Mini USA is now listing the LSD, rear fog lights, etc.

 

Only $500 for the LSD!

...but, another $500ish base price hike

 

It ain't a quaife but for $500 anyone who doesn't buy it is.........is..........a girl.

 

.....and if you're in the UK the LSD only costs around 100 pounds (circa $175) .

 

LSD in the 05 MCS only for manual transmission?

For the average driver not interested in autocross or track and almost never drives up in the 5500+ rpm range: LSD not essential.

For any autocross/track/ motoring nut with grippy tires: LSD for $500 is a bargain and well worth the investment.

LSD- can you really tell you have it? Maybe. Depends some on how you drive- how close can you get to making the wheels spin and loose traction?

I'd give up the DSC and add the LSD for the performance oriented.
I'd keep DSC and pass on the LSD for the urban, easy driving, commuting driver.

LSD is always working and is mechanical so there is no way to disable it.
DSC has a toggle swith on the center console to use or not at will.

 

$500, really? Fantastic! Ah see things are much sweeter (read: much more reasonably priced) when installed at the factory.

 

man this is one thing that i really, really would have known about and maybe waited till 05, and also the anthraciite headliner that i did not know about till browsing on here . o well

buy the lsd

 

uh, 'hune, LSD is a traction enhancing device, why would you ever want to disable it - 'cept for doing a peg-leg burnout?

 

I saw a photo of the unit from MINI at my dealer. You could read "QUAIFE" stamped on the unit.
Jim

 

It may be made by Quaife but the aftermarket unit is not a clutch type unit.

 

Imagine how much cheaper it would be if MINI offered the JCW kit as a factory installed option...

 

well they already got me with the lsd, and if they did that with the jcw, that would really suck

i may consider a trade in,lol

 

Its nothing but a bone for the dealers. If it were a factory option it would qualify for a rating by the SCCA. As it is a dealer option, it doesn't.

 

Really? I didn't know that about the SCCA rating. Can you elaborate?

 

If Mini sold a JCW car that was upgraded by the factory the SCCA would consider putting it in a specific class. Because the "option" is dealer installed it is treated in the same way as the aftermarket pulley that so many of us have added and is thrown into "Street Mod" with all the cars that have boost levels in excess of stock. It is therefore forced to run even with 3-400hp EVO's, Subaru's and the like and is wholly uncompetitive.

If you want to run it in Stock or STX where the MCS is competitive you have to drive it that way on the street, which those who have a pulley know is not something many would be willing to do.

 

Sweet news! Now any new details that MotoringFile hasn't posted?

Or from the information that has been posted how different is this from the current Aftermarket Quaife thats offered? Like the whole 30% engagement thing, how does that differ from the quaife?

 

Hey now!!1! I'm a girl and I just ordered my MCS for Jan build with it. I decided to get a MCS in July, but waited until now to order so I could get the LSD

 

Was fishing for you. Its an inhouse joke between my wife and myself about the worst name a 6 year old boy could think of to call his friend. It was very funny at the time.

You made an excellent choice. Despite what others say it is very noticable in many street driving situations, a must for the track or autocross and may be the Mini's single greatest weakness and the one that is most expensive to correct.

Mine was working non-stop through Big Bend and Left Hander at LRP on Monday as it was in the low 40's.

 

No...SCCA does put JCW in a specific class, F-stock.
Granted it may or may not need to reclassify things now that the JCW has been enhanced, LSD available (again, stock option), and new gearing.

 

Since mini was nice enough to change the software for DSC when you have the factory LSD, it would be a damn shame to not get them together. The total price for both is still less than the aftermarket LSDs with installation.

This is a telling comment. LSD is not worth disabling in any driving scenario I can think of.

 

One answer I still have not seen is if the LSD will be retrofittable in the 2005 MCS.

I know the 02-04 is not compatable, but for those of us who had to order before Jan, (my previous E30 had a small fire issue) it would be a nice option to have a dealer installable LSD.

I know I'm probably dreaming, but if the dealers install the JCW package for full warranty coverage, this would be another nice revenue source for MINI, and another way to keep happy campers who bought the early '05s.

 

my guess would be no :(, but on the other hand, they did change the gearing so perhaps it's a slightly different transmission altogether? no idea..

 

According to my 2004 SCCA rule book for solo II the JCW kit MCS is in ASP (A street prepared) not F-stock. MCS is in G-stock.

So if you order LSD for the new MCS then for Solo II it will put the MINI into a non stock class? Street mod? STX?

LSD is mechanical and you would not want it to be turned off- hence no switch. If you want it off then don't order it.


I think if you drive the MINI like you stole it then you'd be happy with the LSD but many drivers don't do that- for them it might be alot less noticable for daily use.

Even if you could install the LSD in an earlier build MCS from 2005 you'd have to pay for the part $$$ and for the labor $1000 and for voiding your warranty on the transmission unless you went to your dealership to do the install at $100 per hour in which case the labor is more like $1500.

I would think that the LSD part should be retrofitable but that's not official yet. However if there are electronics mated to the LSD such as with the DSC then that might be a problem.

 

The problem I see is if some dealers are charging 13 hours for the JCW kit, then they''re probably going to charge 20+ hours for the LSD. A $2500 "factory" LSD wouldn't look too appealing then.

 

If it is not a Quaife LSD then what other company could it be? What type of LSD do they put in the BMW M cars? That should give us an idea of what to expect.

thanks

Amit