Hi all, I test drove an '07 S, 6 speed, I really liked alot about the car.

The one glaring thing I didn't like about it is the car had no power off the line. As in floor it to get going, thought-it-was-in-3rd-gear bad. I have an '05 SRT-4 that does pretty well off the line, but it's no torque monster 0-10.

The only big complaint about the S is the way I drove it, it had no low-end to it. Once underway it was quite quick. The salesman mentioned the clutch releases very fast, mine releases more outward.

I revved it to the neighborhood of 2000, and still bogged badly. Backing up a slight hill, it stalled and I had to floor it to go up. I've been driving a stick for 4 years.

Are there any tips on how to get more low end out of an otherwise very thoughfully designed car that I would definately consider buying? thanks.

 

Are you sure you're in an '07? You're not driving around with the parking brake on are you (kidding)? Have you tried another MCS? A couple things make me think it's that car:

I've driven and SR4T and the '07 MCS in comparison has a ton more bottom availible to it. The torque availible off the line is one of the things that sets R56 apart from the 1st generation MINI. 0-60 times have been documented in the low 6-second range, with GSM posting mid 5's!!!

Also, the '07 has a hill assist feature. The brakes stay engaged on an incline. They release after 3 seconds, or when the car starts to move forward. No handbrake, no having to rev and quickley get the clutch engaged and car moving. Just drive off as normal.

 

I did indeed drive an 07. It picked up well after 10 mph, but 0-10 just felt absolutely powerless, perhaps it was my technique. I really like the car and hope I can work it out.

With the SRT, the clutch releases in the middle, so the clutch is easily malleable into being slipped during release for proper RPM during take off.

With the S, the clutch seemed extremely stiff and once the clutch was even a bit released, that was the end of it and the car was taking off. I have a feeling my launch RPM was a little too low, hence the pronounced bog..it was highly disconcerting. Then again, it's a 1.6 and the SRT is a 2.4, but both engines have to wait for the turbo.

What's your technique for goodly torque from 0 without smoking the tires? thanks!

 

Sounds like you had the sport button off. For me, I have to bury the throttle on launch in order to avoid stalling it without the sport button. Button on, throttle response is much more lively.

 

I almost never have the sport button on and my MCS rockets off the line. I never leave a green light with company.

 

This is definitely a sport button thing. My car is a little boggy on hills and at stop signs in non-sport. So, oddly, I often drive in the city with the sport button on. Of course there are folks who feel like the default setting for the button should be on. I think MINI needs to make it a settable parameter in the computer. Sport makes a huge, huge difference in the throttle response and the rate at which an MCS gets going off the line. Try driving one with the sport button on, you will be pleased, I promise!

 

Turbo lag. Sport button will open throttle faster and minimize this. Mini has very little lag, but until turbo spools up power will be very low. Just rev a little more and ease into clutch. The power is there. Just different than driving a car with normally aspirated power.

 

The throttle response curve is a huge concave exponential with the Sport button off. It's a terrible calibration, and the car feels like a million pound slug with the Sport button off. You need a big wad of pedal movement for barely any throttle body opening. Perhaps if you're used to some ratty blown out POS that has 35hp it would feel normal, but for any other car resembling normal it's crap.

The engine itself, and the turbo, has a bunch of low end torque. Full spool is reached by 2k RPM, and you can hear the turbo spool up right off idle...as long as you have the Sport button ON!

The clutch I don't think was the problem, it's the Sport button making the throttle feel dead.

 

Do yourself a favor and test drive it again with the sport button on.

 

Can't agree with you there, Ryephile. My MCS with the sport button off is hardly a slug. Nor were the other cars I drove POS's. I experience no turbo lag and shoot off the line with the sport button off. Maybe your car has a problem.

 

Everybody drives differently so the various types of responses here make sense.

When taking off in first and with the sport button engaged the throttle response is much quicker bringing the revs up almost immediately to where the turbo makes a difference.

My experience, even with the sport button disengaged, now that I'm used to my car and its throttle throw, is that I get off the line considerably more quickly than the cars around me even when I don't mean to.

Remember, demo cars are often abused. It's quite possible that your demo had a slipping clutch. That condition will result it the situation similar to what you described.

 

+1

 

You might be my long lost twin...

I am currently driving my second SRT-4 and I am looking at an '07 or even an '08 MCS

 

The clutch engagement point in the R56 is downright weird compared to the R53. In my first test drive I had to re-learn launching the car. The clutch is a tad too light but OK otherwise. I think MINI needs to revise the "bite" point in the 2008s.

 

ok im confused... Not enough down low torque?????? With *IMPORTANT* SPORT button on */IMPORTANT* and traction control off... I can spin my tires like no tomorrow in 1st and 2nd... and I don't use the stock tires!
Maybe you test drove a lemon MCS that had no turbo or something, haha!

 

me thinks you WERE in third gear.

either that or you are trolling.


edit:
btw the clutch is actually quite easy and doesn't start grabbing hard until it is about halfway up on the 07 models. While teaching a 17yr old girl how to drive a stick in it she stalled it only twice in her first hour of lessons.

 

driver problem.

 

Sport button was off I bet. With it off you do have to rev the car more to take off fast the way it seems to me. It makes a difference it taking off the way I drive. With it on it's more effortless. I leave it on all the time.

 

My R56 is electrically no different than yours, what you're saying is you're just apparently more willing to adapt to poor software mapping than I am. If you drive just about any sporty car with a cable-driven throttle body, they'll not have the sluggish throttle response of the R56 with the Sport button OFF. I'm not talking about your past cars, I'm not talking about turbo lag, I'm talking about engine RPM transient response, and how it's completely not linear to the throttle pedal with the Sport button OFF.

 

trolling? no. i like minis and [most] of their owners, it seems like this is a long lost forum of decent, educated people. it gives off an air of class, hard to find. the third gear thing, i just get my shirttails in a bunch when i don't find the expected low end torque, haha. i'll try it again, luckily my local mini dealer has put VERY little pressure on me, i've been there twice, the second time it rained! fail. anyhow, i'll try it again this week. thanks for the unexpected help gentlemen.

 

never_satisfied,

I experienced the samething when I got my test drive some 1.5 months ago.
The car was a 07 Mini S with 6 speed.
Off the line, the car seems to have almost no power (I agree with the 3rd
gear comment) that I shifted to 2nd gear around 3500rpm... RPM dropped
after I shifted but then 2nd gear was pulling much stronger than 1st.

Very strange... when I posted here after my test drive.. One said that
could be that engine was still cold (my guess, actually).

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=97549

And yes, I am VERY SURE that the sports button was on during my test
drive.

 

The MINI has 177ft/lbs to move 2700 pounds. The SRT4 has 250 ft/lbs to move 2950 pounds. That's about 15 pounds per ft-lb vs 11 pounds per ft-lb. That's a significant difference, especially if you're used to driving alone and you have someone along for your test drive.

It could also be related to gearing - looking at some of the recent comparison tests the MINI has a taller first gear ratio than any of it's competitors.

Bottom line, the MINI is about a second slower in most acceleration tests and you're going to feel that. But it's not slow and much of it is probably just adapting to a different car with different clutch and throttle characteristics.

 

Could it be a case of dealers putting regular fuel in the car?

 

No idea.. and i dont think it's a clutch issue too.. the engine isn't
rev freely... just seems not wanting to rev up...

Any 07 S owners try that? Go WOT when engine was just few miles
from cold start? (Not saying anyone should try it but...)

 

driven stick for about 20 years now with only 2 autos including last car - 04 545. I also drove as a durability test driver for a few years for BMW/mini/Land Rover.
Last week I drove the MCS after getting our of my car and I was VERY impressed with the take off, better than my 02 GTI which was similar in engine size, turbo etc.

Anyway, I think there may be an issue with that car you drove, and possibly some others here by the sound of it. Or it just maybe gettin used to the different clutch.

Finally, if I am driving slowly in a car park in 1st and then accelarate there is almost instant response, which is rare in a turbo.
Oh, I drive in normal mode

Hope this helps