So I had a test drive in the cooper S an I noticed the the clutch doesn't bite till the pedal is almost at the top. What does this mean in the mini, is it normal? It's not slipping or anything but could thus be a sign its about had its day? Thanks.
R55/R56 or R53? The R55/R56 Clutch engages all the way up. It's just the nature of the beast, from everything that I have been reading and from chatting with people who have driven both the R53 and the R55/R56.
R53 it is. 03 plate. I've never driven a car in which it bites when your foot has almost left the peddle. So to confirm this is normal on a R53 mini.
Over the years I've had several manual gear box vehicles. Two English roadsters, couple of pickups and a IH deuce and half with double compound and driven lots of others. One thing that is universal with manual gear boxes: The friction point on clutches from one vehicle to the next is never in the same place.
It has been my experience that a clutches friction point keeps changing until it is all the way at the top of the travel. Once there it will eventually slip, usually in top gear. My R53 has it's clutch grabbing higher than it once did. Clutches are wear items. How many miles on the R53 you drove?