Still learning about R60 All4S. Was wondering what is a better purchase if later I would expect to upgrade "Tune" the car as parts wear (bigger turbo, upgrade clutch or not if its an auto)?

Is an Automatic Tunable? What can be done with an Automatic?

vs.

Stick shift?

The reason to ask is that there is a really nice Auto All4S near by. I live in the mountains. I've been driving Stick for 40 years on Toyotas and BMWs. Will I miss the stick? Will I miss the stick in steep mountain situations? Is there more of an advantage to the Auto when stopping and starting on slopes? Will the Steptronic/Paddle shift still give a "performance" for parking lot autocross?

Thanks

 

An auto transmission equipped car is no less tunable than a manual transmission equipped car. The turbos on our cars is what makes them tunable, with great gains with even the most modest of tunes. Arguably the auto transmission might be the preferred option if you're talking about longevity and durability because I understand the clutch on the manuals might be a bit fragile. I have an auto transmission in my Countryman Cooper S All4 and, while I don't flog it around a racetrack (I have another car for that) there's a lot to like about the autotransmission including its ability to use sport mode (even without the separate button, but which I have) and the aforementioned paddle shifters.

Will you miss something in the translation from manual -> auto box. Sure you will. Let's not fool ourselves! There's something imminently enjoyable about rowing your own way through the gears, listening for the sweet spot in RPM, heel-and-toe downshifting, etc., but I find the auto box on our cars a solid if not completely involving companion. I can't speak to parking lot autocross as autocross is not a discipline I engage in, but as far as starting/stopping on slopes (and traffic!) there's something to be said for a smooth-shifting auto and not having to work out your left leg on that third pedal.

 

Its all about what you want to drive. I have an auto CM S All4 with an upgraded turbo and a tune to go with it. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the car, sort of seems like it lost weight and got more eager along with an hp bump. Very pleased with it. You will miss some bits about a manual, they are different, but the auto is very nice, with the paddles or sequentially shifting with the gear selector, which I prefer. you can keep it in that sweet spot of rpms in much the same way and it gives you quicker acceleration than the manual. I have always driven manual transmissions, but due to nerve damage from a spinal injury, I needed to buy an automatic this time around, I miss it less than I expected to because of the ability to shift manually with my Mini, and in traffic its so nice not to deal with the clutch. Tune away with it!!

 

Thank you both. That was the kind of information I was looking for. Also is there enough of a difference between the mechanics and engineering quality of the 2011-2016 cars? They seem like they are pretty much the same feature wise. Like there was small changes to improvement of some of the parts but the features are pretty much the same. Effectively a well cared for early model will be the same technology as a similarly optioned later r60. Is that correct?

 

To answer your last question, “yes”.

Like all manufacturers, MINI/BMW will have made incremental changes to the car over the years but nothing wholesale that would result in driving their parts departments nuts. Changes are driven by sales for the most part, meaning that things like central console-mounted window switches (LOL) will be moved to the doors because they are annoying potential customers and chasing away sales. Certainly over the years certain parts failure patterns have become obvious (HP fuel pump, thermostat housing, turbo, etc) but it will be those specific parts’ replacements that are improved .....maybe. It’s like insurance companies and their actuarial tables. Pattern or not, a manufacturer will hedge their bets that not *all* iterations of a specific part or assembly will fail and will only re-engineer a part or assembly if they are seeing repeated failures of the same part and only if it’s relatively low mileage: again betting that normal attrition and age will see a car retired before they have to replace the part under warranty (hidden or otherwise).

Executive summary: They are largely the same.

 

Is there a progressive project plan for tuning? A visual map? Do these stages build on each other? Stage 1 > Stage 2 > Stage 3
For instance it doesn't qualify for Stage 3 unless you did the two previous stages?
Thanks

 

I don't have an answer, my experience with tunes on turbocharged cars coming from the Audi world. Can't imagine that it would be any different but an expert on MINIs should chime in. On my 1st Gen TT, the tunes built on one another as their names imply but it didn't mean that you couldn't jump right to a (for example) APR Stage 3 directly. The stages were largely to give you a choice of how many $$ you wanted to spend per unit performance. Also, with different tunes come different levels of driveability. On my 1st Gen TT, the APR Stage 3 added a lot of HP but the downside was that the power delivery was fairly binary and within a narrower RPM range relative to Stage 1.

 

2013 John Cooper Works All4 vs. Cooper S All4
Is it cheaper to get the Cooper S All4 and tune it?
Thanks

 

Looking at a 2011 automatic, 90k miles. What issues should I be on the lookout for? What is the maintenance schedule?
Thank you