I sense from test drives so far that most current MINI owners who have driven the 56 would want the sport button on nearly all the time, as I'm sure I would. It would be cool if the button were programmable so that its default position could be ON and hitting the button would turn if OFF for those (presumably rare) traffic conditions that would somehow make sluggish throttle and slow steering preferable. Is such an option either available or in the works? Better still, is there a workaround that would simply disable the switch and make "Sport" a permanent choice? That's the case with my 2005 MCS, and I must say I've never felt the slightest urge to trade down, as it were.

 

Well, it's basically just a toggle switch for two different settings in the drive-by-wire setup that the 2007 has. Not just electronig throttle, but electronic steering.

I'd bet though that it's a momentary switch, not a physical toggle switch, so it would take a programming change to enable it to be on by default.

Still, the idea that the default setting is "sluggish throttle" and "slow steering" I believe to be expectation-driven, and the fact that the "on" setting offers more of what people want.

Saying that the 2007's default mode is a "trade down" from the 2005 is a bit much, though.

 

I'm sure a tuner will have something out in no time to remedy this...

 

When I test drove, I did notice a difference with the sport button on, but I was still impressed with the driving even if the button was not on.