1. When do you notice the F56 limited-slip differential working?
2. What does it feel like? Is the application of torque to the wheel with more traction digital, smooth, intermittent, or something else.

I'm asking because I did not notice it during a test drive when:

• accelerating hard from a stop and turning hard onto another road
• one front wheel on dry paved road and one front wheel on ice
• one front wheel on dry paved road and one front wheel on unpaved road

The Edmunds site calls it ""torque-vectoring" electronic limited-slip differential".

 

I thought the F56 just used the brakes to shift power from one side to the other. I don't believe it has an actual limited slip.

I know when I was going straight up a snowy hill this winter I could hear a very distinct noise which I thought was it hitting the brakes on one side then the other to find traction.

 

I notice it once in a while when I've been hammering an autocross course - and the only sign is excessive brake temperature.

It's hard to spot - until I watch one of the R53 "S" Coopers driven by a novice, which often results in smoke from the inside front on corner exit, accompanied by some rather long strips of rubber left on course.

I'd swap it for a proper LSD if the rules permitted - but it is most certainly better than the open alternative.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Thanks for the posts.

g34343greg,

I agree, the car just applies braking to the wheel that is spinning too fast. I was hoping for a technical description from Mini or a test drive review on the logic used and intended results. I couldn't find anything beyond the Edmunds description that I just added to my first post.

 

did you try sport mode with traction control disabled and dump the clutch and power shift the 1-2 at 5900rpms.

 

No I did not. Does that make it work? I was hoping for it to work under less strenuous input.

I tried with:
1. normally engaging the clutch
2. steadily increasing power until one wheel started to spin
3. letting the wheel spin long enough to realize it was not going to stop.

This was in Sport Mode with and without traction control.

 

From a non Mini, this is an example of the start of the kind of information that I'd like to know:

"...limited-slip differential, though instead of a straight mechanical Torsen or clutch-pack differential, XXXX went with an open differential combined with a computer-controlled, hydraulically operated wet-clutch coupling that locks the axles. The setup allows the differential to operate fully open when it is most advantageous, with the ability to fully lock it when needed. Control of the differential is tied into the stability control and the old electronic differential system, now known as XDS+, which is used for brake vectoring in extreme situations."

 

While I am perfectly happy with my '15S with its' traction control and optional EDLC, I wonder why the old viscous designed limited slip differentials fell out of favor.

 

I'll bet that the answer is that viscous designed limited slip differentials are more expensive than the current brake based versions. Maybe that will change though with the VW GTI's version.

 

Just to note, the EDLC is aways active (at least for 2013 MINIs). It is not deactivated by turning off the traction control.

The EDLC is a function of the ABS system and applies the brake on the one drive wheel that is spinning or rotating faster than the other. What you described is what I found that mine operated like. That is, unnoticeable and somewhat "incomplete". By "incomplete" I mean it didn't fully stop the wheel spin. But then again, it didn't allow that inside wheel to lay down an unlimited black stripe on the pavement either. My guess is that it is designed to only address about 30% of the available torque which would make it about the same as the older mechanical LSD that used to be a MINI option.

 

It was discontinued because too few dealers were ordering it. aka "the take rate was too low."