So how noticeable is the addition of the LSD on the MCS? Has anyone here driven both with and without?

 

I haven't driven one with LSD but I didn't drive the one without LSD hard enough to notice. But I am ordering LSD since I will do some autoXing and tracking after the break in period.

 

Makes the ride groovy, man.

 

biggest noticeable difference during my test drives a month ago or so:

Floor throttle exiting a turn (with DSC disabled):

Non-LSD car spins inside tire.
LSD car less tire spin, but I could feel power "shifting" back and forth as the torque tries to over come the grip... slightly disconcerting at first, but I've long since gotten used to it

(Yes, I have LSD)
HTH.

 

night vs. day

get the LSD

 

Exactly how I would describe it, too.

Get the LSD. It's well worth it.

 

THAT's what I ordered???

 

My advice is to buy the S and get all the performance enhancing options. LSD is one of them. That's what I did.

 

An additional benefit of the LSD is much better traction in snow.

 

maximizes "go cart" effect. if that's something you care about, you will definitely be glad you got it.

 

Can you get LSD after you have taken delivery of your MINI?

 

If you can, it would be very expensive.

 

having owned a non-LSD R53 and an LSD R53, I can say.....maybe. Depends on how you drive. High speed sweepers....skip it. Low speed pedal mashing, do eet! Letting off the throttle at highway speeds around corners with an LSD....well....disconcerting is the right word. The car wants to move a bit. The open diff car is a peg-leg at low speeds...one wheel drive.

As for driving in snow....if it's equally packed, yes. If you have ruts in ths snow (one tire on pavement and one on snow), LSD is SCARY. The speed differential will cause the car to turn hard. I've noticed this in my R53 and in my AWD rear-diff equipped Subaru.

Pick your poison. There's a reason it's optional.

 

LSD may be faster but open diff is generally safer because the unpowered wheel acts as a rudder. For the same reason you can get the back of a high-powered RWD car equipped with LSD to step out or fishtail under power, you can make the front of a FWD one wash out/fishtail too.

Imagine going across a snow-covered hillside. Tromping the throttle without LSD will spin the one tire but the other will keep the car from sliding toward the grade. With LSD both tires will spin and you'd slide down the hill no matter which direction the wheels are pointed, so it requires more judicious use of the throttle.

As an aside, the Torsen or Quaife design only provides LSD action under power while the OEM friction unit also works under lift-throttle to increase turn-in (it's trying to slow the outside wheel and speed up the inside wheel then) so not all LSD units behave the same.

 

Plus it can stop you from getting accused of murder if someone else in a MINI should shoot a store employee, but didn't have LSD. I seem to remember something like that happen. It makes me laugh. But I don't know why.

 

nah, that was PosiTraction

 

PosiTractiuon is Gm's name for their limited slip differential

 

yes, thanks, note my (sarcasm alert!). Chrysler called it SureGrip. LSD back in teh 60's was something else entirely.

 

Is your description from experience, or is it theory? The MINI comes with ASC (All Season Traction Control). Does this not counteract the tendencies you describe?

 

To answer the first question... it would be very expensive to add LSD later... I think parts were quoted at $1700 plus labor to install (and its not THAT quick).

Question 2 (just above)
DCS vs ASC (in BMW-Speak)

ASC CUTS the power if it detects wheel slip during acceleration only.
DCS does this as well as applies braking pressure to one wheel (usually inside rear) to help steer a sliding car around the corner (vs stuffing it (understeeer) or going in a spin (oversteer)
meanWhile ABS keeps you from "locking it up" under braking...

So if your trying to make it up a snow covered hill, your best bet is LSD with ASC turned OFF so you can maintain momentum.

HTH.

 

LSD was a definite option for me. When you floor the car out of the corner the inside tire grabs and propels the car forward instead of just spinning. It was a must have for me. The main difference though is the LSD car seems to 'bite' more. Which means you may have to correct the steering angle as you are cornering. If you don't it can pull you into the turn. So there can be a bit of fighting involved at times, but in my opinion that's fine as long as the power is getting to the ground.

 

+1 never get on the throttle without both hands on teh wheel. That goes without saying, but the LSD will put the power down however possible (including the path of least resistance if the wheels are allowed to move off your intended line).

 

it's DSC, dude (Dynamic Stability Control)

 

Even with LSD you can still smoke 215mm wide slicks while exited a corner under full throttle in second gear (and banging off the rev limiter) during auto cross.

 

Man, I wish we had courses where I could hit the rev limiter in 2nd gear. I think my max RPM during my last autocross was 5960. Our next few events will be at a much bigger facility, though, so hopefully that will help.