And about the transmission. Are you kidding me???? That 6 speed is precise and smooth as butter. What are we comparing the MINI to anyway?

First 2 years- the a/c broke (1st 30 min. of ownership and no loaner available), glove compartment broke, back seat lever broke, door handle broke was fixed, broke the next day and fixed again, transmission problems (told was normal, but then recalled and fixed), and tire pressure problems (again told was normal). tire blew (given new one for free, though).

Year 3- battery died, hatchback fell off (hindge broke).

This year the door handle broke again and the power steering went out- warranty was up, of course.
kind of a pain in the ass

This car will make you want to drive it near it’s limits.

1)The Piercing exhaust note encourages you to go faster.

2)The Confedence inspiring handling will have you pulling turns in the twisties that you never would have thaught of in your old car.

3)The acceleration is somthing that is beloved by myself. The power of 168 horses in such a tiny package is quite intimidating! And if your really out for speed and you want a MINI for the Job… For an extra $3,000 +/- you can opt for the “Cooper Works” package. This replaces the stock super charger with a bigger one, puts new headers for better breathing, a new fuel rail, and reprogramed computer mapping… end result… 208 horsepower in a car that is probably one of the smallest on the road in the U.S.

THE DRIVING EXPERIANCE (IN A NUTSHELL)

Mash the gas and well to put it simply “It’s like taking a rocket and shoving it up your…”

I digress…

Best of all the Combination of the growling exhaust, emersive engine noise and Go-Kart handling will make even the most timid of women grow a pair!

My wife was MINI crazy about 10 months ago when I was looking to trade my 05 Saab 9-2x aero for an 06 civic SI.

We went and test drove one…it was an interesting experience. The first time I got in a MINI, I though it was great….years later, I thought the interior was junk and couldn’t stand the “sticker” look of the buttons on the steering wheel.

Anyhooo…it handles incredibly, feels great doing it, and pulls nicely for a little car. It’s not meant to be a straight-line monster.

I talked my wife into waiting for the new one. Even then, it was known to be designed by BMW, built by peugeot, and it was going to be alot better.

Now I’m so happy about that decision. The new R56 car will weigh about 2660 pounds….fairly lightweight in today’s world…and have very high amounts of torque available at 1600 rpms. A substantially improved interior. A better ride AND handling due to the chassis being tuned for run-flats from the start, and better run-flat technology…

I’ll look forward to the review of the new R56 MINI. I would expect, at this point, for the reviewer to praise the engine, the calmed down and refined interior, the ride….I’ll be curious to see what he says about the handling and the design differences :)

Joe

what a ultra marOON…

Power on the S is great to start with, but is easily upped significantly by a 15% supercharger reduction pulley and CAI, those are offered by MINI in as part of the JCW kit for $6k, but from one of the renowned aftermarket sources like Alta or Helix it is maybe $400 installed and a sure bet. It’s the best $400 you’d ever spend.

The big grassroots MINI event every year at the only paved roller coaster I know of- US129 (known as the Dragon, 318 curves in 11 miles) is proof of the bizzarre cross section of people who love the MINI- such a variety of people types who only have in common thier extreme passion for driving. (Well, and they tend to be a lot of fun to hang out with too).

I think I would ask Lieberman to take a second (closer) look at the 1st gen Cooper S, and spend some time testing it’s limits on curvy roads. There’s simply no way he wouldn’t come away grinning from ear to ear…. I’ve driven enough cars in my life to know the MCS is an unusually capable machine. (And push it a little this time, ok?)

Long story short, I was forever starting in 2nd gear in the Civic on snowy days. I rarely find myself doing such a thing in the Mini.

Michael Karesh,
I asked the exact same question about the first gear ratio, but Lieberman doesn’t seem to have anything to say about it. NO ONE who has driven the MCS manual tranny would call 1st gear “ludicrously tall”. It makes me question whether he actually test-drove the car at all, and means I can’t put much faith in his reviews. I think he had his mind made up about the MINI before he got in, and it shows in his review. I’m surprised Farago or anyone else hasn’t called him on this flub.

Torque Steer has several factors that affect – engine torque & delivery, gearing, wheel width and size (tire contact patch). In a Honda with 13-15 inch skinny (usually 5″ to 6″ wide) wheels there isn’t as much of a contact patch (and usually oem Honda tires are made for high mileage and fuel economy rather than ultimate traction). That is why it may have torque steer as the engine is not the problem it’s the crappy tires on small wheels that amplify the power that little engine makes.

The smaller the diameter of the wheel the less effort it takes to spin (reason why lower hp cars and drag racers usually use smaller diameter wheels). I own an 89 Civic racecar and have been road racing fwd & rwd racers for several years. On my racing Civic I use lightweight 13″ x 7″ wheels which helps in acceleration, braking, suspension (lower rotational inertia) – maximize contact patch but keep weight down. I don’t have torque steer problems whatsoever but run hoosier slicks on a 110 ft/lb engine.

The Mini is very tiny and makes a normal sub-compact seem large. I loved driving it. I didnt love the dealer so much though. Can you say LIST PRICE? No discounts.

Also the clientelle of the mini are YUPPIES. Chi-chi wearing metrosexual kind of guys. While the car is nice its as close as it comes to buying a gay car if there ever was one. Not that there is anything wrong with being gay if you are into that sort of thing.

This car is a car for a guy that waxes his body and moisturizes ;). A guy that cares about every little piece of clothing and how coordinated he looks. He is busy pretending he is on TV. The Mini is just an accessory to his warddrobe. Even the salesman was a metrosexual guy.

Sorry kids I love the handling but the straight line performance is just so-so. Also it rides stiff and lets not forget there is no spare tire. As tiny as it is its a bit scary to be on the road with all the SUV’s. Even though it was rated well in crashes what happens when that SUV clips this thing.

Thanks but I will be shopping at the VW or Honda store.

You just don’t know anything about what you are writing about. It’s like you didn’t even drive the MCS. Your comments are so off-base, so far from the truth, it’s unbelievable you have a position even writing for this type of site.

I have read “professional” reviews of the MINI that state that unlike other FWD vehicles, the MINI has no torque steer. Zero. Is this true or are these reviewers simply repeating and perpetrating a myth/hype from the manufacturer? Do you not get any torque steer in wet wheather?

I have heard it from some reviewers saying that the two drive axles have the same mass, and others say that both transaxles have the same length. Has anybody actually measured both drive axles, or is everybody ok with taking BMW’s word for it? (I am not ok with it.)

What exactly causes torque steer to begin with? Let’s get down to this nitty gritty right here and now. Automotive driveline engineers with masters degree in ME, please shower us with your knowledge of FWD drivetrains.

The reason that I am so curious about this is because my 2001 4 dr Honda with the 4 cyl VTEC 5-spd has torque steer, particularly in wet wheather. And then along come these reviewers who swear that the MINI has no torque steer….

But for all weather driving without having to swap tires each winter or for the average driver FWD is the best platform for the majority of the drivers.

Yes, the engine is rough in a Cooper S, the gearbox is notchy, the reliability is subpar, fuel economy is middling, the car will understeer when pushed hard, and regular servicing at a BMW/MINI dealership is an exercise in colon (and wallet) cleansing every six months. This all matters not one whit on my daily commute, which is always a pleasure because the car is just so damned fun to pilot. The steering is lively, detailed and communicative in a way no other non-purist sports car could hope for. I’ve driven Porsches that didn’t provide as much information as my MCS.

I think that MINI ownership is a “I get it and you don’t” sort of experience, kind of like Saabs were 20 years ago, or your typical British sports car was 30+ years ago. No for everyone, but an almost obsessive joy for those who do.

Why would so many racing applications and turbodiesel (Audi even races them now) motors be so successful if it was a power robbing, energy sucking thing? There is nothing like the torque boost a turbo engine gets at relatively low rpm. It makes a weak kneed motor feel much larger than it is. Am I stating the obvious here? Reading some of the comments I get the feeling there is some lost logic somewhere.

Of course dropped throttle is what turbo wastegates are for…that and for avoiding overpressure limits. Furthermore, some superchargers have cut-out clutches that do much the same thing. But they have a more herky-jerky feel that most consumers don’t like. Turbos are smoooooth. Goooood.

I predict the turbo’d MINI will be hugely praised.

Dude, the truth doesn’t always have to hurt. It’s possible to give truth in a nice way, where people feel respected and even informed.

“Go-kart handling: It isn’t.” O-kay. Point taken!

When you measure 164 lb/ft @4000 rpm of torque, that’s what you have. Superchargers are torque robing devices because they hook to the crankshaft and steal energy to compress the air.

Turbos do the same thing. They don’t steal from the crank directly, they steal from the exhaust gas. The losses in the engine action are both from pumping air inside the cylinder and pumping it out as exhaust. If you hook a turbo to the exhaust, the resistance it will create (using those moving exhaust gas) will add strain on the engine. It robs power just as well.

Of course, to compare both engine (the old supercharged and the new turbocharged) it would be great to compare a torque curve from both.

Unfortunately, the marketing department does not want us to see those charts (too complicated to explain, too confusing, or maybe revealing) instead they want us to focus on ONE number, and only ONE: Max HP.

Invariably, peak HP happens at the very top of the rev band, just where you (almost) never take your engine. Torque, however, is what is usefull at all RPM, because that’s what is actually pushing your car.

I’m guessing the MCs turbo will feel just like the supercharged one. Fortunately, turbos are easy to tweak, waste gate and engine management tweaks are a plenty.

MINIs sell on look. The go-kart handling is a nice gimmick. At least it’s fairly light as opposed to all the porkers on the road right now.

To each their own, and all that..

This is my first article read on this site, and I can immediately discount the rest of it due to this writers over biased opinion.