag from low revs in high gears, minimal lag at higher RPMs. I would say it is pretty impressive.
Feels more powerful at low revs than you would think looking at the dyno graph. (Same goes for 116I.)
It does feel much more powerful than the 116I at lower revs even tough HP figures are about the same! (more torque and about 200 kg lighter probably helps to push you harder into the seat)
It sounds a little better too.
116I have a great low and midrange power, and also the ability to rev pretty high. But peak HP and torque in the midrange makes you want to shift long before redline. It does not have the character of a sporty engine. Im guessing there is little point going far beyond 5000rpm. I did not find it useful to go near the redline at all.
Paper vs dyno:
The 86/BRZ is about as expected for a sporty 2.0L NA engine in a 1200+kg car, it has a sporty character. But it lacks torque. If the dip in power around 4000rpm were a bump instead the engine would have felt much much better! The dip will probably be very annoying in autoX where you often drive in 2nd gear. You would either loose time in 2. gear due to lack of mid-range power. Or loose time when going back into first, and then back to 2nd.
116 and Cooper S are both very underrated. Especially the torque figures!
The low-end HP on the 116I is pretty impressive too!