New Mini Automatic

[Duckydos]

I went to check out and test drive the Mini last week. Unfortuently the dealership has a 8 week waiting list so the salesmen weren't very interested in selling (apparently they sell themselves).

As we were leaving, the salesman mentioned a new automatic transmission that is actually quicker and more efficient than the 6 speed manual. In the brochure that he had (and he only had one so I couldn't keep a copy), it had split times of the Mini CooperS with the different transmission and the auto was consistantly quicker.

Does anyone have any information on this transmission? How it's different, performance, pricing, etc?

I swore I would always drive a manual. But now I am getting a bit more mature and also driving quite a bit more... so an auto that has the speed and effeciency of a manual.... sounds like a good compromise.

-Ducky

[Duckydos]

I called and talked to the Mini dealership today. The rep said that it is 'the same japanese transmission used in Porsches and Audis' and will have column mounted paddle shifters. It will be a $1350 upgrade on the CooperS but didn't have any performance data.

Again, if anyone has any more information.

[CheX]

I havent heard anything about it being FASTER....i heard it was just gonna be an old slushbox....as opposed to the CVT they have in the cooper. With the CVT offered in the cooper you can get paddle shifters and it has 6 gears when you put it in manual mode. Its pretty quick since there arent actually gears so you dont lose any time shifting, and it always stays in the best RPM range for acceleration. Audi's CVT is quicker then their manuals because they have perfected it so well

[Duckydos]

So 'new' transmission coming on the CooperS is garbage? Kind of sucks...

As far as CVTs go, I am still pretty weary of them. My mother's Nissan has a CVT and the dealership tech said that 'as soon as the customer tries to tow anything heavy or install any bolt-ons, the tranny goes out'

[CheX]

I dont know if its garbage...thats just what people are saying...its all specualtion

I'm running an intake, exhaust and chip (which modifies engine performance AND CVT performance) on my CVT, and it has held up that way for about 20k miles...and i drive my car pretty hard

[ArcticFlow]

I drove a 2003 Mini Cooper (not an S version) to Atlanta from Augusta, GA and it was an auto, what a piece of crap...lags every gear, especially first and can barely make it to 100mph. I was swapping it for a 5-speed '03 for the dealership i work at and the difference is incredible, 5-speed Mini's kick ass and I would prefer them over ANY auto offered in a Mini, even the "improved" paddle shifter thing on the S models...get a stick, they are hella fun!

[CheX]

The CVT doesnt have "gears"...and my cooper loves going far beyond 100 mph

Were you in sport mode (not manual mode though)? If you keep it in that mode, there is ZERO lag between "shifting" because its a cvt, and thus does not have actual gears