Good Afternoon,

I am trying to find out the differences between "Sport" and "Mid" mode on an F56 (MINI Cooper S - 2015)? Could anyone help?

Thank you,
Bob

 

Sport gives you greater throttle response and a more aggressive drive. If the car has dynamic damping option you can also set it to kick in a firmer ride in sport.

 

What exactly does more aggressive drive mean?

I have the base model without dynamic damping, so I am also curious about what Sport mode does exactly.

The throttle is definitely more responsive. If you change to Sport mode while cruising at any speed, the car will instantly accelerate because less throttle is required to maintain the current speed. I don't think Sport mode makes the car any faster - pushing the gas pedal to the floor in Mid or Sport mode feels the same to me (someone please disprove this if false) - but if Mid mode requires 30% gas pedal to go 30 mph, then putting it in Sport mode requires only 15% throttle, or something like that. It reacts to small throttle inputs quicker.

The other thing that Sport mode seems to do is to make the steering effort heavier. I think this is to give the impression there is more feedback, or maybe it feels "sportier," But I think that's all it does - make the steering effort heavier. It does not quicken the steering or otherwise change it as far as I can tell.

Is there anything else that Sport mode does, or am I mistaken in any of my assessment?

 

I don't have a ton of experience with the F MINIs but I agree with your assessment. I don't mind the stiffer steering, but I agree, it doesn't really add anything to the driving experience other than a tendency to white knuckle.

Logically Sport mode uses a completely different programming for the shifts in an autotragic, but it doesn't look like you have to deal with that nonsense. =]

 

I agree with the above that Sport mode mainly just makes the throttle more responsive and the steering tighter. I heard that it also turns on the rev matching for manual transmissions. It definitely rev matches in Sport mode, but I don't really drive in non-Sport mode so I can't confirm if it doesn't rev match in other modes. I'll try it the next time I drive and can remember.

I pretty much always turn on Sport mode when I start my car. I greatly prefer the more responsive throttle and tighter steering. When I'm not in Sport mode, the steering is way too loose feeling for me. And it feels like you have to floor it to get any sort of acceleration.

 

I thought rev matching was toggled with ESC? The entire point of auto-match (in my mind) is to make boring driving easier, thus it should be enabled on eco and mid. I want to blip the throttle my damn self when I'm driving in anger. ;]

Again though, I should really let an actual owner speak up. 0.o

 

Not sure why, but the car runs much cooler in Sport mode, I have a ScanGauge connected on my 2012 R55, in sport mode the coolant temp runs around 172 degrees, with Sport mode off it is about 210 degrees.

 

I would swear my 2019 JCW (without any exhaust flap option at all) changes in sound with the sport mode. I think there is a change in something along the lines of spark or valve timing that causes ignition combustion slightly during, or closer to, the exhaust valve opening phase during acceleration. Total guess, but I swear under the same acceleration request (factoring in the throttle position) it sounds different.. I agree completely that the throttle response is just the sensitivity of the throttle position and that it doesn't make it any faster.

 

Fake engine sounds are active in Sport mode unless you turn it off.

 

Update: I have a rental F56 right now! (Nice timing with this thread)

As expected sport mode holds gears longer and shifts sharper. Between Sport-Drive / Mid-Sport / Sport-Sport / Sport-Manual there are just so many different shifting behaviors I never really know what the car is thinking, when it's going to shift and how hard it's going to shift. I'm really not a fan. I know I would get used to it if I lived with it for a few weeks, but dang, I'm disappointed. I'll be very interested in driving the dual clutch auto once it's available.

(At least BMW/MINI orients the gear select +/- the correct way.)

 

On my F56 S when I put it in sport mode and then also move the automatic transmission lever to sport, I get the pops and bangs from the exhaust (standard S exhaust, not JCW). I don't recall hearing the pops in any other combination.

EDIT: It will also do this (and even more so) when manually shifting the automatic transmission (mostly when downshifting but there is a quick pop when upshifting too)

 

Oooh, I'll definitely try this before I give the car back. Cheers!

 

Are you referring to sounds generated from a speaker system. Do you think the fake sounds are generated in both mid-mode and sport-mode, but for the sport mode the speaker-generated sound is just louder and more aggressive, and that's what I'm hearing?

Anyway, it's funny the things that MINI doesn't advertise in their brochures. I'm wondering if it's easy to turn off the fake sound to see what it's like.

 

I checked and it rev matches on Mid Mode too (in addition to Sport mode). I don't know where I read/saw that it only Rev matches in Sport, but that's clearly false.

 

When I enable sport mode in my 2018 JCW with a 6-speed manual the throttle response is better but also the car just feels like it has more get up and go. It can certainly spin the front tires easily enough.

Don't believe I notice any change in the steering.

The suspension dampening could change. The car feels a bit less jouncy when crossing railroad tracks but beyond that the suspension doesn't feel any different. But I really only use sport mode on my work commute or running errands around town. I have not had the car on the track and while I have driven it in sport mode on mountain roads the suspension feels about the same.

I do know the exhaust pops more. The car sounds like a class B rally car.

Rev matching is present in both mid and sport mode.

 

My wife's JCW has nice burbles on decel in sport, but you can tell they are pre-programmed, not much to do with performance. Doesn't make them any less cool however.

Can confirm, a 2018 JCW with the Pro exhaust is the only 4-cyl my Abarth has ever lost a sound-off against. =P