The delay is there in sport mode, too, especially between 1st and 2nd. I have more experimenting to do, but the delay seems more pronounced under light acceleration. I haven't been very clinical about it, but it seems the shifts are crisper when you push harder. Makes sense, actually. I'll have to try to be more observant.

 

OP: Yes, HUGE delay in both 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. I don't even bother accelerating in first. Just get moving and shift to 2nd(it's more tolerable than the lag from 1st). However, even when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, there's a delay. Just yesterday I went out to try some new toys on the Clubman non-S(manual) and accelerating hard in 2nd(to about ~4500 rpm), I had to clutch in, shift to third and wait till it drops to 3000 rpm before letting the clutch out for smooth engagement.

 

wasnt the aisin tranny used in the jeep wrangler?
I think it was in the 90's models. it was a standard though and was very problematic. If so. Is it a reliable tranny now?

 

Go Figure:
2008 Mini Cooper S Gear Ratio:
Drivetrain: Front Wheel Drive
Trans Order Code: 205
Trans Type: 6
Trans Description Cont.: Automatic
Trans Description Cont.: Manual
First Gear Ratio (:1): 4.04
First Gear Ratio (:1): 3.31
Second Gear Ratio (:1): 2.37
Second Gear Ratio (:1): 2.13
Third Gear Ratio (:1): 1.56
Third Gear Ratio (:1): 1.48
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1): 1.16
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1): 1.14
Fifth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.85
Fifth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.95
Sixth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.67
Sixth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.82
Reverse Ratio (:1): 3.19
Reverse Ratio (:1): 3.23
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1): 3.69
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1): 3.65

2008 Mini Cooper Gear Ratio:
Drivetrain: Front Wheel Drive
Trans Order Code: 205
Trans Type: 6
Trans Description Cont.: Automatic
Trans Description Cont.: Manual
First Gear Ratio (:1): 4.42
First Gear Ratio (:1): 3.21
Second Gear Ratio (:1): 2.37
Second Gear Ratio (:1): 1.79
Third Gear Ratio (:1): 1.56
Third Gear Ratio (:1): 1.19
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1): 1.16
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.91
Fifth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.86
Fifth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.78
Sixth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.69
Sixth Gear Ratio (:1): 0.68
Reverse Ratio (:1): 3.39
Reverse Ratio (:1): 3.14
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1): 4.10
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1): 4.35

http://www.vehix.com/new-cars/new-ca...ooper-hardtop/

 

With the JCW kit on my auto I do notice a slight lag between 2 and 3, but if I just stay on the throttle it is less evident. I had my dealer check it out and all's well, it's just the way of a torque converting fluid coupling automatic.

Still it is no less fun to drive--even in full lazy D-mode munching on a Carl's Kentucky Bourbon burger--and the Aisin is certainly more dependable than the shiite clutches that plague the manuals.

and for those who diss autos out of spite and ignorance I might remind you that some of us have physical disabilities that prevent us from driving manuals on a day to day basis.

I also predict that within a decade the evolution of the dry-clutch and other sophisticated automatics will be so mainstream and widespread that manuals will only be available on the most high-end of sport and exotic automobiles.

 

see I rarely drive mine in M1, always start in M2. Yes the 2-3 and 3-4 upshifts are much crisper with less delay (Lag is a better term) when U stay on the pedal. When I took my car in to have everything checked I noted to the tech that I only feel this delay under light-moderate driving, not full throttle. It was also evident in the non-JCW S loaner I drove; I think the JCW kit makes the delay more pronounced because there's more power for the tranny to deal with.

it's no biggie, just takes a little technique to mitigate.

 

this is what i have noticed--when i was test driving the standard mini--i was hammering the throttle and shifting at 6000rpms using the sport mode--driving in this fashion the auto trans paddles did work great--on my mini s i have been babying the trottle to keep it under 4000 rpms---200-500 rpms change between shifts

 

Manuals are for girls, they're too slow comparing to the autos. What delay are you talking about? I paddle shift mine at 4,5K+ rpm all the time and there is no delay.

 

Alright, the auto is quicker in a straight line, no doubt, so there musn't be any significant "15 hp" drivetrain loss. This isn't a early nineties Cavalier transmission... but dual-clutch transmissions are the future... drove a friend's the other day, and it was heaven!

The auto in the S is fabulous... if you want the shifts to stick, you need to move the level to manual, because it won't change then. There are pros to the manual, but it just makes it so much easier knowing that if I need to go to sleep on a long drive that my wife can take over. I'm sure the manual is funner though!

I'd have to drive an automatic base Cooper to really respond to the original poster. But if you come from fast cars and are going to the 100hp Cooper, you are going to feel slow in every gear. I come from a 1992 Protege, and I drove one just the other day, and I was amazed how I was satisfied with that. Talk about an archaic four speed auto! Now THAT shifted slow! Can't complain for 90whp!

 

What I think is funny is how everyone here is chiming in about "getting the automatic for the wife." Does that not say something about your wife then, or does it say something rather, about yourself?

 

My mum puts my standard-shifting skills to shame. Drove our MINI home without a hitch after not driving standard for over two and a half decades. She's got a mean heel-toe, too.

That said, she says this is probably the last standard car she will buy. She enjoys it, but as you get older, your joints get stiffer in the morning, and it's just easier to drive an automatic.

 

Something tells me that you don't do so well with the opposite sex.

 

i shft at 3000-3500 rpms--in sport mode or without---- there is a delay of 300-500 rpm everytime---formula one cars the most advanced race cars in the world are all AUTOMATICS DRIVEN BY MEN--PORSCHE'S NEW AUTO TRANS SHIFTS FASTER THAN THEIR MANUAL

 

the reason for the trend towards "clutchless" shifting is the faster shifting times.(theres no delay for clutch pedal movement)
If you have a stock trans, it will have a slight lag to it. It's there to smooth out the shifts. if it didn't, everyone would complain about how hard it shifts. If youve ever driven a performance car or street rod with a shift kit you'de know what I mean. they shift hard and fast, but are uncomfortable for daily driving.
(you would have lots of coffee stains in your mini)

The manual trans, although my favorite way to shift the mini, is going to be a thing of the past. most vehicles are going "clutchless".

But to say a manual is for girls, is just plain dumb. I like the manual because I like a full connection with the car while driving it "spirited". It's what i'm used to and what I enjoy.

 

It's still for girls and it is a joke so you can relax and enjoy what you like.

 

I have to agree there is, in that range there is a delay but it's much less comparing to manuals.

 

I love how the maturity level unfailingly drops through the floor whenever this dumb topic comes up.

This one post answered the OP's question. Thank you, and good night.

 

I do fine. I just set my "standards" higher.

 

No, they are not autos. They are sequential transmissions.

 

I can attest that PDK is a slick piece of engineering. But no, it can't be considered an automatic by traditional definitions. It's more of a sophisticated automated manual.

 

Indeed. Expensive to build and maintain, but damned nifty.

 

Gearing on the s is sweet. However, in the factory JCW configuration, there's not much call for 4th or 5th gears. 2nd is good to 70 mph, and the car has solid acceleration in 6th at highway speeds without downshifting. 3 comes in handy for those 70-100 mph bursts. So why did they bother with 4th and 5th? Not much call for 100+mph sprints.

 

Seems to be confusion here among some of our more, um, assertive posters about what an automatic transmission actually is. Don't confuse the nature of the transmission with how the gears are selected. Racing cars do not have automatic transmissions. Their transmissions use a clutch like a "manual" but may employ hydraulics to operate the clutch and select the gears, rather than a pedal, a lever, and hands and feet. Automatics, like on the Cooper, employ a torque converter to bridge the engine and the driveshaft, something that saps power.

However now, with the new double-clutch boxes and advanced electronics and hydraulics, a "manual" can be programmed to shift itself automatically and as we see on the Cooper, an "automatic" can be operated manually. The issue, at least for me, is whether there's a torque converter or a clutch, not how the gears are selected on each type.

 

to me if there is no clutch pedal it's an automatic--or a form of one anyway

 

But is that Porsche PDK option worth what $6,000+ large?? Of course if one is buying a 911 then $$ is no object.