Two months after I ordered my MCS (and less than a week to arrive) I started to have doubts to buy a $34.000 car that fits onto the back of my pickup and went to my MA for a testdrive:

• Contrary to many people here, I like the R56 a lot better than the R53, the finishes are a lot more refined, spacefeel is very good, I even had a decent ride in the backseat (I am 6'3")
• The lounge leather seats are gorgeous - expensive, but well worth it
• Wood dash is unique and very lovely
• Leather steering wheel is very middle of the road (I had ordered the wood, which is not US-approved (see separate thread), but Mini will have a replacement wood wheel in 3 months)
• Chromeline interior - very charming extra
• Anthrazid Roofliner - will make a huge difference in feel over the light grey, $200 worth investing

Driving Impressions:

• I was kind of disappointed from the acceleration - lots of noise from the engine, the steering wheel goes all over the place if you don't hold tight and I was reminded of the VW I had when I was 18. Sure it accelerates in less than 7 seconds to 60, but it is anything but effortless (I must admit that I am spoiled from driving a 911)
• Once you accept this, the car drives great: terrific breaks, corners on a dime, you are looking for parking lots to turn corners just inbetween driving down a road because it is so much fun
• Hugs the road lovely, I was tempted to switch lanes every time I saw 10' of space to hop into
• Dropped of the car with a big grin

One issue that is a safety hazard and needs immediate fixing is the drivers side mirror - big blindspot, can see anyone to your left without turning your head (MA said that you are faster than anyone so who cares) - has anyone seen any aftermarket mirrors without blind spot for the R56?


6 Days to go for Stoepsl (German for cute little Munchkin) before hitting the dessert roads

 

About the side mirror are you saying you can't angle it outward enough from your seat position? Probably worse for a tall person. I haven't noticed it too much but I don't rely on the mirrors that much to see who is that close.

 

The MINI doesn't have any more of a blind spot than any other car. Check out this site for instructions on the proper settings for your side mirrors.

 

Regarding the blind spot:

A few years ago Farmer's insurance wrote up a method of adjusting side view mirrors that contrasts against what I had been taught. I took their advice and found that this new way did indeed eliminate the rear quarter blind spots. Here's what they said:

. Rather than adjust the mirror from your normal driving position, lean your head against the driver's side window and then adjust the left side mirror so you just barely see the side of your car.

. Place your head to where it's exactly between the front seats and adjust your right side mirror to where you can just barely see the right side of your car.

I still also look over my shoulder when changing lanes but am virtually never surprised at discovering a car driving in what was my former 'blind spot'.

I should also mention that the the AAA Driver Improvement Program course for seniors (attendance results in an insurance discount) now teaches that technique. I presume the high school drivers courses also teach this method, but for those of us who have been driving a while this represents something very different from what we're used to.

It's disconcerting at first because in your normal driving position you don't see the sides of the car in the side view mirrors but you get used to it after a while.

P.S. Mark Twain once said, "Sorry this is so long, I didn't have time to make it short." That applies here.

 

Could look for one of those little 2-inch round convex mirrors to stick on, too.

The mirrors on my motorcycle are darn near useless without 'em.

 

lol this is the same info as my link .............hehe

 

TFM,
i totally agree with you on your driving impressions. everyone keeps telling me that the torque-steer is no different from the r53. the torque-steer really bugs me because i like to punch the car right off 1st and 2nd gears. but because of all the other improvements to the car i ended up ordering the r56

 

Disappointed from the acceleration? What did you expect, A Koenigsegg CCX?

Honestly, the acceleration didnt disappoint me, but the torque steer did, man U have to keep both hands on the wheel or it'll just fly off. The car i drove also had a tad of turbo lag, but that may be the high altitude. It also has Soooooo much better torque at the low end; i got mine on a hill, put it into 6th at 30mph (about 1100 rpm) and stepped on the gas. It didnt take off like a rocket, but I could feel the low-end torque move the car in a way that my R53 simply doesnt have.

And those new seats (lounge leather) if I could put them in my R53 id do it in a second. I also like how the driver can do the basic lights/door lock programming now instead of having to bug the dealer.

 

I have a new R56. On the torque-steer, yeah, I get this too! I can't tell if it is inherit in the design, if my tires are causing it or the combination of ASC and the limited slip differential. Today, I loosened the lug bolts of one of my wheels with the intent of mounting my Panasports with Yokohama AVS intermediate tires. Tested the new lug bolt in the Panasport rim... whoops, it no longer fits! So, that's the wheel answer... wheels that fit on older MINIs will NOT fit on the new ones, because the wheel lug bolts on new MINIs are a larger diameter. At least on the Cooper S. It is possible that the Cooper lug bolts are the older, smaller size.

Anyone have a solution for the torque-steer issue? Buying new tires is acceptable to me if it does correct this.
Mike

 

Yeah, we posted within 3 minutes of each other. You were posting while I was writing. Amazing how great minds tend to work with such synchronicity.

 

This is not a universal truth. there are many wheels that will fit both the old 12mm bolt and the new 14mm bolt. Sorry that your Panasports aren't compatible.

 

In case you have not ordered your Mini yet or if you can still change it, make sure you order the limited slip differential - accellerating without, especially when turning a corner results in heavy wheelspin (and tire use) - too much power on the front wheels !

 

[quote=Ken Cooper;1423081]Regarding the blind spot:

A few years ago Farmer's insurance wrote up a method of adjusting side view mirrors that contrasts against what I had been taught. I took their advice and found that this new way did indeed eliminate the rear quarter blind spots. Here's what they said:

. Rather than adjust the mirror from your normal driving position, lean your head against the driver's side window and then adjust the left side mirror so you just barely see the side of your car.

It's disconcerting at first because in your normal driving position you don't see the sides of the car in the side view mirrors but you get used to it after a while.
]

Tks for the info on the mirrors - I will try that once I get the car next week, I am sure it will feel awkward initially, but might do the job.
Why can't automakers just install the same curved mirrors as they are on the right side with "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear" - those don't have blindspots ... (always reminds me of the T-Rex in Jurassic Park I)

 

I ordered the LSD on my MCS, and I'm glad I did. There's a tremendous amount of torque steer in my car, especially in second gear. That's on dry pavement, too.

I'll cast my vote with TFM--order the LSD.

 

Illegal in US. Apparently we Americans are too stupid to know that the car is cloaser than it appears when on the driver side.

 

Skip the S and buy the Cooper.

 

Yes, when I mentioned the very strong torque steer about a month ago on a test drive, some people were more concerned about if the demo was being mistreated.

 

The only way you can fix that is by making the car RWD.

 

I drove 2 MSCs. Neither with DSC or whatever it's called. First without LSD and it was all over the road with hard acceleration. Second with LSD was much more managable, tho still with wheelspin and torque steer. Wheelspin probably cause of the runflats. I'm definately adding 17s with Goodyear F1 DS-G3s(great norhtwest tire).

I also think the car's got scoot. I agree with Grassroots and their ~5.7 sec 0-60. My seat is calibrated with an older 930 and I've raced old Porsches for 15 yrs. Wife's in a WRX. We like boosted cars that go fast and handle just as well! If I can ever get a car up here, I'm pretty sure I'll be very happy with it's performance.

YMMV

Mark

 

it really is too bad r56's have bad torque-steer. torque-steerlessness is such a great hallmark of the r53's and it should've been on a list of must-haves when they engineered the new car

 

I am considering an auto trans due to the Los Angeles traffic. Will Torque-Steer be an issue with the auto trans?

 

I should say that the wheelspin and torque steer was easily managed even tho I was driving the car Very hard. The auto will probably start out in 2nd gear unless you apply full throttle, so it shouldn't be an issue.

That said, never driven an autoboxed MCS. Some guru will probably be able to answer your question if you ask in a new thread.

Cheers

 

TFM, I'm toying right now with purchasing a new MCS, and if I do, it would be the exact same color combo as you have spec'd-Astro Black/White roof, mirror, and stripes with the Red Lounge Leather.

Promise me you'll post pictures of it when it arrives.

 

[quote=TFM;1424144]Actually, the best mirrors I have seen had "Objects in mirror are going slower than you"!

 

The "too much torque steer" complaint is probably why MINI went with the Sport switch and defaulted it to "off," which seems to annoy many people. Torque steer is inevitable on a quick, light, front drive car. I do not think it is excessive. The only way to lose it is to turn the car into everything you don't want it to be. This argument reminds me of a friend, who bought a geco and complained about having to buy live crickets all the time....