but which red did I want, exactly? To clarify, Raceseng offers three different shades of red: Translucent, Wrinkle, and Mirror. In regards to color, I knew I wanted red. Slammer it was! The rounded profile felt better in my palm, and with all the curves, circles, and rounded edges the R56 MINI interior has to offer, I thought that the profile of the Slammer would jive better with the slightly whimsical MINI school of design. (The other knobs are no slouch either, the Creatür, Signatür, Slammologi, and Topologi knobs weigh in at 500+ grams!)Īfter spending some time getting intimate with both the Ashiko and Slammer knobs, my mind was made. Since I desired a powdercoated finish, though, I was able to narrow down my choices a bit: I could choose the 735 gram Ashiko (pictured below, on the left) or the slightly slimmer, 615 gram Slammer (on the right). With so many options, the Raceseng brand is truly a perfect fit for the neverending aftermarket MINI marketplace. Needless to say, I really had my work cut out for me when it came to picking the exact knob I wanted. How could I say no? So, I fired up the GP, and off to Macungie, PA I went!īetween the Apex R, Ashiko, Slammer, Creatür, Signatür, Slammologi, and Topologi designs, Raceseng offers 54 different options for the R56 platform alone. The only problem was, which one? After discussing my plans with Jarrett, he mentioned it would probably be best to take a day and stop in and sample the goods and see the manufacturing facilities in person. Given my previous involvement with the development of the adapter, it was only natural that I fit a Raceseng knob on the GP. Ultimately, what we discovered, is that the R56 platform would need its own adapter.įast forward to September: After a few months of GP ownership, I decided it was time to do something about my featherweight shift knob woes, and by this time, Jarrett had wrapped up development on the R56 adapter. Since I’m not exactly right in Raceseng’s backyard, but I happened to have the car he needed and a digital caliper, I offered to save him some time and money and record the measurements he needed. After some discussion, I found that he had developed an adapter to fit the Raceseng line of shift knobs to the R50 and R53 MINIs, and he was curious to see whether the same adapter would fit the R56 MINI as well. So, I did the logical thing: I reached out to Jarrett to see what exactly was needed. Even though I still had my GTI at that time, my girlfriend (now fiancee) happened to pilot a row-your-own R56 MINI Cooper, as seen below. Way back in April, long before the thought of jumping into the GP had even crossed my mind, I happened to see a post pop up on the Raceseng Facebook page: They were in search of an R56 MINI with a manual transmission for development purposes. Why all this talk about the FR-S? Okay, okay. Of particular note is Raceseng’s participation as a featured sponsor for the FR-S that won the 2014 Scion Tuner Challenge at SEMA this year ( more info on the build, here). Lately, the FR-S/BRZ/GT86 platform has been on the receiving end of Raceseng’s razor-sharp focus, and their products have proven to be extremely popular and well received by enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. Since 2005, Jarrett and his father, Glen, have designed and manufactured a wide variety of race car components under the Raceseng name, though the passion for motorsports that drives this company can be traced all the way back to 1957 (read more about the Raceseng legacy, right here). You may not know Jarrett, but perhaps you’ve heard of his company: Raceseng. Luckily for me, one path I had managed to cross in my automotive adventures was that of Jarrett Seng. This lack of mass makes the stock shifter feel unmotivated and overly notchy at times, which can be a little discouraging when spiritedly charging through the gears. While attractive in form, particularly with the Chili Red insert and stitched leather finish, the stock knob tips the scales at a paltry 6.4 ounces, or 181 grams, or… only 0.4 pounds. However, in the 5 months of GP ownership, I have realized that there is but one imperfection: The stock shift knob. I do realize that I may be in the minority here, as not everyone can handle a daily driving experience with what is essentially a Mini Cooper crossed with a GT3 RS… but with its razor-sharp handling, quick reflexes, no back seat, and raucous exhaust note, this car is basically tailor-made for yours truly. To me, the 2013 JCW GP is as close as you can get to perfection in a MINI without getting your eyes wet.
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