2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Bye

thanks, I'll be around. I still need my daily MA fix.

 

all packed up and ready to go...:sad:



traded in for the FR-S today, er yesterday now. New photos on the way, as soon as the sun comes up.
Initial impression: It seems like a paradox - these cars are complete opposites in every way, but are both awesome to drive!
I put 110 km (68 mi) on the way home - combined city, highway and country road driving (took the scenic route).:biggrin5: The initial awkwardness has almost worn off, after 5.5 years in the MINI anything else feels strange!

The steering is a bit lighter on the FR-S; somewhere between the R56 with the sport button on and off. It has a good direct feel, but is not as tight as the MINI (I had powerflex bushings on the front control arms in the MINI).
The clutch is also lighter, more like a honda but still easy to modulate. I prefer the feel of the MINI clutch, although the FR-S was nicer in heavy traffic. I liked the shifter - quite a different feel from any I've used. A bit stiffer and notchier than the MINI , but with a shorter throw and direct feel. The placement works well for me. I like it.
Pedal placement is good - you can heel&toe (actually I use the right side of my foot), but I missed the gas pedal several times trying to blip when downshifting. This will take some adjustment on my part. I had a pedal set from outmotoring so am used to a smaller gap. I'd say the distance between brake and gas is very close to the stock MINI.
The seats are excellent. I had the sport package on the R56 and they were my favourite seats ever (I've read some people don't like them, but they fit me like a glove). Anyway, the FR-S seats are even more supportive and fit me perfectly. They are firmer, especially under the butt, but are still comfortable (I guess that would be good for road feel). I find the headrest is a bit too far forward though. As with the MINI, you can remove the headrest and install it backwards for when you're wearing a helmet (otherwise it would be extremely uncomfortable). Seating position is easy to set up to your liking (height, tilt, etc.) and the steering wheel has tilt and telescoping (a total must have for me).
Suspension: I had the sport suspension on the MINI with NM Engineering lowering springs and Koni yellows. The FR-S feels pretty close to that firmness wise. You feel every little bump, but its not harsh if that makes any sense. The car feels pretty balanced, but I wasn't exactly pushing it enough to comment on the dynamics. I'll give you an update after autocross on September 8th.
Your butt feels like it's almost touching the road and the centre of gravity is very low. It's quite apparent when you turn a corner. This is the biggest difference from the MINI. Also, the lower coefficient of drag (0.27) is noticeable at highway speeds (120 km/h, 75 mph). This should help the top end on the track. I'll probably have to wait until the spring to test that though.
Powertrain: Well I'm not revving the crap out of it yet, but it puts the power down very nicely and smoothly throughout the rpm range. The torque curve is very flat like the R56 except for a noticeable dip at about 3500 rpm. Speaking of torque, the FR-S is no Cooper S. I will miss the instant thrust from low rpm that the turbo had. It really made day to day driving a lot more fun. Of course, the extra 1000 rpm range and 27 hp should make the FR-S faster overall, but the MINI has certainly spoiled me for torque.
Damn, my wife's alarm clock just went off. It's 4AM and I'm too wired to go back to sleep:eek6: Time for coffee and:donut1: woohoo!
Anyway, do I like it better than the MINI? No, not at all, but I like it as much and in different ways.
Can't wait to see how it compares at autox. I had the dealer swap the Starspecs from the MINI with the crappy tires the Scion came with (they are both 215/45r17), so I'll be comparing them on a level playing field. They thought I was a little nuts putting old tires on the new car and putting the new tires on the trade in.:lol:
I guess I've babbled on long enough for now - will provide update soon and pictures.