[nonsequitur]

The driving tips booklet from MINI, "Mastering the Asphalt Arts", that can now be downloaded from the MINI Cooper S MC40 or Motor On sections of MINIUSA.com is good information in a fun MINI-oriented format. This is the first document on the subject that we've seen from MINI. The printed/stapled format fits into the MINI glovebox too!

From MINIUSA Home
http://www.miniusa.com/crm/main.jsp
Click on "MINI FREESTYLE RACING" in the right panel, or "MOTOR ON" and then "FREESTYLE RACING" from the pull down there.
Click on "MASTERING THE ASPHALT ARTS" in the left panel.
Click on "PERFORMANCE DRIVING TIPS" from the right panel.

For someone who has not been able to take a driving course yet, it covers the basics:
- Seating Position
- Vision
- Being Smooth
- Steering
- Shifting
- Braking
- Accelerating
- Cornering
- Heel-Toe Downshifting
- The Flags

There are some potential confusions, but only one serious error on Page 4, 2. Weight Transfer, 4th sentence that should read: "Braking moves the weight (and therefore the friction) from back to front" (not "front to back" as printed there). 3/3/2004: They fixed the weight transfer error on Page 4 that I called about, but not some of the other items (like using the steering wheel; Page 5, Item 3 Turning).

I don't like the Page 1 Introduction because it uses "Freestyle racing" -- a term that is not defined in the booklet, and not used in the community (try a Google search). There are exampples on the website now and the drawings show yellow traffic cones, and MINI magazine ads have orange paper cut-out cones, so I think they mean "Autocross" but that's not clear. Page 1 was probably written by some marketing consultant, while the rest of the booklet was written by a driving school instructor carefully using the term "performance driving" to prevent legal, warranty, or insurance questions for MINI/BMW Group.

This booklet is worth downloading.

[Griffy]

With all this detailed testing and experimentation with our wonderful CVT's, has anyone noticed any differences after having V36 applied ?

[nonsequitur]

You're probably correct that v36.0 driving technique notes could be brought into this thread, but we've tried to let all that software-related banter occur in separate threads like this one:

Version 36 software differences

The three gearlever Selections (D, SD, and Steptronic) are more strongly defined by v36.0 software. D is for everyday driving economy, with Overdrive and modified "Smooth to 50" functions. SD retains the sporty character and native "CVT" behavior. The Steptronic gears don't appear to be altered. The v36.0 software makes many subtle changes and should be viewed as a significant upgrade.

[nonsequitur]

We've talked about left foot braking technique in this thread. Here's a video clip of the master, Walter Rorhl, in a masterful demonstration of footwork. Enjoy!

Walter Rorhl/Audi Quattro

[Abit2kish]

Thank you to all who are so generous in sharing info on this thread. Especially since there's so little in the manual about the best way to use the CVT system, and what there is was confusing to me. I feel like I've been to school (and in this case, it's a good thing ).

Picking up my yellow/white top CVT, aka Jelly Bean, tomorrow and I guess we'll see how well I paid attention. Can't wait to try out what I've learned from this thread.

[Vanwall]

Quote: Originally Posted by Abit2kish

Thank you to all who are so generous in sharing info on this thread. Especially since there's so little in the manual about the best way to use the CVT system, and what there is was confusing to me. I feel like I've been to school (and in this case, it's a good thing ).

Picking up my yellow/white top CVT, aka Jelly Bean, tomorrow and I guess we'll see how well I paid attention. Can't wait to try out what I've learned from this thread.

Glad to be of service, we all are I'm sure. Good luck with your Jelly Bean, and remember to follow the break-in carefully - no shifting manually 'till it's over and watch the revs! Enjoy!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

[JJV-MA]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanwall

Glad to be of service, we all are I'm sure. Good luck with your Jelly Bean, and remember to follow the break-in carefully - no shifting manually 'till it's over and watch the revs! Enjoy!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

Uh-oh... no shifting manually until after the break-in period?? In the owner's manual it said to vary engine speeds and not go above 4500RPM. I've been having a lot of fun during the first 100 miles shifting to make sure I vary the RPMs for break-in. I noticed when I just stuck in in "D" the car would drive at ~2000RPMs the whole time. That's not good for break-in either, is it? I would think it would be like driving 70MPH at a constant RPM on the highway, which I heard is a break-in "no no." I hope I haven't done bad things to our MINI by manually shifting in its first 100 miles of existence...

[Vanwall]

Quote: Originally Posted by JJV-MA

Uh-oh... no shifting manually until after the break-in period?? In the owner's manual it said to vary engine speeds and not go above 4500RPM. I've been having a lot of fun during the first 100 miles shifting to make sure I vary the RPMs for break-in. I noticed when I just stuck in in "D" the car would drive at ~2000RPMs the whole time. That's not good for break-in either, is it? I would think it would be like driving 70MPH at a constant RPM on the highway, which I heard is a break-in "no no." I hope I haven't done bad things to our MINI by manually shifting in its first 100 miles of existence...

This is only my personal advice - I believe the CVT should work itself in during the Break-in period without any manual input - plus it's very easy to go over the the 4500 RPM level when you go Manual. ;-) By all means vary the RPMs, but leaving it 'D' wont hurt it as long as you vary the throttle input enough to move the revs up & down.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

[nonsequitur]

This is a good driving technique question for the CVT - break-in procedure.

The break-in period is all about exercising the entire system, but staying within established break-in limits, and doing everything at lower stress. I'll propose that using Steptronic should be encouraged, along with all the other selections, so that the entire device gets used, carefully, as it will be used more aggressively later.

One of the benefits of varying the engine rpm is pulling oil past the rings when you let off the throttle. The best way to do that is to ease up to a higher rpm and then sharply release the throttle. If you are in say Step 4 at 3500rpm, engine braking is definite, which would be good for drawing oil past the rings. Opinion?

[Vanwall]

Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur

This is a good driving technique question for the CVT - break-in procedure.

Hmmm. I was specifically advised at the time of purchase that shifting manually wasn't reccomended until the break-in was over, but you're correct, ! wasn't told specifically not to. I wonder if ZF has anything to help define this better. I found during the break-in driving I could get by with D and SD, so I made a choice not to shift until it was over. 1,200 miles came up fairly fast for me - I put on at least 60 round-trip commute miles a day, generally, plus the drive back from LA after picking her up helped! I've always felt the CVT has to be run-in as much as the engine, so if any mechanical "marriages" are set-up during the break-in, they should be as gently as possible. As soon as the 1,200 miles were over, I was shifting as much as possible, experimenting with all the possibilities I could think of, and finding a few by accident I hadn't thought about in advance, like the 1-D-SD flick. Touch wood, I haven't had any problems with the CVT. Just my humble opinion.

I do like your idea of setting the rings, tho, - it seems logical to to get it just under the break-in rev limit and use the engine braking. Clever! More input needed on this specific subject!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

[nonsequitur]

I asked but I'll be gone for a week so an answer may not post for awhile. Good question.

[john'smini]

Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur

How about driving technique hints? Has anyone put the CVT through its paces at a track? At an autocross? I haven't yet.

We're struggling with figuring out how to drive it effectively.

I've had manual gearboxes all my life, so I mash on the throttle [too much], or lift off the throttle, expecting weight transfer. The problems are most pronounced in low speed acceleration situations, the car wants to help me too much. An autocross will bee tough?

Great fun today in medium speed (40mph+) open corners, in the wet. In SD, I could easily throttle-steer my way around. An honest hoot. In this situation there was momentum on the car, so all I was asking from the throttle inputs was weight transfer, not speed change. The CVT worked beautifully, held tightly to a "gear", and gave me weight transfer to steer around the corner. Fun!

My daughter and I have autocrossed my MINI several times with fair to great results.

We start in sd 1 and than she does the flip to drive and then back to sd ( to get a better launch) while I stay in the shift mode.

Our times are about equal (with hers about .7 sec. per run faster.

My worst run was when I forgot to turn off the dynamic stability, that really limited my ability to throw the car in the twisty's.

I talked with several experienced drivers who watched my runs to get some guide to improvement. Their final consensus was the since that I had autoXed in the past in a rear wheel drive car was a large part of the problem. They recommended that I spend a lot more seat time especially in the slow 180's.

All in all it has been a great experience with the cvt trans and what I like the most is that you cannot force a downshift either on purpose or by accident and damage your pieces.
john

[nonsequitur]

Upon our return a message waited from ZF saying that the ecoTronic VT1F CVT has no specific break-in requirements "but it is always better to break-in mechanical components at low load". This ties in nicely with the MINI break-in process.

ZF also suggests that "driving in D will be the best way to break-in our transmission" because of the MINI engine rpm restriction, not some specific ZF requirement for the gearbox.

[JJV-MA]

Quote: Originally Posted by nonsequitur

How about driving technique hints? Has anyone put the CVT through its paces at a track? At an autocross?

We autocrossed our Cooper CVT for the first time this past weekend. We actually just completed the 1250 mile break-in period on the way to the autocross site. So we transitioned straight from break-in to pedal-to-the-metal acceleration and threshhold braking.

I found that the biggest challenge I had was the need to carry speed through the course. Whenever I had to unexpectedly scrub off speed, the CVT punished me with what felt like neverending hesitation as it searched for the "correct" RPMs when I reapplied the throttle.

As a corollary to this, I discovered that left-foot braking is PARAMOUNT in keeping the CVT revs up as I went around tight corners. Keep the throttle applied and left-foot brake accordingly to scrub off the necessary speed. When I let the revs come down around the turns, I felt I lost precious time on the straights or fast sweepers as the engine worked its way back up to the sweet spot of the power band.

Still a lot that needs to be discovered...

[nonsequitur]

Quote: Originally Posted by JJV-MA

Still a lot that needs to be discovered...

Now that's a quote I can identify with! This is one place to lay out your ideas, because we're all looking for the help that will flow from experience. Thanks.

[john'smini]

Re: autocross and the cvt
I have been autoxing my mini and I am still learning how to retrain my self from rear wheel drive.
Some of the things that I have found that worked:
1.Turning off the DSC is manditory!
2. I use the speptronic mode rather than SD because it gives me better control of the rpm's in the corners. I try to avoid the dedent during normal runs. I try to upshift to 2 before the red line to avoid the computer slowing the engine down during the auromatic up-shift. If you feel that you need more torque/rpm push past the dedent and if applicble the cvt will downshift and then hang on! As you let up (off the dedent) the cvt will upshift.
3. Learn left foot braking, trail breaking, and parking brake turns. I am still working on this whenever I can find a suitable place. This technique allows me to hang the tail out and keep the front wheels pointed in the right direction. As I said I am still working on this as it is not natural to me but with the passage of time and lots of practice I hope that it will become natural.
Hope that this helps.
I found this link which explains left foot braking. www.rallyracingnews.com/lfb.html
john

[sleslie]

After reading some of these posts, I'm nervous about the CVT. Is it complicated? I wanted to get away from all that shifting with a manual, but seems like I'll still be shifting, somewhat. By the way, I have never driven the CVT.

I hope I made the right choice....

[nonsequitur]

No, it is not complicated.

The CVT-equipped cars give you a very wide set of choices to drive them. D (or SD) is a very straight forward experience, if that is what you want. The Steptronic gear selections allow for a more "manual" experience, with decisions needed on what is best at the moment.

As you've read in this thread, we have discovered just how capable these cars can be -- all of that capability available as a choice, as an option, if you want to use it.

You'll have lots of FUN in your MINI. Don't be concerned, be excited!

[shputz]

Quote: Originally Posted by sleslie

After reading some of these posts, I'm nervous about the CVT. Is it complicated? I wanted to get away from all that shifting with a manual, but seems like I'll still be shifting, somewhat. By the way, I have never driven the CVT.

I hope I made the right choice....

You definitely made the right choice , and a mere 30 minutes in traffic will convince you of that!! Driving the CVT is very simple if you want it to be - just leave it in D or SD. If you're up for a little more fun, shift! My normal mode is shifting into SD at lights, then flicking to D when I'm up to speed, and it's second nature now. I'm sure Kim has never taken it out of D, despite prodding from our son!

The CVT is a technological marvel - steady, reliable, and tons of fun. I read a lot about it on these forums before I ordered mine, and I couldn't be happier! You can't go wrong with ANY MINI!

Happy motoring,
Jim

[Vanwall]

Quote: Originally Posted by sleslie

After reading some of these posts, I'm nervous about the CVT. Is it complicated? I wanted to get away from all that shifting with a manual, but seems like I'll still be shifting, somewhat. By the way, I have never driven the CVT.

I hope I made the right choice....

Don't be nervous - you can leave it in D or SD and not shift EVER, and still have an excellent motoring experience. If you wanna shift a little, you can go right ahead. If you get a chance, drive a CVT as soon as possible. Have fun!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago