torque steer, as it's name implies, means steering caused by torque, i.e. the tendency of a FWD vehicle to be pulled in one direction due to engine torque rather than steering input from the driver.

I have an MCS with LSD and if I stomped the gas -- in any gear -- with my hands off the wheel, I'd end up on the other side of the road.

 

I've only tried it once... but, like I said, no hands on the wheel in 2nd, going in a straight line = straight line acceleration in my 2007 R56 MCS (no LSD).

 

LynnEl, I have an 07 MCS with LSD. I've had the car for ten months and 15000 miles. Very very minimal torque steer has been experienced. When the car was new I noticed some torque steer but as it gets older it seems to lessen. And I am by no means a little old lady. I accelerate hard every time I can, traffic permitting. I noticed in your post that you have LSD. If I were you I'd take it to your dealer to check out. Come to florida and drive my car, you'll feel little if any torque steer.

 

That is why it is a really good idea to drive with at least one hand on the wheel to prevent this kind of problem.

I've had high power RWD cars that when you stomp on the accelerator the car will TORQUE the front end around if I didn't have my hands on the wheel.

 

I just got an R56 MCS and in low gears under heavy acceleration i experience significant torque steer, after coming from an R53 that i totaled which had pretty much no torque steer. i plan on getting lowering springs soon to help combat this, as well as mount the TD PR1s form my old car onto the new one

 

As if I could trust my dealer to even know what LSD is. Depending on who you liesten to, LSD makes torque steer even worse, or better. In any case, I have driven S's with and without it and the torque steer is BAD. I am not willing to make excuses for Mini.

 

Repeat of Post #2 - https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...07&postcount=2

You don't need lowering springs to get rid of "torque steer" - just stiffen up the lower subframe with the Cabrio diagonal braces for $40.

It even gets rid of most of the tendency of LSD to try to steer the car.

No, Really!

 

Except the cabrio is still on the old platform, not the R56's.

 

I should have said "...get rid of torque steer for an R50 or R53." The first-gen cars after `04 all have the mounting nuts for the cabrio braces welded into the body.

 

Sounds like the only way you will EVER be happy is to just get rid of the MINI and move on.

 

Well, there are things I really like about the Mini. I'm waiting to see the AWD. If it's a dud or doesn't come out in the next year or so, I will be Mini-less.

 

Please I do not want the extra weight and complexity of AWD.

I think the R56 brought many day to day improvements to the Cooper, except in the looks and go-kart feel departments (Razor sharp steering) that are still the rightful domain of the R50 Cooper. The sight of a well taken care of 2002-2004 Cooper with the chrome bumpers, 16" 5-star wheels (R83) simply brings a smile to my face. That car still turns heads. The R56 MC doesn't do the same for me. Some of its proportions bother me greatly. This is why I believe the Clubman addresses many of the visual shortcomings of the R56 (And some agree to this).

I have yet to experience severe TS in my Clubman S auto. I did have a brief episode with the sport button on. But since I am still in the break in period, I have not used the steering wheel paddles and unleash the full potential of the car.

I encourage anyone that has not driven a R50 Cooper 5-speed to go and drive it. Then you'll understand why this car out MINI on the map. The go kart ride and precise steering have not been duplicated by the R56. I owned a '02 MC CVT for 6 years and it was A GREAT CAR. Sorry to diss the CVT bashers but this car, properly driven, was amazingly fast... Oh and never had any problems with the CVT.

Funny how the CVT bashers never owned one, yet they put it down. Just sayin'...

 

The extra weight, prob no more than 50-75 lbs according to my SA, could be compensated for by increasing engine output accordingly or shaving back on other weighty items. As far as complexity, well, all cars are complex now days, that's a relative thing. What it boils down to is that some power needs to go to the rear wheels, not just to eliminate TS, but to lessen wheel spin on the front. Any Sooby engineer will tell you that...

hey I can just see MINI owners jumping off buildings when the AWD MINI SUV hits the streets here in a couple years, or maybe sooner.

 

Yeah but the R50 and R53 don't have any torque steer to correct

I don't know if I've just gotten used to it or if its gone down significantly, but I don't notice the torque steer anymore in my R56 S with LSD.

 

You've probably just gotten used to it. If you take a light FWD car and add a lot of torque, you will get torque steer. If my choice is between less torque (and slower acceleration) with no torque steer, and more torque (quicker acceleration) with some torque steer, I'll take the latter.

 

I had 53 and didn't feel much TS.
When I test drove 56 I was holding on to my dear life from the TS out of the dealer parking lot on to the highway. May be one needs to get used to it but other than excessive TS on the 56, I LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT.

 

+1

LynnEl
Every single vehicle I have owned has behaved differently, and I have made slight adjustments to my driving habits as a result. When pulling into traffic with the R56 and flooring it, yes there going to be some torque steer. Is it a big deal, or ripping the steering wheel out of your hands like the FWD cars of the 80's? No. The previous generation didn't have the torque down low in the RPM's enough to cause it. Am I going to make an excuse for all that power, hell no, I luv it. And as they say, "With Power comes great responsibility"

Just from reading some of your many postings, you just don't seem very happy with the Mini, not attacking you, just an observation.

 

But I need one hand free for my cellphone and the other for my Big Gulp! ( I shift with my knees, so no problem there.)

 

first of all, for the semantic prigs:

from merriam-webster:

Main Entry: 2quantum Function:adjective Date:1942 1 : large, significant <a quantum improvement> 2 : of, relating to, or employing the principles of quantum mechanics <quantum physics>

secondly, the R56 'does' have torque steer, even with the LSD. and it's worse than the R53 for sure --compare the torque curves as well as absolute torque. there is a huge AUC in the new powerplant that is notably absent in the iron block supercharged motor.

i actually think it's worse in other cars that i drove: GTI and Mspeed 3, but that's so subjective.

 

Perhaps everyone that has torque steer problems should get their Alignment checked.

I have put my foot to the floor and other than wheel spin and a little tire hop the car goes strait. Now I have experienced some tire hop while accelerating in a corners. But the wheel never jerks in any direction in my hands. Maybe I drive like a grandma comparatively but I don't think my passengers would agree with that.

 

I see I am not the only R56 owner who feels no torque steer. To confirm what I said in a recent post, yesterday while out and about I took my hands of the wheel at a light where there were no other cars. When the light turned green I let the clutch out as normal and accelerated pretty hard, not floored, but definitely not "little ole lady" like. NO torque steer. Maybe some of us received special cars.

 

I have an '02. I love it. It is quirky and very responsive. I have test driven two '07 MCS. I hated the first one - terrible torque steer. It practically took itself off the road while just shifting gears! Then I tried another car a few months later. The second car didn't have the same feeling at all. It was almost too comfortable for my taste. I felt BMW had "dumbed down" the cars for the everyday person. Faster, yes. Still fun, yes. As much fun as my twitchy '02, not for me, for others I'm sure they'd like it more. But, the real lesson for me was that I would never want to buy a car without driving that particular car. I drove two cars of the same model and they were very different from one another.

 

Oh, I feel it, don't get me wrong. But I don't have the "throw me in the other lane and kill everyone" variety..

I just ensure that if I am going to drive in a 'spirited' manner, one hand is FIRMLY on the wheel, while the other is on the shifter.

 

It does depend on a few factors, doesn't it?
- slip differential
- tire/wheel combination
- suspension
- road surface
- etc. etc. etc.

 

Oh thats true, I ditched my run-flats before the car even left the dealership.