Driving the AWD Getrag MINI

Sections: In the Press Dec 1st, 2005 115 Comments

mini

From the Telegraph.co.uk:

It was the sort of bend that front-wheel-drive cars like the 167bhp Mini Cooper S really hate: a tightening downhill left-hander. To make matters worse, the road was streaming wet after a recent cloudburst and rivulets dribbled across the gleaming tarmac.

It’s such situations that get modern traction and stability control systems working overtime as they try to curb wheelspin and maintain grip. Dashboard warning lights flash in front of you like demented Christmas decorations.

But not in this Cooper, as the electronic stability program (ESP) has been deliberately deactivated. So, heel-and-toe down into second, turn the car into the bend and bury the throttle.

Instead of understeering off into the Armco, or suddenly slowing as the engine revs are cut by electronic guardian angels, the car’s line tightens, the revs rise and we shoot through the corner like a ball on a roulette wheel.

You can read the entire article below:

[ Look out Ken, here comes the MINI 4x4 ] Telegraph.co.uk

Since we know the fine folks at MINI read MotoringFile, I’m going to throw out a question to our readers. Show of hands, who would buy an all wheel drive MINI as described above? How much weight added is tolerable? How price added is tolerable?

[ AWD MINI Further Away than Expected? ] MotoringFile

[ Getrag's All Wheel Drive MINI In Depth ] MotoringFile

Written By: Gabe

Z4MINI
I looked over the entire Getrag presentation and can find no reference to 176lbs, or 150lbs.

However, I did note a few other things.
1. All testing seems to have been done in snow or wet road conditions…and ofcourse the Twinster does well….but there doesn’t appear to be any testing on DRY surfaces. So how will the car corner under regular conditions?
2. Fuel consumptions costs?
3. Acceleration/power loss?
These things are just as important, if not MORE important than the wet weather handling.
dominicminicoopers

Z4MINI you need to pay particular attention to the technical PDF file from Getrag with the graphs (http://www.motoringfile.com/files/getrag_awd.pdf) . They do tests on dry pavement and in each of those tests the twinster set-up outperformed the FWD drive set-up.

Summarizing the high mu results.

p 21: Steady State Cornering Self Steering Characteristic twinster’s 95kph betters fwd’s 86kph

p 26: Steer Step with Wide Open Throttle twinster’s 85kph betters fwd’s 70kph

I had also read that the AWD getrag setup improved 0-60MPH straight-line accelleration by nearly a full second!
Pipe

Link didn’t work last time. Search for AWD on Motoringfile and look for the More Info on the All-Wheel Drive Mini from Nov. 2004.

Here’s another shot at the link: http://motoringfile.com/2004/11/09/more_info_on_the_all-wheel_drive_mini/
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

Here’s the article that has the link to the PDF presentation:

[ Getrag's All Wheel Drive MINI In Depth ] MotoringFile

(It’s also up in the right corner of every page under “featured articles”)
http://www.carcounsel.com/hid carcounsel.com

there’s no mention of suspension modifications so prosumably the same shocks/springs/bars/pressures and alignment specs were used for all layouts.

if so it would seen the stock FWD is at an advantage because the car is set up for that drive layout i.e. the twinster and others could potentially benefit more from further fine tuning…
Micah

Holy moly people have you lost all capacity for critical thought? That PDF is a marketing proposal that was written by Getrag using Getrag’s own testing. Do you believe everything you hear in advertising claims from companies marketing their own products?

I’m not saying that there are not certain advantages to the Twinster system — in fact it sounds pretty trick to me. To believe rumors like “improves 0-60 times by a full second” is like believing “take this pill to double the size of your member.”
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

There is very little reason for Getrag to fib on the testing data. A manufacturer would thoroughly test the car themselves regardless. If they proved any of the data incorrect I’m sure it would put any potential deal in jeopardy. Getrag has a very solid reputation among quite a few manufacturers. I’m sure they’d want to keep it that way.
Evan

I’ve read the comments. Thought about it a lot…

AWD ultimately is great for poor weather conditions. Yes, it is of benefit on some road courses as well, but in day to day enthusiatic driving, I’m uncertain of it’s necessity.

That said, the real need for awd arises here when discussing ultimate power output. For lots of power, give me a finely balanced RWD car (3 series anyone?). Anything much over 200hp in a FWD car is not a great proposition. It is helped by limited slip, but for ulitmate handling, the front tires are being asked to do way too much.

I love my MC b/c it is reasonably light, solid, and handles as if on rails. The only handling probs I observe are in the wet while taking tighter corners too quickly…although that is part of the fun!

In the end- MINI would find takers for an AWD Cooper S if the weight added is in the 150-200lbs range and price is around $1500.

Truth is- awd adds weight, price, and complication to manufacture and repair. And when the MINI starts hitting 325i territory is when I consider it to be too much…

Ultimate MINI would be a low spec 140hp Cooper model. That would be a sweet, reasonbly priced, sports car.
ellis

After reading the article, I find it very nice to have a “switch to activate the system”. This is good since sometimes you do not AWD all the time since it saves on gas too.
JBfromOZ

having a JCW MCS MY5 pre LSD, the only thing i feel i miss is the LSD to get the power down. With JCW now a factory option, the savings over the cost of a dealer fitted JCW kit should cover the cost of an AWD factory option with JCW.

Its the only thing id swap my current MINI for, so yeah i say bring it on!

the twin scroll turbo should allow some room for easier boost increased power gains also, I WANT ONE
http://www.lonestarminiclub.com scuderiamini

i would definetely buy one, my eyes closed.
RatchetR

Summer car: 04 JCW-MCS Winter car: 00 Audi TT Quatro (nearing the 100k mark).

Would replace both cars in a hearbeat for a JCW-MCS-AWD. Just keep the price lower than a new TT (should be easy), and it’s a no brainer.
Mikey

I own a 1998 Eagle Talon AWD Turbo. It’s got just under 18,000 original miles and I absolutely love it. I always tell everyone I know that if they have the opportunity to own an all-wheel-drive car – whatever it may be – that it is well worth the money. Yes, it’s heavy. And yes, there is a bit of turbo lag. But there’s something nostalgic about it and it is a wonderful car to experience. Now, I also own an ’05 MCS JCW and save for my clicking Web Spokes, which I still have to trade in for S-Lites, it is also a wonderful car to drive. However, they’re both completely different cars! Oddly, both have the same horsepower rated at 210bhp. Torque is different, though – 177 lbs-ft. in the S-Works and 214 lbs-ft. in the Talon. The Talon is also much heavier and bigger in general anyway. But they both make it to 60 mph from a standstill in about 6.4 seconds. The point is, AWD adds an element of grip unlike anything else, and you really have to experience it. It’s kind of like having your gall bladder removed after you’re in so much pain that you think you’re gonna die, or for the ladies having to experience child birth, or having all of your wisdom teeth removed at the age of 31 and the pain that lingers afterwards…you’ll never really know the agony until you’ve been through the experience. That’s what AWD is like. It’s just…incredible. I would welcome AWD to the MCS with the Works, but in my humble opinion it wouldn’t make much sense on anything else. AWD is an element that helps harness power and keep it on the ground. Personally, if price weren’t an issue, I’d love to own one! Remember, everything’s relative!!
brian

yes – with added power to justify increased weight and cost.
victor

just send me the parts to convert my mini. i definetly need awd on mine my tires spine way too much and the stupid traction control is anoying awd mini with 300 hp what else you want. send me the parts and bill me later please please please.

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