Does anyone think a CVT option would come available on the new mcs? or will this ever happen

 

Its not happening on the 04s, I can tell you that much.

 

Sounds like a stupid idea to me.... why would you put an automatic transmission on a sports car? This has always bugged me to no end on most cars and I think it's great that the S is only available in a 6-speed manual. (In case you can't tell, I'm a little partial to manual transmissions)

I could see them trying this if the S wasn't selling very well but since most places still have waiting lists why would they? I think putting a CVT on the S would make the S loose it's fun factor. Just go learn how to drive a stick and if you can't handle it, go get a cooper.
-Chris

 

hmmmm.
people need to drive the cvt before they talk ish about it!
point being that there are sports cars out there that are automatic/auto-stick.
you guys are just elitest!
_________________

 

I don't necessarily think it's "elitist" to prefer a manual trans on a car like the MINI. I've driven both in test drive situations and the CVT was just not as supple as the 5-speed Cooper I tested (and bought). It's not that the CVT was terrible, but I simply had more fun with the manual.

 

>>Sounds like a stupid idea to me.... why would you put an automatic transmission on a sports car? This has always bugged me to no end on most cars and I think it's great that the S is only available in a 6-speed manual. (In case you can't tell, I'm a little partial to manual transmissions)

I don't know. Ask Porsche, BMW, most everyone else. My guess.. Money! I imagine a fair number of people want the top of the line car but can't drive a stick.

 

Ok, the CVT is constantly shifting with pulleys and a belt. In "steptronic" mode, all it does is hold one gear until you shift it. Then the belts and pulleys move to where the next gear should be. It is certainly NOT the same as shifting a manual transmission. A manual transmission has a clutch which gives you better control over just throwing the stick into the next gear. A manual transmission isn't just about moving that little stick, it has to do with the whole transmission. The CVT is still new and as a result it is bloated and nowhere near ready yet.

Aside from the actual feeling of shifting, the main problems I have on most automatics (ie. not the CVT) is that they never stay in the right gear and they always switch when I don't want them to. If I try and drive it like a stick shift I'll destroy it because that's not how it was designed.

Now enters the CVT and other sports automatic transmissions. Ok, now I can make it stick in a gear until I want to shift it, which is an improvement, but it still robs power from the engine and while I haven't seen the internals, I'd bet it is going to be more expensive to replace a CVT than a manual. Also gears don't break as easily as belts do, especially once you start upping the HP. The 6 speed Getrag transmission on the S is used on many high performance machines and will have no problems handling any extra HP.

I will always look down on people who do not know how to drive a manual, I will look down on people who have sports cars that are not manuals. However, if you just have an average joe car (like the regular cooper) and you have a manual fine, that's your choice. I would have chosen the manual but that's because I prefer them.

Bottom Line: The CVT belongs on the Cooper and not the Cooper S. MINI(BMW) Made a good decision there.
-Chris
p.s. If I've offended anyone, tough... go learn to drive a manual

 

>>>>Sounds like a stupid idea to me.... why would you put an automatic transmission on a sports car? This has always bugged me to no end on most cars and I think it's great that the S is only available in a 6-speed manual. (In case you can't tell, I'm a little partial to manual transmissions)
>>
>>I don't know. Ask Porsche, BMW, most everyone else. My guess.. Money! I imagine a fair number of people want the top of the line car but can't drive a stick.
>>
>>
>>

That's exactly the reason... they make more money offering the automatics (or CVTs) especially in america where most people don't even know how to drive one. A person buying a Porsche as a status symbol is going to buy and automatic whereas the person buying it because it's a performance car will but the manual. However, most people who want the performance can't really afford a Porsche so to increase sales they offer automatics.
-Chris

 

>>hmmmm.
>>people need to drive the cvt before they talk ish about it!
>>point being that there are sports cars out there that are automatic/auto-stick.
>>you guys are just elitest!

I'm not elitest, I think everyone should be forced to learn how to drive a manual! The CVT makes the car slower so why does it belong on a performance car?

 

why are you suggesting that i can't drive manual?
and why are you suggesting that cvt's aren't good performers?
i think you need to have a talk with the diamond racing guys if you disagree!

 

yeah doesnt sound like this guy is too well informed on what the CVT can do. Oh well another close minded fool who cant deal with change.

 

get over it.....

 

The Cooper CVT slow??? HAHAHAHAHA!!!

What's next? Bill Clinton never received blow jobs from Monica in the oval office???

HAHAHAHA!!!

 

>>>>Sounds like a stupid idea to me.... why would you put an automatic transmission on a sports car? This has always bugged me to no end on most cars and I think it's great that the S is only available in a 6-speed manual. (In case you can't tell, I'm a little partial to manual transmissions)
>>
>>I don't know. Ask Porsche, BMW, most everyone else. My guess.. Money! I imagine a fair number of people want the top of the line car but can't drive a stick.
>>
>>
>>
they are purchasing a status symbol not a sports car

 

CVT on the MCS.
CVT on the MCS.

I've owned cars from 60's Corvettes, Cobras and Mustangs and many British sports cars-all with manual transmissions. This CVT and SMG are NOT automatic transmissions. They are manual transmissions without fussing around with a clutch. Anyway, I'm very impresed with both.
I'm supposing the CVT won't deal with the torque off the MCS or MINI would have produced one by now. But, maybe they can jam an SMG into one. Wahoo! ops:

 

An automatic transmission in a Cooper S
is like an NFL football player wearing a skirt

 

wow....
people just don't get it!
you haters are making it seem like there is some massive difference between the mc and the mcs.
it's not like the difference between a bmw z4 and z8!
if they were to put a cvt in the mcs would your frail little ego be squashed?
i'd think that you'd enjoy taking one on at the track instead of on a message board.
with this in mind, why don't you just welcome them?

yellocooper....
i think you'd be surprised how many of your favorite nfl players wear skirts behind closed doors!

 

What a heated discussion-
Stay calm.
The question was will there be a CVT in the MCS in 2004. I agree with the prediction of NO- not yet.
Some people say that in it's given state the current CVT is not well matched for the power of the MCS engine. Expect refinements in the CVT that will allow it to be matched with Coopers of the future with 125 to 145 Hp engines. By that time the MCS or it's successor will be up to or past 200 Hp in stock form.

I have a MCS and I love driving the 6 speed manual. Mostly because I like driving and it is fun for me. Not so with my wife who knows how to drive manual and isn't interested at all in driving my MCS. But if it were an MCS with CVT then fine- she would drive it hands down.

The CVT allows anyone to enjoy the cooper be it the base or MCS model. It will act like an automatic transmission but it is so much more. You need to learn how to shift with the CVT and use it to your advantage to get the most performance and fun out of it. Sure it is not traditional like a 6 speed Getrag tranny but I believe we are seeing a growing trend towards this type of transmissions.

I think if you check around the cooper racing circles you will find many very successful CVT coopers and for good reason. It is good stuff. No doubt about it. My next mini will have CVT, I'm hoping it will be an MCS with CVT. I'm young enough, I can wait.

 

As you can tell by the many owners here who will vouch for the CVT it is amazing. Its not just some normal CVT, IT A WHOLE NEW CONCEPT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE. So dont knock that which you dont know anything about, especially since a lot of people who chose the CVT CAN drive a stick.

 

right on ant!
that's the point!
i bet we'll see it in 2005!

 

The fact that dealers can't keep MCS's in stock is reason enough (from a business perspective) to not couple the CVT to the blown engine. Putting the CVT in to the more powerful car would require them to test the transmission to see if it could handle the additional torque. With all the software updates, it seems like they didn't fully test it on the base MC enough!
My point is, why spend money to enhance a product for which you can not currently meet the demand? It makes sense to defer the capital expenditure until you need to spruce up the line to enhance sales.
BTW, I'm speaking specifically from a business perspective. From a personal perspective, I'd like to see them put the CVT into the S if they can work all the bugs out with the additional power. It's a neat transmission.

 

So no one wants to tell me why it's better? I've given numbers that show a power loss with the CVT over the manual so why is it better than a manual? Anyone....

 

i never said it was better, but it does have it's advantages.
i think the reason some people have had better results is that
"most" people who drive manual aren't very good at it!
i am by no means talking about you Daytona955i....

 

**dons flame retardant suit**

Sandman,

I think it'd be cool to have a CVT-like tranny on the MCS. What better way to keep and hold the engine RPM at the exact point of maximum torque no matter how fast you're going. There's no way with the 6-speed manual tranny at max torque because of the nature of the gear ratios and speed therefore correlating to an engine RPM. So with the close-ratio Getrag gearbox, you can attempt to keep the RPM near max torque with frequent shifting, but you're always moving from one side to another. With the current advances in CVT technology, I think it'll be only a matter of time before we see serious sports cars with them out performing the same car with a manual gear box.

**removes flame retardant suit**

 

Beyond any "performance" arguements, wouldn't putting an automatic remove an essential part of the motoring experience? If you are not manually working the cluch and gears isn't the mechanical interplay between car and driver destroyed?

Just because a computer may one day be able to shift faster than a human, does that mean we will give up the joy of having command over our vehicles? I, for one, have no interest in a "point and shoot" car. This car is a driving enthusiasts dream, let's keep it that way.