I know what the SPORT button does, as far as the seat of the pants goes, but what is it really doing?
Advancing the ignition timing? Intake valves staying open longer? Increasing the back pressure in the exhaust?
I doubt the result is an increase in horse power, but actually an increase in the torque numbers. Right?

Just curious

 

Actually, none of the above. All it does is tighten steering and introduce a different throttle map so pedal response is more linear.

 

Mechanically it does nothing. The Sport Button electronically improves the throttle response and steering weight and response.

I use mine while on secondary roads and extrance ramps but turn it off for highway cruising.

 

ditto

 

I go the other way - I never bother with sport mode unless I'm on the highway. I find the firmer steering means fewer corrections at the wheel while cruising, especially in windy conditions.

 

Not turning on the sport button removes the MINIness from the MINI, so the only mod I've ever made is the sport mode always on mod.

 

my wife didn't even know her base Clubbie had it, and we never use it at all. When I do screw around with it (once or twice in 10 k miles of ownership), I'm not sure that I like the steering heft or not. But whatever, the clubbie isn't the sporting of our two Minis....

Matt

 

What is that? A small rock you put on the button?

 

go to https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...utton-mod.html ... there are a couple of flavors of electronic mods shown there that trigger the SPORT mode to "on" automatically at ignition-start.

as some folks say here: fun for interactive driving, maybe not that necessary for long cruising ... AND: can make the training easier for someone who' s just learning how to drive a stick -- the slightly-faster throttle-response with SPORT ON allows a newbie to get away with a little less clutch-feathering.

 

The sport button also modifies the shift points slightly if you have an auto.

 

That doesn't work. I build myself a little circuit which pushes the button once at start up.

 

Man, I thought my MINI was fun to drive. I remember the dealer mentioning it, but I only re-discovered it a few days ago. It's like a new car now - the Sport mode rocks! The backroads I drive to and from work (10 miles each way) are sooooo much more fun now.....

 

With the Automatic, it also shifts faster and more positively, Paddle, Stick or full auto (at higher RPM) and it will auto-downshift more noticeably than in non-sport.

It also only shifts as far as fifth gear, no 'overdrive' sixth gear cruising used at all.

 

Are you sure it doesn't shift, not just you're not going fast enough?

 

I've rarely used it and when I did I never noticed much difference so I've continued to not bother.

 

When I am "Sporting" and on the highway, I move the shift lever left into the manual mode and shift to 6th; if I just use the paddles w/o moving the lever to shift up to 6th, it will down-shift back to 5th right away.

'08 Justa Clubbie Auto

 

Just a note... on the wife's auto Clubie, with sport mode on, you have to manually 'Shift' it into 6th gear... Make sure you kick the gear-shift over or else it will just downshift to 5th again.

^^ Blast! You beat me to it Austex! ^^

 

I was only intrigued with the Sport button during test drive. I find non-sport steering firm enough so putting on the sport mode only makes my minute steering correction during driving just that much more of an effort. I find it tiring. Far as the throttle response, I, again, find having "fine" & more graded response easier to drive smoothly, no matter how fast the acceleration or speed. I haven't pushed it since the first week of ownership other than to confirm that I still.... don't like it.