In the last 5 months of ownership of my Mini I have noticed that I barely need to add any gas at all when I release the clutch unless I'm starting on a hill. I realize that this isn't the fastest start, but it is surprisingly quick and smooth for a little 1.6, albeit that it does have a turbo. Does anyone else feel the same way with their cars or should I be adding more gas when I start?

 

It's all a matter of balance and opinion, isn't it? Modulating clutch and throttle for conditions is a leaned pattern.
Probably dangerous to say, but the big variable in the equation is the operator and no two people function the same. What works for you and your drive train without smoking the clutch and/or TO bearing is all that matters.

 

I would think if your driving was in harmony with the majority of cars around you that everything was o.k.

 

sounds to me that you were taught well

my kids learned to drive on manuals and the first skill they learned was getting the vehicle rolling without touching the gas. When they could do this 5 times in a row without stalling we moved on to the next skill ....

I'm not saying EVERY start should be "no gas" but knowing it works and mastering smooth engagement of the clutch is the right place to start IMO

 

Depends on how fast you want to accelerate! Nothing wrong with just using the clutch to get the car started. When I first learned, I thought that the less gas you use while letting the clutch out, the better it is for reducing wear on the clutch.

 

My 2011 MCS (at 63k now) will darn near take off on it's own if I just gently release the clutch in first gear on flat ground. I think that has a lot to do with the dual-VANOS system, and the throttle body/ECM doing it's thing to keep the engine running. I can even "deliberately" roll in first gear at idle, and even on a very slight upgrade on the road, the car takes over, and adds a bit of throttle, as if it were trying to prevent stalling.