Is it just me or does the MINI feels like its going about 10-15 MPH slower than it actually is. I swear 55 feels like 40-45. My sister-in-law took my car for a spin and I pointed out that she could see the speed readout on the tach. She glanced down a shrieked "Holy Sh**! You are going to get tickets in this thing. Why didn't you tell me I was going so fast? I thought I was going about 60!"

Anyone else notice the same?

 

So what's your point?

 

Thats why the speedometer is SO BIG!

 

oo gwad i hate that feeling... it makes me want to step on the gas more. I've had to adjust my driving and learn how to "feel" this car out after driving my vw for 5 years

 

the cop told me that i couldnt use the speedometer as an excuse, for speeding.

 

That's great!

It does feel like your going very slow. I constintly find myself going 50+ in a 35..yet it feels like I'm doing 20! Once the SC kicks in I just want to hold it longer and longer!

-Cody

 

yeah...that's why I got a ticket the first time I took the MINI on the interstate.

(btw...I *could* use the speedo excuse, I have the chrono package

 

Signs of a well made car if you asked me...

 

There is a thread here somewhere about how the Speedo is set about 3-5 miles faster than what it would be if dead accurate. I have been wanting to find one of those "your speed is" roadside setups the police leave lying around to test the car at different speeds for accuracy

(hmmm.... I am going 95 and it says 93 in a 35 zone...)

Bill

 

Yeah, the speedo exaggerates. At an indicated 70 mph, my GPS says it's going 65....

 

I compared my GPS with the speed readout on the tach and got a reading approx. 2.5% slower than the indicated velocity. I didn't even compare with the speedo due to the poor resolution and parallex errors. I never look to the speedo for my velocity.

 

As to speedometer error, how much difference does the stock wheel and tire diameter vs the modded (or optional) wheel/tire diameter make? I would think that a slightly smaller diameter wheel/tire could cause the "actual-speed-is-slower-than-indicated" error if the speedo is calibrated at the factory for a larger diameter. I believe the same would be true of underinflation. I believe that Tire Rack specs included (somewhere) the diameters of various tires (smaller diameter=higher indicated speed, all other things being equal).

 

I went by one of those just the other day. I held it at a steady indicated 40 mph and the radar showed 38.

 

My first realization of this is was the first time I was crusing down the interstate and glanced at the big spedo in the center of the dash. First glance was 70 then a tic mark for 75 and then 80. When it's really 70, 80, and 90. I'm crusing around at what I think is my usual 76-77, when really I'm going 82-83. It still didn't really feel much different that 55-60. I've got to be really careful when driving the Mini or I'll get into trouble.

BTW - why is it that when your Mini is all cleaned up and shiny it feels like it's going faster!

 

For along time I have known the MINI is off by 2mph. This has been discussued here and verified by those roadside speedometers. I have been told that BMW's also are off by 2mph.


Art

 

I've driven several cars that give the same illusion of slower than actual speed. I agree with mcdbrendan on this one: it's most likely the signature of a well designed and well sorted car. The MINI is so connected to the road and so stable at speed, you feel as if you need to push the car more to get the same sense of speed you would from most other cars.

A few examples of other cars that I've driven that give that special feeling (for more ways than just this one): the 360 Challenge Stradale, the F430, the Gallardo, and the SL55 AMG. That being said, the MINI is in rather good company

 

Now the SL55 AMG is the only car I would swap my PW/B MC for!

 

the great handling and also, i believe there's something to do with the
angle of the road and surroundings you're seeing though the cabin.

 

Well this thread seems to be gettign back to the original question; The car feels slower than its actually traveling by a significant amount, because the Wheel base is so lorage compared to the overall size of the car, it feels bigger than it actually is, after a mere 10 months it feels perfectly normal as I've learned to re-adjust my measuring sensation of speed (but I find myself going slower when driving other vehicles).

As to the Hijacked part. There are several reasons your speedo is over reporting the main one is the fact that it is set to over-report due to the large fines that BMW (or any manifacturer) would have to pay in the EU if a car was found to under report. Things get even further off when you go to a low profile tire.