Hi guys. I hope this is the correct place to post this. I just did something awesome to my car and wanted to share.

2011 MCS, 119K miles.

I have had this car for two years. One thing I did not link about this car was the length of the shift throws being too long for my taste. But more so, I did not like how much play there was left to right, both in gear, and in neutral. I found myself missing gears here and there in crucial situations. So I did the following to resolve this:

I added a Helix short shifter, Shifter Retaining Clip Pro, and Aluminum Shifter Bushings (all ordered from Cravenspeed. total was about $150, free shipping)

WOW is all I can say. Now there is basically no play both in gear and in neutral. The shifts are noticeably shorter and quicker. The shifter feels very mechanical, precise, and with purpose. It has that "notchy" feel I wanted. The best way I can describe it is it feels like the manual shifter for a race car video game station at the arcade.

It does take slightly more effort/strength to move around gears now, but it is so worth it. I couldn't stand that sloppy feel. Feels like a different car now!

This is what I ordered:

https://www.cravenspeed.com/helix-sh...r56-2007-2013/
https://www.cravenspeed.com/shifter-...-pro-for-mini/
https://www.cravenspeed.com/aluminum...d-gen-2-minis/

 

Curious why you went through the trouble of removing the shifter, and not replacing it with the Cravenspeed shift lever?

 

Are you referring to the Adjustable Short Shifter?
https://www.cravenspeed.com/adjustab...u=CS-AA763-691

If so, I did not want that because I wanted to maintain the normal shifter height. The helix allows that.

 

That's cool. I added an NM shift adapter for the same reason, but I also did not want to take apart the shifter. If I had decided to take apart the ahifter, I would have installed the Cravenspeed kit and added a shift **** extension.

 

Interesting I didn't know they had an extension. Personally I wanted to change the bushings and the clip anyways as they stabilize the assembly and reduce play. This was the most thorough and cheapest way to achieve my goals. The craven speed shifter was the next option on my list.

 

This the option I'm looking to do on my 2013 R56s

 

Do it! As a manual driver our hand is always on the shifter. So you are constantly connected to your modification and it is so worth it. CravenSpeed gives you directions that are pretty clear and they are always willing to help you over the phone. You can also find a local mechanic you trust or go on craigslist and find someone who's very good with cars and they can install it for a reduced price.

 

I definitely can handle that aspect of the install.