I took the MCS for another test drive yesterday and the dealer took me to a 'test track' behind his shop. Almost on the apex of this turn I gave the throttle a little nudge and the tail came out just a smidge, I figure 'no big deal' I've gone tail out heaps. All out of nowhere she just brakes loose, no warning, no nothing, just round she went. Didn't hit anything just spun it and stopped - me and he both laughing.
I'm putting losing it down to not knowing the car but can you drive them tail sliding or not? My VW FWD loves abit of tail out action that's why I do it, it's no drift racer, but it is fun. Can you drive the MCS tail happy or no?
This will happen with the ACS/DSC turned off.. when your on the track you can use this to your advantage, or you can Dial it out with mods to the rear suspension angles.
Yes the Mini has a very passive rear steering standard.. but in reality if you firm the suspesion up and get some good tyres you will learn to drift/slide around corners very quickly. they are not a hard car to learn!
the mini drifts quite well. on the road, if you pitch it in get the whole thing weighted up and then give about an inch of throttle lift, the tail will step out a good few inches.
take steering to straight ahead and it'll drift quite nicely. lift off more violently or lift a second time and the tail will come round more. correction is easy- floor the throttle and straighten the wheel.
they can be driven like this, but in standard spec aren't too happy to have the tail out for too long. they do want to snap back into line.
TVR Tuscan S. 400bhp, 0-60 3.8 0-100 8.08. 195mph. Silver/Black roof Cooper. Hillclimb MK2 Fiesta. 150bhp. Beats Subarus. Building a 'bike engine single seater. 320kg, 200bhp. around 600bhp per ton. 0-100 6 seconds.
Someone should have said something sooner...................before I wrapped my car around a traffic island would have been preferable! Both my passenger and I were very shocked at how the car went totally sideways with very little provocation, and yes the ASC was off doh! Have learned my lesson and have had stopped hacking my car around corners like it was a go-kart!
It's very easy to get the tail out with a bit of lift-off. I have a series of roundabouts on an industrial estate just near me, have to drive through it every day to get to work.
It's dual carriageway, straight over first roundabout (so a quick left-right-left), 200 yard straight, right at next roundabout (quick left, long sweeping right, quick left), 200 yard straight, left at the next r'bout (long left), downhill 100 yards, left at next roundabout (log sweeper onto dual carriageway). I've practised a lot round here as there is very little traffic and lots of run off area, you don't necessarily need to be going fast, just controlled. I might video it one day.
I also experienced snap oversteer in my MCs on a wet track. Ended up in the tires along a wall with no damage expect to my underware aand pride.
DSC was off and i have lower springs and an HSport rear swaybar set in the middle position.
It was the 2nd day of a BMW school and I was pretty quick through a series of three bends in the dry so probably took it a little too agressive when the rain started. I was shocked now fast it came around and even though i corrected and got it to rotate back it just keept going and went off track backwards.
If this happened in a street situation you would be in big trouble. With DSC on it would probably not present a problem.
aka KWKSLVR
Member:
Southern Ontario MINI Club
BMW Club of Canada - Trillium Chapter
I too have lost the back end of my Mini (admittedly it was a Cooper) on the Nurburgring.
I was exiting a 90 degree corner and setting up for a series of s bends when the back end snapped round. I know I didn't lift as I was going uphill at the time and I know I didn't tap the front brakes.
The back end just broke traction (possible slight dampness to track as well as underpants) and even though I dialled on a whole armful of opposite lock, around she went. The full 450 degree spin thing. Traction was on at the time as well
I put it down to the Goodyear Runflats and got them changed soon after for a set of Dunlops. These seemed to give some warning (hopping and squealing) before breaking away, giving me some hope of catching the snap out (on race tracks of course).
All in all it's nice to have a small front wheel drive car that does not always understeer!
Can't wait to try it out in the SuperBee when she arrives!
S
ps Tony, what track is that?
Last edited by s_and_m; Oct 27th, 2004 at 03:56 PM.
its Snetterton, a few weeks back. Track was dry at the time, just upset the car coming into the chicane I think.
Had a few drops of rain later, later saw that Eliese do a 720 degree spin in my rear view at the same spot - YEAH front wheel drive.... I kept on going, most of the rear wheel drive cars went home!!!
I ran my MCS on a road course this summer on several weekends. I listened to many owners talk about sway bars, but I want to leave mine stock for now. I had my tire pressure up to control sidewall flex, but that reduces contact patch, and aggravated the understeer.
In trying different tire pressures (within normal ranges for the tires) I found the car could be caused to understeer, oversteer, or drift. It suprised me several times by oversteering from a very minor lift.
ONE of the stability features of the MINI, (and I don't remember which one) will apply the inside rear brake if it detects G forces outside of an expected range. Perhaps that is what caused some folks to spin ?
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Both my passenger and I were very shocked at how the car went totally sideways with very little provocation, and yes the ASC was off 
doh! Have learned my lesson and have had stopped hacking my car around corners like it was a go-kart! 
, bet it scared the guy behind him too 
