I was able to attend a national school event this weekend and again focused on driving this car under SD (SportDrive). I'll try to add to what was written in Post #183 of this thread after a September event on the same track. There is a brief course description and track map link there too.
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...&page=13&pp=15
This time was more about fun than careful testing.
Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur
from Post #183
With more time practicing on the street for a couple of months, this technique idea was much easier this time out. Passengers didn't realize what I was doing until I told them -- unlike last time when my "clutch in/clutch out" style on the brakes was somewhat abrupt. Appropriate use of the brakes takes practice! This approach completely frees up the right foot to manage the e-Pedal. Gas right, brake left.
Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur
Apex
This became much smoother for me. Left foot braking makes it possible. Getting to above 4000rpm at the apex seems to "release" the car at maximum acceleration. The whole process became more natural and there was time to get it done because I wasn't focused on sequential step-by-step-by-step actions. The flow was honestly fun this time.
Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur
These other cars could all out accelerate our 115bhp on the straight, but the rest of the track was an big equalizer.
There is Great Joy winding in the other cars after they have pulled away on the straights!
Line
If anything came out this cold and wet weekend, it is the old story that getting the driving line correct and making very smooth inputs are most important for quick laps.
The MINI can drive a much tighter line. It's lighter than most and it simply doesn't need as much room to circulate effectively. This can convert to preserving momentum in many corners. I was entering hotter, braking later, and carrying more speed through many corners. We caught up -- significantly -- in the twisties compared to the heavier cars. I also enjoyed lapping with a well-driven MINI Cooper S, showing that 48bhp makes a difference on the straights, but we don't drive a slouch. This drama became a trackside conversation I learned later.
Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur
This CVT system seems near bulletproof on the track and street. I haven't had ANY mechanical strangeness or symptoms that would say "don't do that."
This MINI Cooper CVT performs flawlessly. The 6000rpm computer-managed redline reduces mechanical stress, and still we get a system heavily managed to consistently USE maximum torque (acceleration)! This is simply not possible with a manual. I've never experienced anything like this car before. The torque is very apparent out of the corners - until the supercharger grabs hold of the Cooper S. Behind the heavier cars, I often had to slow to maintain a proper distance coming off some corners because this car was simply faster on exit using full torque through the CVT. Amazing.
There are tradeoffs so I'm being fair. It's not easy to drive this way as many of you know from reading these posts. I'm trying to find the best techniques, to optimize our experience from the CVT, and to display its capabilities. It's a unique car in the MINI lineup, and on the street.
If you ask questions, I'll try to formulate some answers. It was a very good weekend.
