Just making sure:
A 2005 MINI Cooper S (R53) bought in July of that year has LSD...right?

 

Only if it was ordered that way......not standard equipment......

 

depends on the build date of that 05 MCS, and when LSD was first offered as an OEM option (feb 05 was it?)

 

true it had to be ordered that way. It was a $500 option, for me it was well worth it.

 

If in question, take the VIN to a BMW or Mini dealer and ask for a printout of all the options...

 

Also, it must be a manual - not available on automatics.

 

Damn! no wonder the wheels would spin like crazy on autocross. I have the original window sticker and no $500 LSD option, nor is it on the OEM feature list. I would have forked the money if I would have had the choice. (got a deal on the car the manager was driving.)

I will do a burn out test right now to be 100%... hang on.

...guess what!... the wheel tracks left on the pavement are perfectly parallel and even. As I understand, the non-LSD car Would only have only one wheel spinning hard while the other would coast. I have an autocross/track veteran co-worker that took the ride with me and says 100% I have LSD.
I will do the VIN# suggestion nontheless.

 

Call mini @ 1866-ask mini and give them the VIN num.
They should be able to tell you whether it has LSD or not unless it was an aftermarket LSD.

 

Now I am confused... I called ask mini like suggested.
They were helpful in telling me after some clarifications that it had no LSD. (She initially said LSD only came with JCW cars because of their extra power , I told her otherwise (NAM savvy) and she in turn said: "let me look in this other search engine program we have...") They also put me down as the owner of the car.
Now my burn test (see above) and their information don't match. I just called my service advisor (recently had a leaking cooling fluid thermostat ) and will try to get info out of him.

 

If it's not on your window sticker, you don't have it. You can still spin both front wheels without LSD.

 

or the previous owner installed a Quaife or other aftermarket LSD....

 

Find a driveway that is slightly inclined. Put one front wheel on the grass and the other on the pavement. Give it some gas. If you have LSD, your wheel on the pavement will pull you up the drive. If you don't, the wheel in the grass will spin.

YD

 

If I could go back in time and reorder my 2006 MCS the only thing that I
would change would be to add the LSD. I still don't know why I did not
do it when I ordered it.

 

If you're going in a straight line on dry flat clean pavement there's no reason an open diff will "one wheel peel" like so many people think they must.

The "burnout test" is especially bunk in a straight line....even doing one around a sharp autocross corner and the inside tire will light up like a candle on even a clutch-pack LSD.