[tumblewood]

Before my daughter finally orders her Cooper specification. A question to recent Automatic owners.
Has anyone yet had experience of the Steering Wheel Steptronic Paddles on the Automatic CVT Transmission.
£50 additional cost option in UK.
Any comments or feed-back please.

[Paul]

Yes they have, a quick search for paddle* should get you your answers.

There are also photo's of the paddles, and much debate over their quality and appearance.

Paul

[tumblewood]

Thanks Paul for your reply.
I did look at at lot of the previous posts and pictures.
I wanted feed-back of the paddles in every day use and if its actually worth specifying.

[Paul]

Might be worth sending the owner(s) who have posted a private message to get their views direct.

[cooper4us]

My dealer has no information about the Steptronic steering wheel mounted paddles in the Cooper CVT. Is this for now an "Europe" only option?

[MINIsota_Cuke]

I decided to revive this thread instead of starting a new one. Has anyone heard if or when the CVT paddles will be coming to the US market?

I have decided to go with a CVT, but I am undecided if I would like the paddles or not - and I won't really know until I test drive one with them.

My dealership hasn't heard anything about them.

Thanks,
Shawn

[Jock]

I have the paddles on my new May'03 UK Cooper and although I haven't had much opportunity to use them much - due to still being run in etc/spending the majority if time sat in traffic etc - which is why I opted for the Cooper CVT over an 'S' in the first place.....

I personally think the paddles look nice and feel very comfortable in use. If you're getting the CVT option then I think the paddles are a must - how many cars at this price can even offer you this as an option?.....

My previous CVT didn't have the paddles option and I hardly ever bothered using the sports drive +/- change but I reckon the wheel mounted gear change will be much more useful when required and makes the CVT much more fun!.....

Only downside is that you lose the perforated wheel that you would normally gain with the Cooper/Chilli pack option .....

[MINIsota_Cuke]

Jock,
Are the paddles configured so that the right is for upshifts and the left is for downshifts or is it some other way?
Also, by the perforated wheel do you mean the sport steering wheel? Can you still get the MFSW?
Thanks for your advice.
Shawn

[Jock]

Shawn....

Each paddle is configured to do the same function....From memory I think a flick towards is + a gear and a flick away is - a gear etc....

I guess the perforated steering wheel I referred to may also be known as the sport steering wheel....

MFSW is available and I also have this as an option... makes for a pretty busy steering wheel but means that you rarely have to take your hands off the wheel.....

Cheers..........Jock.......

[digitalpussi]

Jock,

Is there anyway you could post a pic of the paddle shifts. The pictures I saw of the paddles before seemed like a photoshop job.

Thanx
-Brooke

[n3nyongmini]

I agree, the posted pics looked a bit pasted together. I recall seeing a picture of them in my Owner's Manual, but I can't find them on the version at the Owner's Lounge; they looked just like the posted pics, however.

If available in the US, I wonder if it is a simple procedured to replace a normal MFSW (non-sport) with one with the paddles. I.e. is there more wiring to be added, or is it already there or not needed? I have gotten REALLY used to driving with the MFSW and find it hard to tune/adjust the radio in other cars now , so now I would like to get the paddles.

Unless I am mistaken, I seem to recall that a MFSW can be added to a non-MFSW-fitted car w/o adding any more bits; I am hoping the same for the paddles...

[Jock]

Finally managed to sort some pictures out..........

[Jock]

another.........

[Jock]

another...........

[Jock]

more.........

[Jock]

another one.........

[Jock]

Finally......

[n3nyongmini]

Those look really nice - gotta figure ou a way to get 'em.

Sure coulda used them yesterday in our Rally. I had two MCS behind me that I couldn't get rid of; If I would've had a way to reduce my shift time, I might've given them a good ride with that advantage. As it was, I did have to keep the hands on the wheel alot avoiding the ditch, the loose livestock (no joke), and when coming down out of the air (again, no joke).

The better parts of the route we took didn't involve so much acceleration as extrication...

So, I'd recommend them to any one who has a tendency or the opportunity to drive a little more "offensively".

Sure is a different car with the A/C off and using the Steptronic...

Derek

[digitalpussi]

Thanx Jock!

Well I guess that resolves my skepticism from the pics that were posted a while back. I really would of liked to have had those as an option I suppose that would be a whole new steering wheel if someone would want to retrofit that option $$ouch$$

[MINIsota_Cuke]

First of all, thanks Jock for posting those pics. The different angles really gave us a better perspective.

Now, here's the bad news for anyone in the U.S.
Here is the response I got to a recent email to MINIUSA.

Quote:

Hi Shawn! Thanks for writing in.
Sorry, MINI has no plans to offer this option in the US. If this changes you'll find that update the "Get In the Loop" section of our MINIUSA.com website.
LET'S MOTOR.
Emily Hatley,
MINI Division

Also, here is part of an email response I got from Lori Abrams AKA MINIQUEEN at Westchester MINI. She is always up on all the new information and gives you the straight sh*t.

Quote:

I checked into the paddle shifters. I won't have an answer on this until next week. The gurus at NA are in Germany. I can tell you it's definitly not coming out in the 2004 model.

This really honks my horn! I don't understand why they can offer this option in several other countries and not in the U.S. It's the same thing as the heated windshield and the half leather seats. We're just getting screwed. I'm beginning to think it might be worth the extra trouble to try and import a MINI from Canada.
(Tirade Over)
Shawn