Clutch | Can I Launch This Car?
Clutch | Can I Launch This Car?
I've been driving a 2016 R60 which I bought new from a MINI dealer. I ordered it with a 6-speed manual.
Despite driving a clutch all my life on various cars, this clutch has been the bane of my existence from the standpoint of adapting to the way it works. It grabs low off the floor (been told that's just how BMWs are) and take-up is all the way through the travel of the clutch pedal. (The turbo lag requires the revs to hit ~2500rpm before letting out the pedal.)
The car pulls away from a stand still at a normal pace. Not that this car is built for drag racing but there comes a time as a petrolhead, you want to launch this sucker from a stop light. When I do try, and if the revs spike too quickly, I can fully let off the clutch pedal as if dumping it, left foot back on the dead-foot-pedal-stop, and the car slowly pulls way with the sound of the revs high and the clutch slipping. There seems to be no middle ground on this R60.... slipping or clutch plate chattering.
Gawd forbid I try and autocross this vehicle, I'll be pulling away from the starting light like I'm balancing a hot mug of coffee over my crotch.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated; mechanically or physically!
Despite driving a clutch all my life on various cars, this clutch has been the bane of my existence from the standpoint of adapting to the way it works. It grabs low off the floor (been told that's just how BMWs are) and take-up is all the way through the travel of the clutch pedal. (The turbo lag requires the revs to hit ~2500rpm before letting out the pedal.)
The car pulls away from a stand still at a normal pace. Not that this car is built for drag racing but there comes a time as a petrolhead, you want to launch this sucker from a stop light. When I do try, and if the revs spike too quickly, I can fully let off the clutch pedal as if dumping it, left foot back on the dead-foot-pedal-stop, and the car slowly pulls way with the sound of the revs high and the clutch slipping. There seems to be no middle ground on this R60.... slipping or clutch plate chattering.
Gawd forbid I try and autocross this vehicle, I'll be pulling away from the starting light like I'm balancing a hot mug of coffee over my crotch.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated; mechanically or physically!
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 286
Likes: 21
From: Pittsburgh
Not that I would tell you that you can launch the car, as Mikey says there are loads of threads on the clutch's in the R60. But.. turn off both the traction and DSC controls and youll find a better " launch". Remember to put a clutch in these cars is expensive.
Yeah, I can say that I would have never bought a MINI if I listened to all the issues that have been voiced in my two years prior to buying the vehicle... figure it's a roll of the dice. I'll try turning off the TC and see if that helps the situation even though I'm on dry pavement. Thanks for the tip, guys!
None the less, I only tried a few hard take offs, nothing 'dumping the clutch' related, but right around 40k miles the clutch started chattering. The dealer quoted $3200 to replace (outta warranty @36k miles) the clutch and flywheel (if it needed it). I denied the service and figured I can put up with the chattering. The chattering only seems to happen when I try and pull away slowly from a stop. Now the clutch howls/ hoots like an owl. No ****, it sounds like an owl in the tranny. There doesn't seem to be any slipping, just a friggin' owl, and chattering at slow-speed takeoffs. :(
If you have AWD you have to slip it a lot more than launching a FWD or RWD, for that reason I upgraded to a stage 4 (6 puck) clutch and am able to launch it perfectly fine.
