I've read most of the early posts about DTC on the Factory 09 JCW, and I thought I understood it. I picked up my car yesterday and the supplement to the owner's manual (designed explicitly to clarify DTC operation) tells a different story.

Here are the differences that I'm hoping to clarify:

1. Early Reviews say:
A. Doing nothing leaves the system completely on - full safety mode.
B. Pressing the DTC once turns the system PARTIALLY OFF, allowing for a bit more spirited driving but with some traction control safeties still in place (many reviews say THIS is the best way to drive the JCW car).
C. Pressing and holding the DTC button turns the system off entirely, and all that's left is the eLSD (reviews say this is great for track probably).

2. Owner's Manual says:
A. Same as above.
B. Pressing the DTC button once, TURNS DTC ON. (Before pressing this button, DTC is NOT on, just DSC.) It says that DTC is for use only in snowy conditions or with chains on the car, and actually reduces driveability but can be better for snow and ice conditions - and only for those conditions.
C. Same as above.

So it seems to me there are a few possibilities here:

1. Something changed between the early review cars and the release cars.
2. One of the above narratives is simply wrong about how the car works.
3. They are both right: while DTC is designed for snow and gravel and MINI only wants to tell us to use it for that, it actually allows for more wheelspin and is therefore a great way to drive the car if you want to have a bit more fun without turning all safeties off.

 

I'm thinking the early review narratives are wrong, because the Owner's manual description of the effects of one push matches the action of our E90 3 series sedan. One push activates DTC which is for snow or gravel, in situations where you may need some wheelspin to assist forward progress. Most times we leave the system as default, ie. full DSC on, but in deep snow on an incline, DTC is much more effective, as full DSC on kills any wheelspin, getting you no traction/forward momentum.
But really, the DTC mode can be considered "fun mode".