I ran some calculations based on the horsepower, drag coefficient, and an estimation of the frontal cross-sectional area, and with a stock engine, it's not going to be able to do much more than 140 or so. Unless you wax it really well or something, to drop that coefficient.

What's easy to forget is that drag increases linearly with speed. So you've got twice as much pressure pushing against your continued acceleration at 140 as compared to 70. As it is, I can't really complain with the gearing. 3000-4000 RPM is a pretty good cruising speed for the engine, and that's where 6th runs from 70 to 95.

 

Ok -- so that means we just need the first 2 gears.

 

Very few of the engines in the NAM community are stock, take a look at this https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...34&postcount=6
These cars are encouraged to be raced at the track by the manufacturer, at larger track the cars have issues keeping up because they can't get the same top end power. I know I'm also pulling higher speeds in 2nd and 3rd that the previously listed chart shows, on an 05. And my intal posts were based on feel, and as I said I am happy with first second and third, the gap in top speed for 2-3 is 24.4 MPH, so if MINI provided a transmission that increased top gear speed by 24 MPH incriments then 4th tops out at 110, fifth 134 and 6th 158, meaning that the limiting factor is HP overcoming drag, and allowing all the modders and racers to work the car to a high top speed and thus be more competitive, also the in the previous example of the autobahn the car can simply go faster, so if a person were to leave the car with a stock setup then they would top out at 140 but if they wanted to make adjustments they could and still see results at the top end. And more importantly back on topic; it would reduce the revs at highway speeds making the MCS more fuel efficent and it would keep folks from searching for 7th gear.