[Randall Tang]

Can someone please shed more light on these and how useful/necessary they might be in a Cooper CVT given that the torque/power isn't really that great.

[nonsequitur]

First, to what they actually do, MINI2 continues to develop the FAQ section which has one on the alphabet-soup of MINI terms:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?f..._faq_terms_abs

Second, these systems actually work - on the CVT-equipped cars too. And, as I hope you've read in these threads, the CVT is no slouch on the street, or the track! A wonderfully versatile gearbox pushed by 149Nm of torque; enough to embarrass some.

We live in the soggy Northwest where wet roads or a mild dusting of snow can be routine. We get a "Yellow Triangle" light very often as the the system cuts in to damp wheelspin on a hill, or when starting from a light, or accelerating out of a sharp corner.

I've tried DSC "on" during track days just to see what happens at the limits. The system will step in to actively correct trajectory if the situation has gotten a little over the edge. It uses quick stabs on the brakes of one wheel to put the car back on track (based on steering wheel and throttle inputs from the driver, and measurements of the dynamics involved). This can be switched off.

So it depends why you are asking the question. If you want an element of safety stacked on top of your own skills and common sense. The systems work.

[Randall Tang]

Thanks very much for the information.