3rd Gen F56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Got to drive an F56 today

F56 Blues

I feel the same way as you do about the F56. I thought the F56 base was better driving than the S model, but neither did anything for me. As an owner of the R56 N18 (tuned, 25.5mm sway bar, etc), the newest MINI felt about 10 steps back in terms of driver engagement. Every MINI I've driven before, had some character to it. The newest MINI just felt like any other car. Nothing special or unique. As BMW has dulled down their entire lineup with lukewarm replacements for their previous generations of cars, they did the same thing to the MINI's. There was no exhaust or turbocharger noise, the engine sounded like it was under a foot of whale blubber, and it never pushed me back in the seat like R56 turbocharged models do, or even the supercharged R53 did. The steering was overly light even in sport mode, the gimmicky LED lights around the radio are distracting, and despite a decent increase in wheelbase and overall length, the rear seat didn't seem any larger. It was easier to enter the rear seat, but that had to do with how far forward the front seats move now. The suspension had much more roll than before too. The first S I drove was unfortunately an automatic - as they only had one. It's shifts were rough, and it never felt like it knew what gear to be in. The manual transmission model I drove a week later was better than the auto, but I still wouldn't ever think of buying an F56 over a new VW GTI MKVII or even a preowned R56 S or JCW. I'm just glad I got the last generation of fun and unique MINI's. The front grille and air inlets look ridiculous. It's like MINI mated an R56 with a fish and that's their spawn. The taillights look comically oversized, and in general I wasn't blown away with the interiors remodel. I've read about how improved it is on the inside, and when I saw it in person was disappointed. As a BMW product, of course it's loaded with miles of hard black plastic, synthetic textured vinyl dash and door panels, and of course the first one I drove had a rattle in the dash. I'm not blown away by the car at all. It's engine never felt as responsive at ultra low rpm's, or above 5000RPM. TO me, the brakes felt like pushing on a brick. I had to push with a LOT of force to get anything to happen. I've seen that same feedback from Autocar. I'm guessing the new brake systems are also from Asia as BMW began deploying Asian brakes in their own models recently. All in all, if you've preordered without buying one, I hope it's a refundable charge. If you are thinking of getting rid of your R56 or R50/3, DO NOT.

 

I did see where Burger tuning is prepping a B48 stage 1 plug and play. Too bad the rest of the car isn't up to par.

 

Yea he is around but not like he used to be. Carp gets old. ... trust me I know

 

Oh Jim, people need to get thicker skin. Its just the internet relax.

Who cares what you drive as long as you enjoy it.

I just love when people get all butt hurt for a car they don't even own.

 

yeah it a cute little BMW.

 

I'm OK with it, drove one at MOTD a few weeks ago. Agreed that it's likely the best stylish, "bespoke" (you can really individualize it), good-driving front-drive BMW available. It's fast, generates the handling and acceleration numbers, and it's got great, comfy front seats. It's certainly quite capable.

It does seem they've engineered the "sport" out of it, and I love the comment "the engine sounded like it was under a foot of whale blubber"! I've also heard but cannot verify that the auto-rev-match on the stick is not disable-able, and the silly center ring light can be dimmed but not "offed". I'm sure much of that can be addressed, remember this is Release 1.0 on the F56 model, and the Tuners haven't got at it yet! There is one styling element that gratres on me, and no, it's not the "overbite" - it's the double fender flares. It's got the black, and another style line on the fender itself. Too Nissan-y for me. Makes the wheels/tires look dinky-er. But that's minor, overall.

Have to share this, though:
Check MINI Track Rides |Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. I'll be one of the demo drivers for the PVGP Mini Track Rides, so I'll get to know that chassis REALLY well and give a full report later in July.

 

I was looking at one on a lift in LA last week. It's very interesting what they did. Take a good look at the rear trailing arms which are no longer aluminum and the HUGE muffler.

 

You know the more people that cry about a car they do not even have brings more attention to the issue then some of our comments do.

If you are worried about F56 people going to the NAM that wont be a problem after they post a few times on the NAM. :lol:

 

Not true Dave. The F-56 forum on NAM is very active and actually user friendly. I couldn't believe it was the same forum from years gone by. A couple of folks did pop up and try the blasting thing, but they were completely ignored. Interesting change I must say.

It also seems to be a split, between folks who currently own a MINI and first time buyers, who coming to the brand with the third generation car, which is also interesting. .

 

That's good enjoy the NAM.

 

It means that we are getting older and wiser.

 

Oh yes I can, I am not BANNED. :lol::lol::lol: but going to the NAM is like asking for AIDS.

 

I enjoyed the F56 too. So much so that I dragged my sister-in-law down to the nearest MINI dealership to trade in her Mercedes C230 SC for a new MINI.

Unfortunately, the dealer had no MINIs in stock to sell. They were even short on demo cars because of the recall of cars already sold.

 

You know what's interesting is that several 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc... Tests that I've seen of the F56 S, actually point to my first impression that the car is indeed slower than the R56 N18 cars. You can check out Automobile mag, AutoTop, etc... The R56 N14 S cars ran 15.0's in the 1/4mile, and the N18 S car's ran mid-high 14's. The F56 S 1/4 mile on Automobile ran a 15.6 @ 92mph. That's slower than the pre-LCI R56 S. When I drove the F56, the first thing I noticed was how different the engine was. It sounded strange, the exhaust was completely muffled, and where the N18 car pulled strongly from 1250RPM-redline, the F56 never packed the same punch. The AutoTop 0-100 test took almost 7 seconds. I can run 0-100km/h in about 6.3 secs. I believe that the extra weight the US spec car has gained, combined with the very modest increase in power, has made a car that isn't as fast. Not to mention the gear ratios are longer on the new car for efficiency. BMW would've been smarter to put the 1.5T in the S - but with close to 190-200hp. It weighs less, is more efficient, and it sounds better. The other issue is with it's grille. It just looks stupid with that black strip running across it, and they are raising the price another $500 across the board for MY2015. When the VW GTI does everything the new F56 S does, but with more power, torque, style, and quality, the MINI now seems pointless. I just hope BMW can figure out what they are doing to their cars before it's too late. I think the F56 is a fine car if you don't care about the way it drives too much, but I don't think it's anywhere close to being as fun as the previous car. It went from being about a 10/10 in terms of putting a smile on your face, to being about a 3/10. It's a much more comfortable car, but that's not what I was looking for in a MINI. If it had kept the character and added comfort, that would be one thing, but to me it felt like a dog that had been neutered.

 

Nope that is me posting because you can not say anything bad about the new MINI F56 or everyone will call you a hater. No more will you see me speaking the truth or my honest personal opinion about the great new ORIGINAL MINI because it is the best MINI to date that BMW has ever made period.

I have joined the elitist group of MotoringFile and others all over M/A & the NAM that believe BMW and MINI can do no wrong. Maybe when my old R53 JCW is completed next week I may as well just trade my car in for the latest and greatest at the church of BMW /MINI so I can just be another robot MINI owner.

Thanks for taking the FUN out of MOTORING.

Are you happy now people? You know who you are......:mtrn:

 

Nope just in general people are crying and it is hurting M\A so I will no longer speak the truth about the F56. You can no longer have an opinion with out a bunch of people crying around the USA. I am just happy that some are retired Vets and they made it hope safe from war but they cannot handle the Internet.

All hail the F56 we should all own one.

I may as well go back to the NAM and kiss M/A goodbye at this point...:confused5:

 

I'm just tired of BMW saying this newest MINI is the best, fastest, baddest looking MINI of all times, when in reality, it's not. 0-60, 1/4 mile times are important, as it equates to how easily you can pass, merge with traffic, and when you do track the car... How fast you can do your lap. I also noticed how hard the brake pedal was. It wasn't firm, it was rock hard, and took a lot of force like it had no assist. Not sure if it's the Asian brakes bmw has been using on their own cars, or what, but they aren't as linear as the previous two models brakes. The flexibility of the engine was my major issue - besides the muffled noises - with how it performed. Yes, aftermarket tuning may help, but my car was plenty fun to drive when it rolled out of the factory. A tune just enhanced it. The F56 feels like a tune is a must have. Also, some people tuning the N20 ran into issues with just stage 1 tunes, like cracked heads, pistons, and about $7K in repairs as the engine basically imploded in itself. Not sure how strong the B48 has been designed in its stock form for S models. We will see, but the lack of top end really was a turn off.

 

When was the last time you saw a car manufacturer say, "Our new model isn't as good as the last one, but you should buy it anyway!"

 

Drove one a little more extensively today, had to bring one of the "sticker cars" for Mini Track Rides over to a local Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix organizing meeting.

I still have to say it's the best front-wheel-drive BMW ever made. Good power, with the typical "rubber-bandy" turbo power curve (easy to get used to, good power, lots of torque down low, but it's not a normally-aspirated straight-line power delivery).

Good handling, firm suspenders with a bit more body roll than I'd prefer - though this car was on all-seasons.

Reminded me of a really sharp college decathlete, but 5 years later when they know more and are more refined, but have put on some additional power but a little weight and "insulation".

Gotta say, one of the things I really appreciate about a good car is that it gives you both a great hug, and a little "goose". The "goose" seems to be absent... but then again, perhaps checking the JCW box might bring that waterfowl back...