Just curious what other members think on this issues:

I have a 2007 mcs with the 6 speed auto trans. I love the way the car feels in Sport mode but don't care for the higher shift points for two reasons:
1. Poorer gas mileage
2. The car at lower speeds,especially in traffic gets annoying with the high revs. Sounds like I'm driving a manual and don't know how to shift properly.

I understand that I can shift the car with the paddles or in tip mode to control the shifts at certain revs but I drive in city traffic a lot from Baltimore to dc all the time. I'd rather not have to think about shifting with how bad the stop and go traffic can get... but on weekends and country roads I sure miss the manual trans

Is there a way to enjoy the sport mode on all the time and sharper throttle response without the transmission changing its shift points? I prefer the way it shifts in non Sport mode. I know about the chips that can be installed for the Sport mode to permemently be on at start up but that doesn't fully solve my preference to shift points delema. I would buy that chip or a sprint booster if it completely solved this issue.

Thoughts?? Thx

 

Sounds like you should drive without Sport mode when in traffic (since you don't need the steering/pedal sensitivity) and in Sport mode during all other times.

 

I've looked into this for my wife's 2007 Justa Automatic and have found nothing. I agree that it would nice to sometimes have all of the Sport attributes except the higher shift points, but it doesn't appear to be possible.

 

I have a six speed and keep the Sport Button off due to the idiotic/childish backfire noises (2011 MCS). On the highway, I love the revised throttle settings and steering.

 

I drive in Hollywood traffic all the time. I dont regret having a 6MT. No way in hell I'd get a slush box anymore. Unless it were a leisure GT car...

 

Ugh I know. I honestly regret the auto now but at the time it was such a great deal I couldn't give it up. Pretty soon I'll have the car paid off and it will be my life long commuter car.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. Looks like their really isn't anything to do in this situation except to do what Dark said.

 

Funny that you don't want to use the button when practical, yet long for rowing gears

 

Honestly you have to drive the automatic for a long time to really know what I'm talking about. I would drive in sport mode all the time but the shifts are higher than in regular DS more for some reason.

Don't really understand what you mean "when practical" amancuso. And because the shifts are faster, the car likes to launch itself. This is felt excessively at lower gears.

I'm thinking about purchasing the NM Lower engine mount insert. Think it's like $60. Might help the car feel tighter and pure.

 

We have the auto in our '13 MCS and for an automatic it's actually on the acceptable side ('sporty' cars like the G35 had a horrid auto that absolutely fitted the name 'slushbox').

I do agree that in sport mode driving through slow or stop-and-go traffic the transmission is working to keep the car in the powerband at all times rather relaxing itself to limit shifting, I find that in this situation is just as easy to use the paddles - c'mon, you have two of them and either will operate up/down shifts, it really takes nothing out of you to do.

 

Interesting thread. I have the MT now but am considering the AT next, possibly for a JCW model. What's the downside of the regular non sport mode in heavy traffic? I get what the downside of the sport mode is (higher revs), but if lower shift points are teh goal, and the non sport mode does that why not use it?

 

Well I didn't really wanna come off as complaining. My car is great in traffic and with shifting in sport mode. Probably one of the better cars I've driven while in Sport mode. I'm just being picky and was searching if there was anything out there, software wise, to remedy this issue.

My 2007 mcs shifts differently than the newer r56 mcs. It's different, but not by much. I've had a couple loaners and find the newer mcs with the electric steering and updated software is much smoother. That's also why I'm starting to think about changing the transmission fluid.

My mcs is excellent in stop and go traffic in non Sport mode. Very fictional. I just love the tighter steering and throttle response when you need to make a quick lane shift or merge. It gives the car and myself the right level of confidence to motor onwards.

So this is what I'm thinking. I will buy the sprint booster, NM Lower Engine Mount bushing, transmission flush, and I have a strut brace I ordered from the UK that's at my parents house currently in NJ that I will install soon too.

I think I'm honestly just missing the MT haha

 

 

I am an Accessport fan. It fixes much of the throttle delay in non-sport mode, plus gives a boost in power that is noticeable in daily driving. I have not tried a sprint booster, but it should solve the issues that you are describing.

Also, if you are in sport mode, and shift up with the paddles (putting the trans in manual mode), when it switches back to 'DS', it will downshift by itself.

I also tried the powerflex engine mount inserts. They had too much vibration for me, but it seems that some cars are more sensitive to this, as well as some drivers. For $60, it is worth trying.

Have fun,
Mike

 

Thx mbwicz. I think I might go with the access port eventually. It's just a bit expensive. I don't know whether to do an exhaust first or something like the the access port.

 

Everyone has their own opinions, as well as their own cars. That is what makes this stuff so fun. They have stopped making the AP, so you are looking at a used unit for your car.

When I was looking into exhaust, it seemed like most of the benefit was in the sound, there seems to be little performance to be gained. Many guys like an aggressive sound.

Have fun doing your research and driving the wheels off of your MINI. All that matters is that you are happy with the choices you make.

Mike

 

I wish you could personalize that portion of the car. Say you want the tighter steering and quicker throttle response but not the higher shift points. Or you want the relaxed steering with the sport button off but still want the crisp shifts of sport mode. We should be able to personalize that just like everything else on the car like headlights auto on or not, auto door lock or not, etc... Maybe someday Mini will listen...

 

Sorry I didn't mean that to sound short. I know what you mean about the higher RPM/Delayed shifting in S mode. I was just trying to state that if you would have been ok with a manual trans which requires effort to move that gear shift, that it would take equally if not less effort to switch the S mode on and off, or just move the shifter to left in the correct situation for optimal performance .

 

Haha yea i understand. No worries. This was good though just to find out if there was any sort of mod that exists. I just installed a front strut bar and I must say the car feels tighter and goes over the bumps smoother.

I can't wait for my tires to start going bald so I can invest into some wider non run flat tires and wheel spacers.

Thanks everyone. Merry Christmas!

 

I usually use auto mode when sitting in traffic then when it starts to break I switch to manual shift mode...you get the tighter steering and you set your own shift points. I have actually found that by doing this a LOT, it has trained the auto mode to act more like how I shift.