| The Cooper CVT is a technically fascinating machine, basically bulletproof on the track, and VERY consistent due to heavy management of the tranny and engine by the EMS2000 and 33.2 software. Our crusade to understand how to drive it effectively on the road and in track days continues with limited dyno testing on Tuesday that showed how the computer launches the car, builds speed with the tranny, and "shifts".
Torque and Horsepower curves look pretty weird! I'll put some of this data in the Objective Testing thread for you to look at it with me.
These tests confirmed seat-of-the-pants observation, and gave confidence that we've correctly identified some of the functionality carried in software and the ZF VT1F ecotronic CVT.
An example from the dyno is "flooring it" (into the kickdown detent switch) which normal logic would say is 100% throttle, the most-power position. It isn't.
Holding the throttle pedal just before the detent position, kickdown is thus not engaged, produced more torque and horsepower than all the way to floor. Most people are probably getting less than they could in a passing situation.
A second example is that the full-throttle "shifting" behavior is probably just something built into the software for effect -- call it marketing. It may feel like more is going on, that car is going faster, but power is lower, times slower, and the turbine-smooth delivery to the ground is disrupted if the car is pushed into this artificial "shifting" behavior.
We found 9 lb-ft torque reduction at peak if floored. Stack this on top of the rated power numbers of only 115bhp and 110lb-ft torque and you have a 10% variation based on driving technique alone!
'02 MINI Cooper CVT(6/12/02; Indi Blue/Black, R-81 7-hole 15x5.5" or NZO 16x6.5")
'67 Austin Cooper S (6/26/67; Tartan Red/Black, 10x4.5") | 
