R56 Almost a month of owning a 2011 MCS & 2000 miles
#1
Almost a month of owning a 2011 MCS & 2000 miles
Hello all,
I posted questions last month while searching for the right car for me, and I would like to thank all those who helped. I love the car I bought. So far I have had it almost a month and have driven it over 2000 miles. My commute alone is 35 miles each way, then sometime I need to go on part runs, and those are usually about 150 round trip. Costco and any decent shopping is a 90 mile round trip, and my wife ran an errand to Spokane and back, about 300 miles.
We both love this car.
It came with an Alta rear sway bar and Hotchkins rear camber links. It also has a frame stiffener in the front. I wonder if it had more stuff but the PO removed it prior to trading it in? It also has an M7 tube to the inter cooler.
It runs well and handles well, but I am researching if there are any things I would want to do to compliment these mods. The car also currently has Michelin all season tires on the 16" wheels. I hate all seasons. I my experience, your much better off with Summer tires on summer wheels, and dedicated winter tires and wheels. I think I will order up some Nokian Hapakalita 8's with studs to put on the 16" wheels and find some (hopefully used) 17" or even 18" wheels for summer with some tires I can push a bit harder.
Maintenance so far:
Changed to oil (even though the dealer had just changed it) I used Mobil 1 Euro formula. I would have liked to have used the German Castrol, but it's hard to find here. Since the Mobile 1 is one of the BMW recommended, and I can buy it at any Walmart, I went with it. I also changed the gear box oil to Redline MTL, installed a magnetic drain plug, and used a factory oil filter. I ordered a drop in K&N that I should have by tomorrow.
Future mods I plan on doing:
I want more light, need more light. It already has the Xenon lights that follow the steering, but it's not enough for 100 MPH parts runs though the canyons near Grand Coulee dam in the darkness of an Eastern Washington night. I think I will install a 4 rally light bar with 2 pencil beam Hella HID's and either 2 wide beams, or 2 bigger (yellow) fogs. I'd like to find some toggles that match whats in the car. I wire my lights with on/off/on switches. one on position on the pencil beams will be just "on" and independent of the car being on. The other "on" will be triggered by the high beams. Same for the fogs, except they will be triggered by the fogs. I also usually run a separate relay for each light, but I am not sure if that necessary with HID. With 100 watt+ halogen, it is.
Skid plate. I live in the middle of no where and drive in some really bad conditions. It's a low car even with stock springs.
Grill mesh. The sage brush that blows around here keeps getting stuck in the honey comb grill. I think I need something that had smaller holes, and maybe is bit stronger to fend off rocks thrown by semi's as I pass.
I was tossing around buying an intake. It has plenty of power, but I really like intakes. The AFE makes the hood scoop functional. I wonder how that works in bad weather, dusty dirty environments, and over lots of fast miles? Anyone here have the AFE?
Stuff I have noticed while driving my MCS:
I took a while, but I can predict when the traction control will take over in a corner. Yesterday, through a set of tight rough turns I go around a few times a day, I had the pedal to the carpet and had 100% TC intervention. Better tires might give me more drive, less intervention. (I hate all season tires) I have not had the TC off yet when driving hard. I'll save that for the autocross course or track for now. I have had to turn off the TC when back up a dirt boat ramp (where I eat lunch sometimes, not towing a boat with this car) And when I had to stop mid dirt driveway and start again. I am thinking I will need it off quite a bit when there is snow on the ground.
It's really easy to hit the rev limiter. I have been driving my 2008 Jeep JKUR with a 6 speed too long. But, even compared the Alfa's, Audi's, my old Datsun 510 rally car, and other "hot" little cars, it seems to rev out pretty quick. I have been working on smoother shifting, I'll get there. The Redline MTL helped a bit.
It's hard for me to heel/toe in. If I wear Vans (working mans driving shoe), I can do it okay. It's been in the 100's and I wear flip flops a lot right now, drive barefoot. I can't heel/toe at all in this with out shoes. It will be boot season soon. I'll see how that goes. I wish the gas pedal was higher, like more level with the brake.
Sometimes I almost feel a tiny bit of lag, or hesitation. Might be turbo lag? Don't know. I am very in tune with engines, I live engines. I have been known to hear a helicopter fly by, state what it's problem is, and walk over to it after it lands and find the thing I said was wrong to be wrong. I have done this in a previous career in motorcycles too. I can here a Ducati or BMW ride by and pretty much list whats going to need attention. So, maybe there is something going on, maybe it's just how they run. It'll take a while before I'm that in touch with this car.
Nice forum here. I will enjoy being part of it.
I posted questions last month while searching for the right car for me, and I would like to thank all those who helped. I love the car I bought. So far I have had it almost a month and have driven it over 2000 miles. My commute alone is 35 miles each way, then sometime I need to go on part runs, and those are usually about 150 round trip. Costco and any decent shopping is a 90 mile round trip, and my wife ran an errand to Spokane and back, about 300 miles.
We both love this car.
It came with an Alta rear sway bar and Hotchkins rear camber links. It also has a frame stiffener in the front. I wonder if it had more stuff but the PO removed it prior to trading it in? It also has an M7 tube to the inter cooler.
It runs well and handles well, but I am researching if there are any things I would want to do to compliment these mods. The car also currently has Michelin all season tires on the 16" wheels. I hate all seasons. I my experience, your much better off with Summer tires on summer wheels, and dedicated winter tires and wheels. I think I will order up some Nokian Hapakalita 8's with studs to put on the 16" wheels and find some (hopefully used) 17" or even 18" wheels for summer with some tires I can push a bit harder.
Maintenance so far:
Changed to oil (even though the dealer had just changed it) I used Mobil 1 Euro formula. I would have liked to have used the German Castrol, but it's hard to find here. Since the Mobile 1 is one of the BMW recommended, and I can buy it at any Walmart, I went with it. I also changed the gear box oil to Redline MTL, installed a magnetic drain plug, and used a factory oil filter. I ordered a drop in K&N that I should have by tomorrow.
Future mods I plan on doing:
I want more light, need more light. It already has the Xenon lights that follow the steering, but it's not enough for 100 MPH parts runs though the canyons near Grand Coulee dam in the darkness of an Eastern Washington night. I think I will install a 4 rally light bar with 2 pencil beam Hella HID's and either 2 wide beams, or 2 bigger (yellow) fogs. I'd like to find some toggles that match whats in the car. I wire my lights with on/off/on switches. one on position on the pencil beams will be just "on" and independent of the car being on. The other "on" will be triggered by the high beams. Same for the fogs, except they will be triggered by the fogs. I also usually run a separate relay for each light, but I am not sure if that necessary with HID. With 100 watt+ halogen, it is.
Skid plate. I live in the middle of no where and drive in some really bad conditions. It's a low car even with stock springs.
Grill mesh. The sage brush that blows around here keeps getting stuck in the honey comb grill. I think I need something that had smaller holes, and maybe is bit stronger to fend off rocks thrown by semi's as I pass.
I was tossing around buying an intake. It has plenty of power, but I really like intakes. The AFE makes the hood scoop functional. I wonder how that works in bad weather, dusty dirty environments, and over lots of fast miles? Anyone here have the AFE?
Stuff I have noticed while driving my MCS:
I took a while, but I can predict when the traction control will take over in a corner. Yesterday, through a set of tight rough turns I go around a few times a day, I had the pedal to the carpet and had 100% TC intervention. Better tires might give me more drive, less intervention. (I hate all season tires) I have not had the TC off yet when driving hard. I'll save that for the autocross course or track for now. I have had to turn off the TC when back up a dirt boat ramp (where I eat lunch sometimes, not towing a boat with this car) And when I had to stop mid dirt driveway and start again. I am thinking I will need it off quite a bit when there is snow on the ground.
It's really easy to hit the rev limiter. I have been driving my 2008 Jeep JKUR with a 6 speed too long. But, even compared the Alfa's, Audi's, my old Datsun 510 rally car, and other "hot" little cars, it seems to rev out pretty quick. I have been working on smoother shifting, I'll get there. The Redline MTL helped a bit.
It's hard for me to heel/toe in. If I wear Vans (working mans driving shoe), I can do it okay. It's been in the 100's and I wear flip flops a lot right now, drive barefoot. I can't heel/toe at all in this with out shoes. It will be boot season soon. I'll see how that goes. I wish the gas pedal was higher, like more level with the brake.
Sometimes I almost feel a tiny bit of lag, or hesitation. Might be turbo lag? Don't know. I am very in tune with engines, I live engines. I have been known to hear a helicopter fly by, state what it's problem is, and walk over to it after it lands and find the thing I said was wrong to be wrong. I have done this in a previous career in motorcycles too. I can here a Ducati or BMW ride by and pretty much list whats going to need attention. So, maybe there is something going on, maybe it's just how they run. It'll take a while before I'm that in touch with this car.
Nice forum here. I will enjoy being part of it.
#2
R56
Hello all,
I posted questions last month while searching for the right car for me, and I would like to thank all those who helped. I love the car I bought. So far I have had it almost a month and have driven it over 2000 miles. My commute alone is 35 miles each way, then sometime I need to go on part runs, and those are usually about 150 round trip. Costco and any decent shopping is a 90 mile round trip, and my wife ran an errand to Spokane and back, about 300 miles.
We both love this car.
It came with an Alta rear sway bar and Hotchkins rear camber links. It also has a frame stiffener in the front. I wonder if it had more stuff but the PO removed it prior to trading it in? It also has an M7 tube to the inter cooler.
It runs well and handles well, but I am researching if there are any things I would want to do to compliment these mods. The car also currently has Michelin all season tires on the 16" wheels. I hate all seasons. I my experience, your much better off with Summer tires on summer wheels, and dedicated winter tires and wheels. I think I will order up some Nokian Hapakalita 8's with studs to put on the 16" wheels and find some (hopefully used) 17" or even 18" wheels for summer with some tires I can push a bit harder.
Maintenance so far:
Changed to oil (even though the dealer had just changed it) I used Mobil 1 Euro formula. I would have liked to have used the German Castrol, but it's hard to find here. Since the Mobile 1 is one of the BMW recommended, and I can buy it at any Walmart, I went with it. I also changed the gear box oil to Redline MTL, installed a magnetic drain plug, and used a factory oil filter. I ordered a drop in K&N that I should have by tomorrow.
Future mods I plan on doing:
I want more light, need more light. It already has the Xenon lights that follow the steering, but it's not enough for 100 MPH parts runs though the canyons near Grand Coulee dam in the darkness of an Eastern Washington night. I think I will install a 4 rally light bar with 2 pencil beam Hella HID's and either 2 wide beams, or 2 bigger (yellow) fogs. I'd like to find some toggles that match whats in the car. I wire my lights with on/off/on switches. one on position on the pencil beams will be just "on" and independent of the car being on. The other "on" will be triggered by the high beams. Same for the fogs, except they will be triggered by the fogs. I also usually run a separate relay for each light, but I am not sure if that necessary with HID. With 100 watt+ halogen, it is.
Skid plate. I live in the middle of no where and drive in some really bad conditions. It's a low car even with stock springs.
Grill mesh. The sage brush that blows around here keeps getting stuck in the honey comb grill. I think I need something that had smaller holes, and maybe is bit stronger to fend off rocks thrown by semi's as I pass.
I was tossing around buying an intake. It has plenty of power, but I really like intakes. The AFE makes the hood scoop functional. I wonder how that works in bad weather, dusty dirty environments, and over lots of fast miles? Anyone here have the AFE?
Stuff I have noticed while driving my MCS:
I took a while, but I can predict when the traction control will take over in a corner. Yesterday, through a set of tight rough turns I go around a few times a day, I had the pedal to the carpet and had 100% TC intervention. Better tires might give me more drive, less intervention. (I hate all season tires) I have not had the TC off yet when driving hard. I'll save that for the autocross course or track for now. I have had to turn off the TC when back up a dirt boat ramp (where I eat lunch sometimes, not towing a boat with this car) And when I had to stop mid dirt driveway and start again. I am thinking I will need it off quite a bit when there is snow on the ground.
It's really easy to hit the rev limiter. I have been driving my 2008 Jeep JKUR with a 6 speed too long. But, even compared the Alfa's, Audi's, my old Datsun 510 rally car, and other "hot" little cars, it seems to rev out pretty quick. I have been working on smoother shifting, I'll get there. The Redline MTL helped a bit.
It's hard for me to heel/toe in. If I wear Vans (working mans driving shoe), I can do it okay. It's been in the 100's and I wear flip flops a lot right now, drive barefoot. I can't heel/toe at all in this with out shoes. It will be boot season soon. I'll see how that goes. I wish the gas pedal was higher, like more level with the brake.
Sometimes I almost feel a tiny bit of lag, or hesitation. Might be turbo lag? Don't know. I am very in tune with engines, I live engines. I have been known to hear a helicopter fly by, state what it's problem is, and walk over to it after it lands and find the thing I said was wrong to be wrong. I have done this in a previous career in motorcycles too. I can here a Ducati or BMW ride by and pretty much list whats going to need attention. So, maybe there is something going on, maybe it's just how they run. It'll take a while before I'm that in touch with this car.
Nice forum here. I will enjoy being part of it.
I posted questions last month while searching for the right car for me, and I would like to thank all those who helped. I love the car I bought. So far I have had it almost a month and have driven it over 2000 miles. My commute alone is 35 miles each way, then sometime I need to go on part runs, and those are usually about 150 round trip. Costco and any decent shopping is a 90 mile round trip, and my wife ran an errand to Spokane and back, about 300 miles.
We both love this car.
It came with an Alta rear sway bar and Hotchkins rear camber links. It also has a frame stiffener in the front. I wonder if it had more stuff but the PO removed it prior to trading it in? It also has an M7 tube to the inter cooler.
It runs well and handles well, but I am researching if there are any things I would want to do to compliment these mods. The car also currently has Michelin all season tires on the 16" wheels. I hate all seasons. I my experience, your much better off with Summer tires on summer wheels, and dedicated winter tires and wheels. I think I will order up some Nokian Hapakalita 8's with studs to put on the 16" wheels and find some (hopefully used) 17" or even 18" wheels for summer with some tires I can push a bit harder.
Maintenance so far:
Changed to oil (even though the dealer had just changed it) I used Mobil 1 Euro formula. I would have liked to have used the German Castrol, but it's hard to find here. Since the Mobile 1 is one of the BMW recommended, and I can buy it at any Walmart, I went with it. I also changed the gear box oil to Redline MTL, installed a magnetic drain plug, and used a factory oil filter. I ordered a drop in K&N that I should have by tomorrow.
Future mods I plan on doing:
I want more light, need more light. It already has the Xenon lights that follow the steering, but it's not enough for 100 MPH parts runs though the canyons near Grand Coulee dam in the darkness of an Eastern Washington night. I think I will install a 4 rally light bar with 2 pencil beam Hella HID's and either 2 wide beams, or 2 bigger (yellow) fogs. I'd like to find some toggles that match whats in the car. I wire my lights with on/off/on switches. one on position on the pencil beams will be just "on" and independent of the car being on. The other "on" will be triggered by the high beams. Same for the fogs, except they will be triggered by the fogs. I also usually run a separate relay for each light, but I am not sure if that necessary with HID. With 100 watt+ halogen, it is.
Skid plate. I live in the middle of no where and drive in some really bad conditions. It's a low car even with stock springs.
Grill mesh. The sage brush that blows around here keeps getting stuck in the honey comb grill. I think I need something that had smaller holes, and maybe is bit stronger to fend off rocks thrown by semi's as I pass.
I was tossing around buying an intake. It has plenty of power, but I really like intakes. The AFE makes the hood scoop functional. I wonder how that works in bad weather, dusty dirty environments, and over lots of fast miles? Anyone here have the AFE?
Stuff I have noticed while driving my MCS:
I took a while, but I can predict when the traction control will take over in a corner. Yesterday, through a set of tight rough turns I go around a few times a day, I had the pedal to the carpet and had 100% TC intervention. Better tires might give me more drive, less intervention. (I hate all season tires) I have not had the TC off yet when driving hard. I'll save that for the autocross course or track for now. I have had to turn off the TC when back up a dirt boat ramp (where I eat lunch sometimes, not towing a boat with this car) And when I had to stop mid dirt driveway and start again. I am thinking I will need it off quite a bit when there is snow on the ground.
It's really easy to hit the rev limiter. I have been driving my 2008 Jeep JKUR with a 6 speed too long. But, even compared the Alfa's, Audi's, my old Datsun 510 rally car, and other "hot" little cars, it seems to rev out pretty quick. I have been working on smoother shifting, I'll get there. The Redline MTL helped a bit.
It's hard for me to heel/toe in. If I wear Vans (working mans driving shoe), I can do it okay. It's been in the 100's and I wear flip flops a lot right now, drive barefoot. I can't heel/toe at all in this with out shoes. It will be boot season soon. I'll see how that goes. I wish the gas pedal was higher, like more level with the brake.
Sometimes I almost feel a tiny bit of lag, or hesitation. Might be turbo lag? Don't know. I am very in tune with engines, I live engines. I have been known to hear a helicopter fly by, state what it's problem is, and walk over to it after it lands and find the thing I said was wrong to be wrong. I have done this in a previous career in motorcycles too. I can here a Ducati or BMW ride by and pretty much list whats going to need attention. So, maybe there is something going on, maybe it's just how they run. It'll take a while before I'm that in touch with this car.
Nice forum here. I will enjoy being part of it.
Here's a skid plate that should work:
http://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMX4...n2-R56-R55-R57
Light Bar - Our August 12% Discount Should Work. There is also a two light option:
http://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMX2...s-Gen2-R55-r59
Plus lights. 12% Off Should Work Here, too:
http://new.minimania.com/part/S6078/...e-Backing-pair
Sprint Booster should take care of the lag:
http://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMK3...8-R55-r61-2011
Plus, intake kits:
http://new.minimania.com/Search_Results/intake/Parts
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.
Last edited by Mini Mania; 08-23-2016 at 04:40 PM.
#3
Thanks Mini Mania!
I like the skid plate and the quad light bar. As soon as I am done with some other expensive projects I being ordering those items.
If the lag is a characteristic of the car, then I will just get used to it/ drive around it. I am not a fan of the sprint booster for some rather in depth technical reasons I am too tired to explain here.
I have a thing for lights, and will stick with my plan of using the brand I really trust, which is Hella. I have had many sets, and they do not let me down.
Before I do anything else to the MCS, I have to put the rest of my 2008 Jeep JK Rubicon Unlimited back together. I am in the process of doing a full pre-runner suspension that required a lot of cutting and welding of the frame, as well as making 140K miles of wear disappear. Then, I have to service my wife's Jeep Commander, it needs the suspension pretty much rebuilt, O2 sensors, maybe an exhaust, spark plugs (and there are 16 of them, all hard to get to) Then, my KTM 1190 Adventure R needs some love. I'll squeeze the stuff on the MCS in there somewhere, definitely before the snow flies.
D.
If the lag is a characteristic of the car, then I will just get used to it/ drive around it. I am not a fan of the sprint booster for some rather in depth technical reasons I am too tired to explain here.
I have a thing for lights, and will stick with my plan of using the brand I really trust, which is Hella. I have had many sets, and they do not let me down.
Before I do anything else to the MCS, I have to put the rest of my 2008 Jeep JK Rubicon Unlimited back together. I am in the process of doing a full pre-runner suspension that required a lot of cutting and welding of the frame, as well as making 140K miles of wear disappear. Then, I have to service my wife's Jeep Commander, it needs the suspension pretty much rebuilt, O2 sensors, maybe an exhaust, spark plugs (and there are 16 of them, all hard to get to) Then, my KTM 1190 Adventure R needs some love. I'll squeeze the stuff on the MCS in there somewhere, definitely before the snow flies.
D.
#4
R56
I like the skid plate and the quad light bar. As soon as I am done with some other expensive projects I being ordering those items.
If the lag is a characteristic of the car, then I will just get used to it/ drive around it. I am not a fan of the sprint booster for some rather in depth technical reasons I am too tired to explain here.
I have a thing for lights, and will stick with my plan of using the brand I really trust, which is Hella. I have had many sets, and they do not let me down.
Before I do anything else to the MCS, I have to put the rest of my 2008 Jeep JK Rubicon Unlimited back together. I am in the process of doing a full pre-runner suspension that required a lot of cutting and welding of the frame, as well as making 140K miles of wear disappear. Then, I have to service my wife's Jeep Commander, it needs the suspension pretty much rebuilt, O2 sensors, maybe an exhaust, spark plugs (and there are 16 of them, all hard to get to) Then, my KTM 1190 Adventure R needs some love. I'll squeeze the stuff on the MCS in there somewhere, definitely before the snow flies.
D.
If the lag is a characteristic of the car, then I will just get used to it/ drive around it. I am not a fan of the sprint booster for some rather in depth technical reasons I am too tired to explain here.
I have a thing for lights, and will stick with my plan of using the brand I really trust, which is Hella. I have had many sets, and they do not let me down.
Before I do anything else to the MCS, I have to put the rest of my 2008 Jeep JK Rubicon Unlimited back together. I am in the process of doing a full pre-runner suspension that required a lot of cutting and welding of the frame, as well as making 140K miles of wear disappear. Then, I have to service my wife's Jeep Commander, it needs the suspension pretty much rebuilt, O2 sensors, maybe an exhaust, spark plugs (and there are 16 of them, all hard to get to) Then, my KTM 1190 Adventure R needs some love. I'll squeeze the stuff on the MCS in there somewhere, definitely before the snow flies.
D.
Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.
#5
Almost 6 years ago, I bought a skid plate for my '07 MCS hatchback, manual tranny, from Mini Mania. Still have it, brand new, sitting in it's original box, with instructions, etc. in my garage --- it won't fit around my 3" exhaust pipe. It's part number is G2NMA3041 --- looks to me like it's a Gen 2 version of their original Gen 1 skid plate. Anyhow, you can have it for $100 --- shipping and paypal fees on me. I'll take pics if you're interested. Send me a PM.
#6
Almost 6 years ago, I bought a skid plate for my '07 MCS hatchback, manual tranny, from Mini Mania. Still have it, brand new, sitting in it's original box, with instructions, etc. in my garage --- it won't fit around my 3" exhaust pipe. It's part number is G2NMA3041 --- looks to me like it's a Gen 2 version of their original Gen 1 skid plate. Anyhow, you can have it for $100 --- shipping and paypal fees on me. I'll take pics if you're interested. Send me a PM.
#8
Almost 6 years ago, I bought a skid plate for my '07 MCS hatchback, manual tranny, from Mini Mania. Still have it, brand new, sitting in it's original box, with instructions, etc. in my garage --- it won't fit around my 3" exhaust pipe. It's part number is G2NMA3041 --- looks to me like it's a Gen 2 version of their original Gen 1 skid plate. Anyhow, you can have it for $100 --- shipping and paypal fees on me. I'll take pics if you're interested. Send me a PM.
Thanks.
#9
Since it's pre-N18, there's a chance it won't fit the N18 model. I respect your choice to not take the gamble --- my printout was made before your car was introduced.
So, renchjeep --- still interested?
#11
R56 Skitplate
http://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMX4...n2-R56-R55-R57
007-2013 R56 MINI Cooper and Cooper S Hatchback
2008-2014 R55 MINI Cooper and Cooper S CLUBMAN
2009-2015 R57 MINI Cooper and Cooper S Convertible
Hope this helps!
Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.
#12
You mentioned Spokane, I take it you're in the PNW, OP? In Colorado, the dedicated summer and winter sets of wheels and tires are ubiquitous, though typically just folks that live in the mountains go with studs. On a variety of RWD, low cars, I've only ever needed Blizzaks (non-studded) on many trips in blizzards to the big mountains (Breck, etc).
You'll know you really have a problem when you think you need a third set of wheels and tires just for autocross/performance driving
Glad to hear you enjoy the car, and it sounds like you've got a nice platform to tweak and tune as you get used to it. I think the engineers did a pretty laudable job with the limitations of the turbo and small displacement engine combo, all things considered; but I always felt it was laggy. It doesn't help when your throttle response benchmarks are an E34 M5 (with six individual throttles) and an air-cooled 911.
Turbo lag is a non-issue on any car with proper, rally-inspired driving technique, however. You just have to left foot brake and keep the gas pedal pumping, something I haven't mastered yet, but that I needed to utilize desperately in an old big-turbo Saab 9-3 I owned.
Just keep an eye on the oil consumption because particularly when driven hard, the R56S consumes a surprising amount of oil.
You'll know you really have a problem when you think you need a third set of wheels and tires just for autocross/performance driving
Glad to hear you enjoy the car, and it sounds like you've got a nice platform to tweak and tune as you get used to it. I think the engineers did a pretty laudable job with the limitations of the turbo and small displacement engine combo, all things considered; but I always felt it was laggy. It doesn't help when your throttle response benchmarks are an E34 M5 (with six individual throttles) and an air-cooled 911.
Turbo lag is a non-issue on any car with proper, rally-inspired driving technique, however. You just have to left foot brake and keep the gas pedal pumping, something I haven't mastered yet, but that I needed to utilize desperately in an old big-turbo Saab 9-3 I owned.
Just keep an eye on the oil consumption because particularly when driven hard, the R56S consumes a surprising amount of oil.