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.

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

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.

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.”

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…

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

(It’s also up in the right corner of every page under “featured articles”)

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

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!

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.

I don’t understand all the fuss over the weight issue. Everyone that posts about it makes it sound like ther cars are run only on a track. To be quite honest if a couple hunderd pounds are an issue I’m sure that there are ways to lighten the load. I truly doubt most drivers will even notice the difference.

Cheers, Jack

Had the author compared it to a FWD MCS he had driven on the same track moments ago, i’d be further convinced. I’d expect to pay $32,000 and gain 350 lbs in a base AWD model.

Patiently waiting….