I don't understand what you're talking about. I've never heard of such a thing. Are you saying you just force the shifter from first to second withOUT engaging the clutch?! For the record, I've once or twice accidentally done this and all I did was clash gears or stall. Mine is an '09 Clubman and the clutch is easy to use and the shifter isn't what you call silky but it feels clean and "clicks" neatly into each gear spot. My dad's first stick shift was a 1960s VW and he said my MINI was uber-easy to drive (I didn't know how to drive it so he had to drive it home from the dealer for me!).
My dad said that I would have absolutely no trouble learning how to drive a manual. He had to learn to drive without crashing into something and this was in a very bad neighborhood in South America in the 1960s! And most people I've talked to said VWs at that time had TERRIBLE clutches.

 

Love seeing people up for a challenge and buying a Manual without knowing how to drive! I learned while test driving some dealer cars haha!

 

Technically, it is possible to shift gears without the clutch. When the revs are just about perfect, the gears can be changed without a clutch.

However, it's not easy and not something I recommend — but if you can come close to this "sweet" spot, and then engage the clutch, the shifting can be smooth as silk.

But for my MINI anyway, the shifting is a bit clunky in the lower gears no matter what I do.

 

Number Six, welcome to my private hell. This phenomenon has annoyed me since I got my car. Nealuss - an '11 MCS owner has the same issue. He's having a BMW tech look at his car soon. When I took my '12 MCS to the dealer, they said it was a normal deal with the R56s.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...on-11-mcs.html

 

Did you get it looked at yet? Plus it might just be a new MINI thing because I have never had that problem. I think I have ground a gear twice.

 

Very good to know. These comments are very helpful.

I am beginning to believe that this is just a characteristic of the 2012 MINI. At this point it's not bothering me too much.

I am still experimenting with shifting techniques to see if shifting earlier or later will help—we'll see!

 

Not yet. My nearest dealer is too far away. And after hearing from others, I am in no rush to have it checked yet.

I am a big believer in the maxim "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" —usually only makes matters worse than what they were...

But really good to hear from others on this issue.

 

Where does manual transmission fluid go on my 2010 Clubman S? I've been changing the oil every 4 to 5M miles, but didn't know there was a fluid in manual transmissions. It now has 36,000 miles on it, and I have no complaints of shifting or anything else for that matter yet. Knock on wood.

 

Will I burn out my clutch if I rest my left foot on clutch pedal when I'm driving? I've always done this in my manual cars and never had a problem, but I've heard not to do it. Thx.

 

My '13 is the same way too. I took mine to the dealer about it on a 20 degree day and they said it shifted normally. They had it parked in the same heated bay where I dropped it off when I came back though :-/.

Do all of the 2nd gen 6-speeds use MTF-LT-4? I contacted Redline looking for an alternate gear oil, and they indicated that this latest fluid was speced somtime recently, that it is very heavy, and that they don't offer a suitable replacement for it. I know the R53 used a substantially thinner oil than this current spec.

--Matt

 

Put MTL in my 06 MCS. Doesn't feel notchy. actually feels very smooth.

 

Will you? Maybe.

You do run the risk of wearing out the clutch prematurely.

That said, I know someone who put well over 100K miles on a clutch even though he always rested his foot on the clutch pedal. It wasn't a MINI, but still...

I rest my foot on the "dead pedal" to the left of the clutch pedal. That what it's there for, after all.

 

I thought the manual in my '03 was clunky when I got it. After I purchased and installed a Whalen Shift **** it was much, much smoother. The weight really helped.

 

From what I've heard on this board and a few other car message boards, do NOT make it a habit to rest your foot on the clutch. A few other owners told me the clutch plates on the MINI are a bit on the thin side and I keep hearing about one or two every so often who have to get their clutches service or replaced. I guess maybe it's better to be safe than sorry. For the record, my car is at about 50,000 now and has spent over half that mileage in backed-up, stop-and-go traffic and I have (*knock wood*) had no problems with it.