I had an extra hour before a 630 appt. last night...time for some motoring!

So that finally let me get my MINI on some roads it was designed to handle. We're blessed in the STL metro area with county "letter" roads, secondary highways, and in the west/southwest parts of the region are set among very hilly, forested terrain with few intersections and population. Perfect for some "getting used to my MINI" twisty road lessons!

Most are 55mph speed limits, with curves posted 30-35. So maintaining the speed limit (always a good idea) through the curves gives a satisfying and fun time. A "little" extra...yes, very grin inducing!

So I had a blast, and came away very impressed with my MINI's capabilities. Never squealed a tire, and it's limits are much higher than I experienced on these public roads, but that ability to be cornering with some reasonbly nice "g" loading, *and* being able to apply power and feel that pull through the corner: delightful!

I'd owned a Miata a long ol' time, and of course it could corner. My '96 NA, though, didn't have the thrust at the exit like my MINI has. It's really impressive, so capable.

Google maps: check out the area around Dutzow, Augusta, Defiance Missouri. That's along the Missouri "Weinstrasse", State Highway 94, also a nice drive. All those letter roads (T, TT, F, D, etc.) are a blast, especially as they wind up/down those hills and through the woods. STL-area folks (auto and m'cycle fans) know these pretty well. They're not tolerant of idiots though: no shoulders, and did I mention the woods?

 

Wait till you throw some sway bars on it

 

And coilovers

 

LOL, actually I think I'd be well-served to learn to use it's current capabilities in some closed course venue(s)...it's far ahead of me at the moment.

Just checking RealOEM, Sport Suspension R56S has 23.5mm front, 18mm rear bars. It's decently flat now, upgrades must really be something!

I did post, I think, that I managed to kick the tail out about 3ft or so on my first tight exit ramp, 10 minutes into ownership? Duly noted: lift throttle quickly, back end will try to rotate. At least on that particular combination of new tire and concrete / downhill ramp / decreasing radius.

 

Yeah found this out in my first week or so of ownership as well. The mini definitely rotates more readily than my previous car would.

 

I agree with all the others, coilovers, heavier sway bar (rear), and torque arm mount insert, as well as tires.

 

So, now your are hooked for good. Just last Friday, added an Alta 19mm adjustable and KONI FSD struts. Got it out on the local fun road and added a good 15 to 20 MPH around those turns. WOW, what fun!

OP, go to http://www.ozarkmini.com/ for MINIs In the Ozarks held at Eureka Springs, AR. Registration opens the 21st. It is a very well run event and the drives are fantastic. You'll love it. There were 131 cars in attendence last year and many more are expected this year.

My sister lives in Columbia, boy do I love your alphabet soup back roads when we go for a visit.

 

How the heck are you guys inducing oversteer??? I can't get the rear to swing out on my JCW (standard suspension) on a soaped skidpad! I can get a little oversteer using the e-brake, but not much. Lifting off the loud pedal doesn't seem to induce this much either. I was thinking I need some suspension work.


Dave

 

Signed up for the mailing list a while back...we'll be there! Been to northern AR a few times for m'cycle rallies, will be great to take it in with the MINI crowd!

 

Well that's just great. You have a very destinctive motor. I'll keep a lookout for you.

 

+1 on your area roads: we visited in 2009 just to try them out!

 

i have tunable "lift throttle oversteer" at any speed over 40. Tunable because what I want on an autocross course is NOT what I want on an off-ramp.

The tunable part is rear tire pressures. 44+ for oversteer, and about 36 for a nice stable butt.

Here's how hard it is to do that to the understeering chassis that is our Mini...

-2.4 in front, -2 in back, coil-overs, lowering (not too much), stiff rear bar, and even with all that 38 psi out front and 44+ (usually start at 48) out back.

But the game is about to change, because in a week I'll be keeping the 15x7 rims with the Direzza Z1 205/50-15 on the back axle, but I'll be sporting 15x8 with 225/45-15 R1R on the front.

Now THAT may prove too exciting! We shall see...

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Mine was: drive off in brand new MINI. Drive 10 mins, miss exit for dinner, take next exit, neglect to remember the 20mph decreasing-radius kink at the bottom. Enter it about 45, pitch-steer, lift off throttle, clinch sphincter. Seemed easy!

Those were brand-new Conti A/S runflats, and (I learned later) at 45psi. On fairly new concrete. That may have contributed.

Not noticing understeer at this point, of course I'm not trying hard on public roads, just having fun. With the occasional surprise thrown in.

 

Steady state it will understeer no matter how much suspension work you put into it, its a nose heavy FWD car. My auto-x setup is fairly loose and even with aggressive e-brake application on the skidpad it still tends to push.

That said, oversteer is pretty easy to induce if you really attack a corner and throw the nose into it while its still loaded up from braking. Even bone stock it will do it.

 

^^^Exactly

 

Keep it stock and take it to an autocross, you'll love it.

 

Thanks Archduke and all. Is what you are describing called "trail braking"?

Dave
Houston

 

Technically yes, but you hear that term used more with rear wheel drive and I always thought of it as a "softer" action. For the mini, I'm talking really loading the front and giving a strong steering input.

Disclaimer: go autocross so you can try this on a closed course. I've spun my car so fast on course that I can't even begin to countersteer. Not enough members here have a healthy enough respect for how quickly these things can get you in trouble.

 

Thanks! Been running with Lone Star Porsche Club at their driver education sessions at the Houston Police Academy training circuit. I'd be interested in more detail on how you do this through the apex.

Dave
Houston

 

You only want to do it on some corners since it saps your momentum. Its best use is in tight or narrow 90 degree corners or some other situation where you need to change your heading more quickly than just the steering will allow. When done right you pitch the car in, the oversteer points the nose to the right heading to exit, and you simply steer ahead and floor it to pull the rear end into line.

Good slaloming can be a variation on the theme too where you are using the motion of the rear to turn the car and the accelerating out of it.

 

LOL, they do spin nicely don't they?

Not as fast as a kart though, but just as fast as the 340 whp Honda Civic Si that we run with. Now THAT puppy can really spin!

Particularly with R compound tires, and on the first run...