I have the nav and also love it. It's a lot more that just a gps. It has free FM traffic, lets you have easy control over the radio/ipod right by your hand, lets you voice control the radio and nav, does not have to be taked out of the car so no one will take it, makes setting up options of the car a lot easer. Shows an image of stuff in the back of the car if you have PDC. By the time I figure the cost of a GPS with traffic and a way to mount it the 2k does not seem that bad. Though I must say I am looking at getting a second MINI and my skip the NAV to get an S but only because the price would be to high with the nav and s.

 

Ok, so here's the latest idea. I'm going to forego the sport pack and keep the ~17.5 lb s-winders and get the JCW suspension kit. Who here has got it and can tell me the difference between this and the stock or sport suspension kit? How rough is the ride, how much better will it corner. More specifically, how much will it help me in autocross?

 

My wife keeps nagging me.

I keep threatening her that I'm going to get an "R32"!

 

You'll find more answers to this in the suspension forum. The JCW suspension includes swaybars, springs, and dampers (shocks). It lowers the car maybe a half inch. It's a whole lot more than the sport suspension, which is just a pair of 2mm thicker sway bars. The JCW bars are thicker than the SS bars I think. Because the sport suspension bars are front and rear, and aren't that much thicker than stock some don't think it makes any difference. To improve cornering the rear bar is what you want to swap out, leave the front alone.

 

I found out the hard way that putting a stiffer sway bar in the rear only can increase oversteer. This can be useful in AutoX, but not so great on the road. Stiffening both front and rear sway bars would make it easier to maintain neutral handling.

 

I had a moderately-modded '02 MCS, my wife had a bone stock '04 MCS, and she now drives an '08 MCSa (I replaced my '02 with an '06 M3).

Anyhow, I drive her car fairly frequently, and here are my gripes:

- Twitchy. I mean, wow... I know a good portion of this is the runflats, but there's also considerable throttle lag (which may be specific to the auto trans), and so you end up with this sort of herky-jerky little car that takes bumps hard and always feels very rough.

- Interior's still a little iffy for me. Seems as though the blind spot over my left shoulder is much larger. Moved B-pillar? Larger headrest than the R53? I dunno... but it's noticeable.

- Exterior... water seems to collect in weird places when I wash it. Like between body panels, particularly around the hood inlet.

Anyhow, even though I consider these fairly serious complaints, I still don't think there's an FWD car I'd rather own, and I know the missus isn't a fan of anything else. Anyhow, just my two cents.

 

Whenever someone says something like that I wonder if the sport button is on. The throttle is horrible without the sport button.

 

I was thinking the same thing...

And the auto trans certainly doesn't help, either.

I get the same feeling whenever I drive my wife's truck. I push the gas to get going and wonder why I'm not moving, so I push a little more, and then it jerks once the torque converter actually starts converting. Of course, that all happens within about a second, but it reminds me of ONE of the reasons why I don't like auto transmissions every time.

 

As to the above two posts... sport mode being on makes it a little worse, imho. It just lurches violently and immediately upon pressing the pedal, whereas with it off you at least get a smidge of delay. In either case, the result is the same; jerkiness of the car in general. I know this 'problem' is exacerbated by the auto trans; I'm just saying it contributes to the overall feeling of the car.

 

I wonder if it's something that is "wrong"... as in different from other Cooper S's, or if it's "normal".

It sounds as if it might be a problem if it "lurches violently".

Who knows...

 

I get excellent turbo response....I do not feel any lag at all!!!!! I have a twin turbo vette and feel the lag in that car but not in the Mini

 

I agree.Doesnt the turbo make full torque at 1700-1800 RPM? Thats almost off idle!
My C6 got dropped off at Vette Drs this morning for its Vortech Supercharger install.

 

My R55 auto drives the same way. +1

 

Throttle response and turbo lag are two different things. I know what turbo lag is, and I agree, the twin-scroll unit in the new plant doesn't exhibit that whatsoever; very smooth. What I'm talking about is getting zero engine response until the throttle is depressed 'x' amount and then blam, you're back in the seat.

Also, I'd say it's "normal," as the other R56s I've driven have the same tendency.

 

Use the damn paddle shifters plus sport button on. Come over and I'll teach you how to drive the S automatic they way it was meant to be.

 

Clubman S,

Since it's a long drive from Richmond to Florida, perhaps you could just describe how to do a smooth, slow start in heavy traffic with the automatic. If I have sport off, I get the initial "play" in the pedal, then the jump forward when it engages. If sport is on, I get a jackrabbit start.

How would sport on and using paddles produce a smooth, slow start? (I'm talking about prior to the first shift).

P.S. I didn't get the "damn" paddle shifters, just the regular ones.

 

Styling is a matter of opium. But, the one thing I really was disappointed with my Mini was the alleged stereo upgrade. It sucks. My clock radio sounds better. Okay, it's a Bose clock radio, but still.... It's 15 years old, and a clock radio.....

 

Well, then you can't get a smooth start... Sorry.

 

paddle shifters.... sounds like an S&M couple taking turns...

 

Right on ClubmaniacS! I have NO lag nor jerkiness nor nothing else like this in my 09 MCSa, either before the JCW TK or after. I have no idea what they are referring to.

 

What problem? I feel no jerkiness nor any exacerbated "problem" or "feeling" you refer to, shifting with the paddles and sport button on is as smooth as silk--once the car has warmed up.

Given all the problems I had with defective clutches and flywheels on my 2005 S, this auto tranny is nothing less than a godsend. Sure I wish it was a double-clutch setup like on the R32 or Veyron, but it'll do for now.

 

You are right. Plus as an individual part the JCW rsb (18.5mm) is cheaper than the SS rsb, which is 16mm I believe.

 

Two solutions:

1. Sport on, Manual shift mode: 2nd gear start (M2), gentle with throttle and gradually increase acceleration. Change up @ >=2500rpm/change down @ 1500rpm. This can be done in 1st gear.

2. Sport off, D: 2nd gear start (D), use 1/4-1/5 throttle. The trick in non-sport is once you press the throttle pass 1/4-1/5 point at start, the computer stop hiding the power and give you smooth proper power delivery.

Bottom line: Mini is not designed to be a smooth Lexus. My $0.02

 

Uh, I didnt know the "damn" paddle shifters could be opted out.... please clarify, "regular" ones???

 

My R56 isn't even in yet, but I can already tell you what's getting replaced as soon as it gets home:

1. Shifter. The shifter throw is a mile long. New Alta adjustable SSK is going immediately.

2. Wheels/Tires. Stock rims are very heavy. Being replace with Team Dynamics wheels and Parada Spec II tires.

Other than that I'm not sure. I don't even have my car yet, but those are the only things I wasn't satisfied with on my first MINI.