you, too?

 

my 15% pulley'd cabrio hits 60 in 6.17 seconds and its alot heavier than a regular Hatch.

 

Not available to order yet. Dealer has no clue when it will be. I'm waiting for that to buy our next MINI.

 

it's coming in june/july and they're already taking deposits. the base price has been released and i don't think options will be priced all that differently.

 

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

I checked and both Car and Driver and Road and Track independently tested a stock R56 MCS and each attained a 6.2s 0-60 time.

 

Matthew, not sure if will find torque steer an issue. Most who have added aftermarket springs ($200) to lower the car an inch or so have reported torque steer greatly reduced.
And there are a quickly growing list of aftermarket bolt ons for the R56 that will add 50hp and tons more torque if that's the way you want to go.

 

So, it looks like BMW have been conservative. You can see why. At 6.2s 0-60, the mini is encroaching on 1 and 3 series territory.

My Z4 has been fantastic. As I said earlier, it was a great lease deal at the time and I have been truly pampered with the RWD and burble of the straight six engine.

The fact that the mini is compared to the Z4 is testament to how good the mini is. The sticker on my Z4 was $48,000.... the MCS is going to be about $26,500 after I've finished with the options list. That's a sizeable difference - for not much of a performace gap.

Here's the current config:

paint
White Bonnet Stripes $100
Chili Red Body Color $0
White Roof/Mirrors $0
package
Cold Weather Package $500
Heated Powerfold Mirrors & Washer Jets
Heated Front Seats
Convenience Package $1,500
Comfort Access System
Leather Sport Wheel w/Multifunction
Comfort Bluetooth with USB/iPod Adapter
Universal Garage Door Opener
Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror
Rain Sensor and Auto Headlamps
Center Arm Rest
performance
Dynamic Stability Control $500
Front Fog Lamps STD
Xenon Headlamps w/Power Wash $500
Rear Fog Lamp $100
Limited Slip Differential $500
6-Speed Getrag Manual STD
16" Bridge-Spoke (Perf. Run Flats) $0
All Season Tires $0cockpit
Sport Seats STD
Automatic AC $500
On-Board Computer STD
6-spkr AM/FM CD Player STD
Anthracite Headliner $250
Cloth/Leather: Rooster Red/Black $1,000
Rooster Red Color Line INC
Interior Surface Brushed Alloy INC

TOTAL MSRP AS CONFIGURED* $27,300

I'm avoiding the 17s and sport suspension until after I've tried them. I don't want to make the ride too firm. NJ driving probably makes all-season tires more sensible than the performance options.

Cheers,

John.

 

Also, torquesteer can be virtually eliminated with an LSD.

 

I've already had experience of torque steer - 2004 Golf VR6 with 201hp through the front wheels.

Going to get the LSD on the mini which I read should help the issue.

Cheers,

John.

 

My R56 has LSD and "sports" suspension and I could feel some torque steer. Until I had Mach V springs (1.25 drop) installed...

 

The jury is still out on that one, it seems. Many also claim it has either no effect, or that it actually increases torque steer on the R56.

 

I've got LSD and the tq steer really isn't too bad at all. Certainly not enough that I'd consider it a negative aspect of the car. In fact I appreciate the little bit it has. Keeps the drive that bit more involving.

 

I have a 2007 MCS with LSD and the torque steer is definitely there. On a good blast it alternates direction as the LSD transfers power. It can be a little disconcerting if you weren't expecting it, but you get used to it pretty fast.

 

LSD does NOT eliminate torque steer. It just modifies the result: Instead of flinging you into oncoming traffic, it makes you zig-zag down the road like a drunk.

 

Good way to put it.

 

I was driving home from San Carlos one night at about 11 PM and was heading up the freeway (Hwy 1) between Monterey & Carmel. I was a bit tired from a long class and the drive. I was in the left lane and a little behind a car in the right lane. There was one car a ways car behind me. The car on the right took an offramp and in I sort of made a sympathetic move across the lane divider then corrected. Red lights came on behind me. The CHP wanted to make sure I wasn't drunk, and after checking my papers and asking about the MINI, gave me some advice about getting up speed on the shoulder befrore merging back on to the freeway. So, I accellerated hard and the torque steer caused me to weave a bit. I was sure he was going to stop me again and go for the breathalizer, but he didn't.

 

most definitely it does not.

helps reduce understeer, but doesn't really make torque steer go away. it's the nature of the beast.

in a RWDer, a tail wag applying power is "charming"; in a FWDer, torque steer is the devil. i guess because the front wheels are supposed to steer only it's suboptimal and i'd agree with that sentiment, but i'd rather have a car with torque steer than one without --generally it means there's power there.

 

Well, it's done. MCS ordered.

Drove the MCS and it is admittedly slower than the Z4 - but at $20k difference, I'm not surprised or that worried. It really feels that it picks up much better higher up the rev range - the inline six in the Z4 just has constant pull throughout the range which is where I think the main difference lies (there's also the fact that it's got nearly double the displacement). The MCS is an engaging drive.

Ended up changing the spec a little. Dropped the rooster red interior as although it looked really good in all the pictures it is just too far off the exterior color for my liking. Didn't bother with the anthracite headliner as I'm not getting the sunroof and the lighter headliner helps the car feel lighter on the inside.

No LSD for me. Yes, there's torque steer but it's manageable.

Added from base Red/White MCS:
White bonnet stripes
White turn signals
Cold Weather
Convenience
DSC
Xenons
Rear Fogs
Auto A/C

Now I have some money left over for a chip if I think I need it!

Jerry at Morristown Mini was a pleasure to deal with.

Thanks to all, now the waiting begins!

Cheers,

John.

 

Agreed. In evo's long term test, the tester noted that the torque steer makes you feel like you are pushing the car right to edge of what is physically possible, and that is very satisfying.

 

I'd re-think that, if I were you. LSD is not for reducing torque steer, it is for getting power to the ground without spinning wheels -- something harder to do with FWD than with RWD.

All MINIs come with ASC (an electronic traction control) that applies a braking to a spinning wheel, and can cut power output from the engine. LSD insures less wheel spin, so less interference from ASC.

You can change your order until it begins production. Then it is too late. So, you may have a day or two.

 

LSD isnt' for reducing torque steer - but it seems to be a side effect that it is reduced if LSD is fitted.

Now, ASC is fitted. In some ways, it's a poor mans LSD to a certain degree. If it detects a wheel spinning, that wheel will be braked which should allow the other wheel to pick up more traction. I know there are limits to this system but for my average driving, I don't see LSD being essential. If I wanted to track the car then I might think differently.

Yes, LSD would be better - is it worth $500 to me.... probably not. Each to their own.

Cheers,

John.

 

For entusiastic driving, I would recommend getting the LSD and turning off the ASC/DSC. That statement, however, will generate all kinds of controversy. The programming on the ASC/DSC just isn't sophisticated enough on either the R53 or R56 to properly modulate fuel input. Hence, it overreacts when losing traction and takes too long to reinitiate fuel delivery.

As Robin says, getting fuel to the ground is the whole point of an LSD. On the the R53 it just happens to significantly reduce the torque-steer. I was unaware that it might have a different effect on an R56, and can't speak to what that might be.

 

I'd concur on leaving out the LSD - it's a lot easier to add it in as a factory option rather than retrofit it later. If you want to save some money, dump the convenience package and just order the bluetooth/usb.

 

+1 on the LSD

don't leave home without it...IMHO

I did it the hard way - with a Quaife on my '04 - smart money and I paid three times what it costs now from the factory

example: entering a two lane state highway (like US 1 up here in Yankee land) from a side road. the intersection is wet, and there is a touch of sand. the traffic is 40-50 miles per on the highway, and dense. visibility in the direction the traffic is coming from is impeded by a hill, and there is no more than three seconds from a car appearing to a car passing in front of me.

a gap opens, and no cars are coming, so it's time to accelerate briskly - turning to the right to join the highway, and getting 40mph on the car pretty quickly...

scenario 1: no LSD, ASC on

the right front tire spins when the clutch is eased out, the car moves 15-20 feet out onto the highway, but the ASC shuts down engine power waiting for traction to improve. this takes a second, and during that second a car appears from the upstream traffic at 50 mph, and is now 2 secs behind the mini, which is struggling to get 30 mph...

scenario 2: LSD, ASC off

the RF tire does not spin, however the loss of traction does cause the car to understeer a little bit as the clutch is eased out. automatically i feather the throttle for a moment to let the car turn, and then add power, shift, and reach 50 mph in a few seconds without drama. the car that appeared as i started the manuever does not have to brake to avoid me, and i do not annoy the driver or endanger either of us.

bottom line -- the ASC, no LSD combination can take away your ability to accelerate in a situation where it is not only safe to do so, it may be NECESSARY.

and one more point: my JCW Cooper can spin both front tires on a wet surface with just the throttle in the bottom two gears. on a slippery surface that applies to 3rd gear as well. that means you have the choice of slipping both front tires equally, or having one try and spin up (and with ASC on, suffer power loss). your call...

cheers,

charlie