MotoringFile is Driving the New F56 MINI – What Do you Want to Know?
In 48 hours we will be among the first people in the world (outside of MINI) to drive the F56 MINI Cooper and Cooper S. We will also have access to MINI executives, engineers and designers. So this all raises the question – what do you want to know? What do you want us to answer? What do you want us to uncover? What do you want us to take photos of? And what do you want impressions of?
As always follow us right here on MotoringFile for the latest. And don’t forget about our Instagram and Twitter feeds along with Facebook for a constant stream of photos, video and first impressions.
<p>Being the car nerd I am, I would love to see the “secret” cubby on the passenger side and glove box. I think more shots of the back seats and storage in the trunk space would be cool. I can’t wait to read your review guys!</p>
<p>Funny, one of the first things I did when I sat in the passenger seat of the F56 at the Boston auto show was check if the “secret” upper storage compartment was there. It is there and if I recall it’s pretty much the same size/shape of the R56. However the glove box if I recall was more usefully shaped with a better bottom. Now I wish I had taken pictures!</p>
<p>1/4 mile ET & MPH of the F56 Cooper & Cooper S……also what engineering differences will there be between the F56 Cooper S and JCW Cooper S</p>
<p>I would like to know if there’s a huge difference in the suspension setting, Comfort and Sporty. Also, im concern about the 3 cylinder engine sound.</p>
<p>It sounds fantastic! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke33f4D7o_M" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke33f4D7o_M</a></p>
<p>The MINI version will have more character.</p>
<p>Dat burble?</p>
<p>Is the go kart feeling still there? How are the accelerations and the brakes? Is it more comfortable? Could you please make a video? Thanks!</p>
<p>And more importantly, how does the clutch feel?</p>
<p>I would like to know what the Cooper S sounds like. Does it have a sexy vibe or does the new engine just sound like an ordinary four cylinder turbo engine?</p>
<p>I would extend that to ask what it sounds like Inside the car versus Outside the car…</p>
<p>I’d agree with this. My fiancé’s Audi S5 sounds glorious outside but you can barely hear the engine when you’re in the car unless you really rev it which is a shame. MINIs aren’t luxury cars, but as more and more BMWs have artificial sound piped into the cabins to make up for their lack of engine music in the cabin due to engineering, I was curious about the balance MINI is making with having an assumedly quieter more comfortable cabin while keeping the character. Both the Cooper and S could sound great from the outside, but the most important person is the driver.</p>
<p>SUSPENSION ! If we want the maximum kart feeling, do we have to tick the <>, or the <> ?</p>
<p>How is the COOPER? I’m sure the S will be fairly similar in numbers to the current generation, but with such a massive change in the Cooper, it has to be a game changer!</p>
<p>oh. please punch the designer square in the mouth.</p>
<p>Tough talk hiding behind your Internet anonymity. You don’t like the design. Fine. But we ‘re still talking about actual people here. Cut it out.</p>
<p>It was a joke and commentary on the controversial design. Lighten up.</p>
<p>Commentary eh? Witty.</p>
<p>And no, I won’t “lighten up” because I’ve lost my patience for anonymous people throwing poo from the sidelines.
It’s long been the moderation practice here at MotoringFile that derogatory comments against other people will not be tolerated. Hate on the car all you like. Argue against someone’s ideas to your own pleasure, but people are off limits.</p>
<p>Try “fifty lashes with a wet noodle” next time. It’s a lot harder to mistake that as something other than a joke.</p>
<p>Did someone say at least they did not put lashes on the headlights… ;)</p>
<p>no one laughed</p>
<p>I think you will find that viewed in reality the new MINI is actually very intricate and fresh . It is colour sensitive and in pictures you rarely see the imprint around the headlights which give it a kind of shovel nose because these cannot be seen clearly. In reality it does work everything aligns perfectly including the three dimensional tail lights and gentle slope of the roof at the rear.</p>
<p>Violence is not the answer unless you are meaning Justin Bieber or Kanye West?</p>
<p>Here’s my issue Scott. The ‘S’ is the enthusiast model. I would imagine the majority of repeat owners like myself, take this model. I just don’t think that the cartoonish, baloonish front end of the ‘S’ is what we were asking for. I can’t believe you had a room full of urban or autocross motorers, showed
them the design, and they collectively said ‘that looks great.’ I do understand that this is a global car, and you have to somewhat tailor it to generic enough tastes to try and appease everyone and gain market share. But that should be what the base model is for, and with a lower price point, you could easily do so.</p>
<p>And yes, I will agree on your last point ;)</p>
<p>I do wonder how many folks will retrofit Cooper noses onto their Cooper S cars. The thought has crossed my mind. Then again, with so much more performance coming from the Cooper, it’s extra tempting on its own.</p>
<p>It’s a shame you can’t get that option from the factory. It’s just a matter of bolting one part on over another. It costs a fortune to do it after the car is built once paint and materials is considered.</p>
<p>I’ve seen the F56 S last November, and it is way way lot nicer than on photos, so wait a little before conjecturing like this</p>
<p>ditto, looked great in person, I laugh when I hear all the hate from those without having the opportunity to see it in person</p>
<p>I agree Nathan, I currently have an R53 that is coming very close to it’s end as a daily driver (It’s not even at 150,000miles and I have put a significant amount of money into maintenance). Financially as a student I see the Cooper as a much more attractive car in many aspects than the Cooper S. Especially since the acceleration is about the same but the Cooper will have significantly better MPG, I average about 25mpg. I still have a hard time with the tail lights but the overall design I’m enjoying. I really hope you guys will be test driving both models and can compare but I have a feeling you might just be put in the Cooper S. If do get to test both, it would be appreciated if you give a comparison of the Cooper to the R53 :)</p>
<p>Agreed that if I were looking between the S and Cooper right now on looks alone the Cooper is the clear winner. I will await seeing the Cooper S in person but must say I am not holding my breath for it resonating visually to me.</p>
<p>I’m on my third R53, both myself and my brother have tracked my MINIs at NHIS, Lime Rock, Montecello and I’ve autocrossed, and I can tell you from the STIs and EVO Xs, and CRXs with VTECs we’ve passed, autocrossers aren’t necessarily know for their aesthetic acumen. As others have said, when you see the F56 in person it is far more resolved. I saw the yellow F56 S at the Boston auto show next to the rest of the line up and I’m sure there were people that walked by and couldn’t even tell it was the “new” MINI. Do I prefer the bonnet of my R53? Of course, the R53 S hood is damn near perfect. However the F56 felt far more substantial than my R53 from the way the hood closed to the way the seat bolsters gripped me. One of the most important touch points, the steering wheel on the R53/R56 was pretty poor in my opinion and the F56 steering wheel gives my R53 JCW wheel a run for it’s money. Almost everything felt better engineered which shows as its going to be faster yet more efficient. And there are some very positive changes like having a more standard 5-bolt lug pattern on the wheels and a somewhat shared BMW 2-liter which will hopefully have lots of room for growth… I’m reserving judgement until it can be driven both on the road and on a track. However first impression from a R53 loyalist that thought the R56 didn’t offer enough improvements in performance and efficiency to make up for its decrease in character and feel and added botoxed is that it’s a mighty impressive package. What you notice in the design in person is that the S looks suitably aggressive from the side and I liked the scallop on the lower edge of the doors. The spoiler on the S is far meatier than any previous spoiler save for the GPs. Is it a design home-run? Maybe not, but wait until you see it.</p>
<p>Ok, since I just had to take one wheel off to look for an air leak, I am fresh work with the lug bolts and having to take 25 minutes to get the DA** wheel back on. Also, I have always preferred the safety of a five bolt system. Now, does the wheel have five bolts or five lugs?</p>
<p>Even when tracking auto crossing, I’ve never heard of a MINI having an issue with a 4-bolt pattern and many other cars use them. I just think the 5-bolt will option up more options if one is to replace the wheels in the future, but I won’t feel any more safe and will just keep them torqued correctly as I always have. When I saw the F56, the particular wheels had center caps covering the bolts/lugs. But looking at one of the launch pictures, it looks like they’re still doing bolts: <a href="http://s3.motoringfile.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/316_Cooper.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://s3.motoringfile.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/316_Cooper.jpg</a></p>
<p>I hear that this guy was the lead designer.</p>
<p>I would like to see more pictures of the seats. I had to get rid of my countryman because the seats hurt my leg. Will the new seats be more comfortable please? Thanks.</p>
<p>I would be interested to learn more about the following:
– Engine performance and sound (especially for the S)
– Integration of new interior/exterior tech with driving
– Level of road noise
– What do designers and engineers take away from the large volume of criticism regarding some of the new design cues (nose, rear lights, increased length)</p>
<p>Thanks Gabe.</p>
<p>I second the steering and add torque steer as well as engine sound and the rev matching on manuals</p>
<p>measure the north to sixty time and road noise/ wind noises. thanks !
I’m also wondering about the seats, is it comfy with the increased thigh supports?</p>
<p>oh and one more thing, exhaust note, still the pop and burbles?</p>
<p>yes, both 3 and 4 cyl.</p>
<p>The suspension settings and differences between them.
Then handling and steering feel- where are we on the barometer of R50/53 to R56?
Report on mandatory package groups a la recent BMWs- will MINI stay MINI and keep multiple configurations of one’s choosing available? (I still can’t stand the “lines”- seriously just give us a regular sport package option with the seats/wheels/suspension in any color combo!)
Pics of any/all interior/exterior colors and options.
With the push-back of the official F56 on sale date, will this affect the F55?
How grin-inducing is it overall? Do you walk away and want to glance back at it? That was the magic of the R50/53, and still is. I get progress and enjoy improvements- just keep the soul.</p>
<p>Can’t wait!</p>
<p>I have been very lucky to hear the sounds of both new engines and the cooper’s 3 cylinder is amazing, it pops on sport mode and you hear the blow off from the twin scroll turbo’s. The cooper s is crazy banana when it become hot after 5 minutes it scream for fun</p>
<p>Is the Cooper getting the paddles back in A/T form?</p>
<p>Optional but yes they’ll be available</p>
<p>No… the 6-speed auto with paddles shifters is only available with the Cooper S.</p>
<p>Are the MPG numbers available yet?</p>
<p>February.—
Sent from Mailbox for iPad</p>
<p>I think the automatic tranny comes with auto start/stop to help save on gas and emissions. Can that functionality also be had with a manual transmission?</p>
<p>Yes and yes.</p>
<p>Thanks Gabe!</p>
<p>Is it optional with the manual transmission or can we at least turn it off?</p>
<p>Us R53 owners want to know: is it visceral? Raw? Will we still yearn to drive it down twisty roads when we’re chained to our cubicle desks?</p>
<p>I’ve been sat inside, and yet the driving position is like R53 😉 not high-and-in-the-windshield, like the R56</p>
<p>Listen to the recent interview with Patrick McKenna. I believe he described it as quieter and more refined when compared to the R56, which itself was quieter and more refined than the R53.</p>
<p>Looking forward to the feedback from MotoringFile, as well as a first hand test drive in Spring. Still anticipate that the F56 is developed more for the Autobahn than the autocross.</p>
<p>Don’t know if yours will be so equipped, but some feedback on the new ride-selectable suspension / struts would be nice (forget what they’re called in MINI-speak). Also how the new Cooper performance, with its greatly boosted torque, compares to the R56 S. I guess some impressions of all the new gadget ware: radar cruise control (adaptive, or whatever it’s called), self-parking, etc. Just curious to see how well these work on the MINI platform.</p>
<p>Just do us proud with an in-depth review and cover as much
as you can.</p>
<p>Does the Cooper S come with run flats? I hope not!</p>
<p>they will still come with runflats</p>
<p>Sell the run flats that come on the car and pay for a fix-a-flat kit and a set of regular tires.</p>
<p>Before you mentioned that the clutch feels different. Let us know what it feels like compared to the R56, as well as the steering and brake feel.</p>
<p>If you are sitting in an F56, Justa or S and barring dashboard differences, does the F56 feel like a different car?</p>
<p>Ohhh yessss</p>
<p>do they plan to streamline those hideous (lower) front bumpers?</p>
<p>Will I be able to buy a rolled F56 and transfer the internals into an R53 Shell?</p>
<p>Anything is possible if you have the money.</p>
<p>……interior space/dimensions…especially rear leg room on the F56 compared to the R56??
…..Exhaust sound on the 2.0L compared to the 1.6L??
….Have heard F56 mileage figures will be ‘significantly’ higher than the R56. Will that apply to both the 1.5L as well as the 2.0L?? Is the new setup of the auto trans partially responsible for the better figures?
….Will the delay of the F56 also delay the F55 this fall??
……Weight changes of the F56 MINI & S compared to the R56?</p>
<p>Exhaust Burble?
Turbo Chirp?
That is all… :)</p>
<p>With the longer nose does it still feel like a MINI, or more like an ordinary car?</p>
<p>seriously? it’s an inch longer in the nose, give it up already</p>
<p>Especially since it’s hollow.</p>
<p>Yeah, seriously. Give what up? The stubby nose is a styling cue that is signature MINI. It looks like it’s being phased out. The R56 nose was longer than the R53. Now it’s getting longer still. I just want to know if looking out over that extra bonnet real estate makes it feel less MINI or if it still feels the same. You don’t have to like my question but the nose length is the first thing that stood out to me.</p>
<p>The F56 is still the car with the most little nose of the market (out of the Smart or Fiat 500)</p>
<p>You must mean outside of the 500 or Smart. Out of the Smart, Fiat 500 and F56, the F56 has the longest bonnet.</p>
<p>Having a “short” front end is easy, since most vehicles are behemoths these days. The classic Mini has a very stubby nose. The R53 maintained that look very well. I’m not fond of MINIs getting bigger and bigger. Hence, I’d like to know from the MotoringFile team if looking out on that hood length changes anything for them.</p>
<p>The smart is rear engine and doesn’t count. We also haven’t seen the next generation of 500 yet.</p>
<p>“And the nose, once pert and snub, now balloons into a much longer overhang.”</p>
<ul>
<li>Top Gear</li>
</ul>
<p>If it’s ok with MINI, could you guys video your drive in the 3cyl? Would love to hear the difference between it and the Bimmer.</p>
<p>the adaptive suspension in all modes impressions please. Also how is the legroom in the back seats ? thanks!</p>
<p>So many questions!
Are the LED headlights (version 5A4) true adaptive headlights? In the UK there is much confusion in the literature as to whether they are, or whether they’re just fixed with low speed cornering lights?
Can you programme what sport mode does if you’ve selected variable damper control (i.e. does sport mode change everything or is anything menu selectable)?
Does the car come with an acoustic engine noise enhancer through the speakers? I’m guessing not……
After a test drive, which would you choose – the manual with rev match or the auto with flappy paddles?
Even with the full front and rear LED lights option, presumably the indicators are normal bulbs?
Is the 8.8″ media XL / navigation XL package the full blown BMW professional version?
Do we know if MINI will make any changes to the MY2015 version, i.e. standard features, not options.</p>
<p>unsubscribe <a href="http://disqus.com/account/#notifications" rel="nofollow">http://disqus.com/account/#notifications</a></p>
<p>I’d like to know:</p>
<p>how good are the improvements of the door handles
MINI connected features
how the HUD works
road noise
if pops and burbles are only in sport mode
how much adaptive dampring helps with 18″ runflats</p>
<p>The exterior door handle is much easier to open than on the R53/R56. At first I almost thought it felt a little bit cheap, but I think that’s because of how much lighter and easier the mechanism is to pull. My mother doesn’t have a lot of strength in her hands and she has a hard time opening the door on my R53 or on her friends R56 and she won’t have any problem at all with the F56. Here is a close up picture I took at the Boston auto show:</p>
<p>1) That heads-up display affixed to the dash … does it make any sense at all for a tall person?</p>
<p>2) Again, for a tall person … how much does the rear view mirror affect visibility, relative to the rather intrusive R56 mirror? (really hoping for an improvement here)</p>
<p>3) The window controls on the door right at the door pull handle … do they get in the way of where you naturally want to grab to pull the door closed? (that’s right where I grab on the R56, but maybe the F56 is different)</p>
<p>When I sat in the F56, I never felt like I was going to accidentally hit the window switch although I grab further back on the door in my R53 as that is naturally the easier place to push/pull rather than close to the hinge of the door anyways. I suppose it could happen once, but I doubt it. The switches themselves are decently dampened and it is nice to have somewhat of an armrest for once for long trips. Here’s a pic my friend took at the Boston auto show recently:</p>
<p>The name of the guy who f***ed up the front bumper of MCS and JCW versions.</p>
<p>I want to give him a grant for three years in car design school…</p>
<p>Please don’t just gush and glow the whole time. Tell me at least one thing that you would have done differently if you were them on this car. Give me some educated insights, not just advertising jargon.</p>
<p>We’re not allowed to like things and I our writing has been called advertising.
Everybody take two drinks.</p>
<p>MF have already published an article about the things liked and not liked on the F56…..</p>
<p>Here’s the article. I was particularly worried about the feel of the clutch when stationary given that I couldn’t believe you get get a lighter clutch than a R56 without buying a Honda. Hopefully it won’t drive that way: <a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2013/12/16/the-top-ten-things-we-love-about-the-new-mini-and-five-we-dont/" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2013/12/16/the-top-ten-things-we-love-about-the-new-mini-and-five-we-dont/</a></p>
<p>Would really appreciate to hear more about the steering and handling feeling — and especially how they compare to the 1st and 2nd Gen MINIs.
Also, what’s your impression of the heads-up display? Just a gimmick or a game-changer in terms of street-safe (or -safer) integration of key cabin tech (navigation, etc.)?
Finally, does the S have that wonderful exhaust burble?</p>
<p>I’m going from a 2011 Clubman S auto and before that a 2007 Cooper S auto. I’m interested in the acceleration of the Cooper turbo 3 auto. Projected times are similar to what i’m driving. Also, indicated boot space is a cubic foot or so smaller than my Clubman, can that be true?
i’m extending my current lease until I can make a decision.</p>
<p>Were you expecting the boot space to be substantially larger? When I saw the F56 at the car show, you do notice the small amount of extra space although what I loved the most was the optional flat adjustable load floor like on the clubman. However The F56 is still just the short-wheelbase hatch. Check out the 2014/2015 schedule that MF revealed recently: <a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2014/01/06/minis-2014-2015-model-releases-revealed/" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2014/01/06/minis-2014-2015-model-releases-revealed/</a></p>
<p>I personally think the F55 five door and the F54 clubman look like the exact same car in pictures, but it appears neither will be available until 2015 at the earliest (at least in the US). Interestingly, in the interview on WRR with MINIUSA, it sounded like the Clubman will not be long for this world which is a shame. Take a listen: <a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2014/01/21/mfwrr-qa-with-pat-mckenna-product-manager-at-mini-usa/" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2014/01/21/mfwrr-qa-with-pat-mckenna-product-manager-at-mini-usa/</a></p>
<p>1) I would like to know what you think of the Wheel options. Im a bit in love with the styling of the 16″ Victory Spoke alloy wheels in black on a pepper white MINI with a black roof, but i’m a little worried they wont feel sporty enough through the steering wheel compared to 17″ options.
2) Thoughts on the driving modes on the 3 cylinder engine, in sports mode does it pop and bang like the current cooper s when sports mode is engaged? Ive heard rumor’s via the white roof interviews that it sounds great, any chance of some audio of the engine sounds?</p>
<p>3) Thoughts if there’s opportunity of the basic (4 line?) stereo interface if possible, the quality of the display and the clarity of the menu’s (checking oil level, ahem).
4) General comparison and demeanour of the the Cooper Vs Cooper S as currently i cant decide!</p>
<p>Many thanks</p>
<p>James</p>
<p>Ok, here we go …..</p>
<ul>
<li>Engine performance and throttle response.</li>
<li>Handling and steering feel (hopefully improved over the R56)</li>
<li>Rev matching with manual transmission.</li>
<li>Level of wind and road noise </li>
<li>Is the S worth the increase in price over the base Cooper now that the Cooper has more HP and torque?</li>
<li>Does the Base Cooper still have a spare tire?</li>
<li>Will it ever be possible to order the Cooper with non-run flat 16″ tires?</li>
<li>How does the clutch feel?</li>
<li>How does that new gear shift knob feel when changing gears?</li>
<li>Please comment on the different suspension setting that will be available to us.</li>
<li>How does the car look with 16 inch wheels? Do they look too small now?</li>
<li>Can you ask about the possibility of AWD on the upcoming 4 door F55 Cooper?</li>
<li>How do you like the heads-up display?</li>
<li>Do you feel the Coopers 3 cylinder engine will be too stressed with the Turbo?</li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Just one question, well three syllables: AWD. If you could confirm whether they will come out with an AWD JCW or AWD JCW GP, I would greatly appreciate it. On that note, I think its time BMW gets serious about competing against more capable vehicles like the A45 or the VW Golf R. Any thoughts on that? Thanks!</p>
<p>There will be no All4 in the small platform. The only other cart that presently doesn’t have All4 will be the F54.</p>
<p>car</p>
<p><a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2013/11/26/exclusive-mini-has-no-plans-to-offer-awd-on-the-f56-hatch/" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2013/11/26/exclusive-mini-has-no-plans-to-offer-awd-on-the-f56-hatch/</a></p>
<p>How does the steering compare to the last two generations of MINI’s?</p>
<p>Will there be a JCW engine tuning kit for the S in addition to the aerokit?</p>
<p>What is the MPG?</p>
<p>Visability out of the car compared to the R53 and R56 particarly over the shoulder and behind. Feel of the transmissions in comparison to the R56 geration cars. Rattles and other interior noises. Character of the motor noise interior and from the font while the car is coming towards you.</p>
<p>-Can you describe the clutch feel? Where does it engage, how springy is the motion, is it progressive, how much travel is there (all in comparison to both the R53/R56)? The R56’s engagement always seemed overly light, and felt a bit odd which was confirmed in the F56 article about the five thins you didn’t like which isn’t a good sign…</p>
<p>-When I was looking at the suspension of the F56 at the show in Boston, the rear suspension looks completely different with the spring separated and forward of the rear strut. Is this design shared with other BMWs and why the change, (interior space) and are there downsides such as handling or future upgradability? I think we’re all particularly curious about the ride and handling. How is the turn in? Is it as immediate as previous MINIs? Body roll/brake dive/acceleration raise as opposed to previous MINIs? The short wheelbase of previous MINI hatches didn’t play nice with high frequency small bumps. Does the slightly longer wheelbase and different geometry suspension improve this? Previously when the suspension was loaded while cornering and a bump was encountered, the R56 was easily upset; does the F56 handle mid-corner bumps better?</p>
<p>-Steering feel on-center and off center. How many turns lock-to-lock?</p>
<p>-So there will be run flats, but which run-flats. Some of the newer ones aren’t horrible, so will BMW be spec-ing newer gen run flats? A recent Roundel article about the F30 touring had the opinion that BMW finally got the suspension/runflat tuning down, so I am curious if this is the same sentiment with the F56.</p>
<p>-Just out of curiosity, now that the USB interface is a single cable, bring your own design, is it still a 5W, or is it 10/12W to charge tablets quickly as well?</p>
<p>-How many times do you go to fill it up on the “wrong” side if you have it for a while?</p>
<p>-Do any pedestrians noticed or point? Does anyone stop to ask you a question? Does anyone notice in public this is the F56?</p>
<p>-I have yet to see the pano roof, is this available at launch and are there any differences to the R56? Will both the front and back sections vent similar to the R56?</p>
<p>-Besides the questions that everyone else has asked about the character/sound/performance of the engines, given the new engine and transmission gearing, when cruising at 60mph, 70mph, 80mph, how many revs is the tachometer at? One of the things that kept the R53/R56 from being a great long-trip car I felt was how high the revs were kept and how loud the cabin got at cruising speed. What is the throttle response like? Any lag? How quickly do the revs fall? What are the redlines for the two engines and do they keep pulling into redline? What is the character in the upper part of the range?</p>
<p>-It has been mentioned that both the Cooper and S engines will have some pop/burble, is this from startup, or only if the sport mode is selected?</p>
<p>-Given the increase in customizable/remembered car features, is there a means of having sport mode saved by default? If not, ask the engineers why not!</p>
<p>-With the auto start/stop how is the feel of this in the Cooper as opposed to the S? Is there more of a shudder upon start up/shut down or is the feeling/sound about the same for the 3/4 cylinder engines?</p>
<p>-Given the poor results of some small cars in the recent IIHS small-overlap crash testing, was the design of the platform of the F56 optimized in any way for this rigorous test, or was the platform in development too long before this test was announced?</p>
<p>-Given that the US launch is delayed, what if anything is MINIUSA doing to help dealerships during the break in production? Are allocation shifts of R56s from other markets a possibility, or will dealerships have to go as is until the F56 is available?</p>
<p>-Will pre-spec-ed models from MINIUSA be sent to dealerships initially or will dealerships be given more flexibility to customize the first cars that arrive? I believe in the past there has been some contention as to the cars that dealerships are given versus what sells in individual markets.</p>
<p>-Are the pedals still placed well for perfect heel-toeing?</p>
<p>-To the right of the speedometer, there is a small pod with what looks like horizontal lights in some of the pictures. Are these shift indicator lights? Is this a standard feature?</p>
<p>-On the upper dash cover close to the infotainment-ring, in some pictures there is an opening in the dash topper with what looks like speaker mesh. Is this a speaker or merely part of the HVAC?</p>
<p>-Could you take pictures of the speedometer-mounted LCD display functions?</p>
<p>-If you drive a car with the 12-speaker H/K system, how do the two subwoofers under the front seats “feel”? Do they muddy the sound or are they distracting in any way?</p>
<p>-What is the weight difference between the three cylinder and four cylinder engines? Often, less weight up front translates into better steering feel and handling. If the three cylinder is lighter, does the front end actually feel better than the S?</p>
<p>-I’m assuming the battery in the S is mounted on the passenger side of the car to offset the weight of the driver on the left. Could this possibly mean LHD cars have a minuscule handling advantage over RHD cars (assuming RHD cars keep the same body/battery and exhaust)? ;-)</p>
<p>-Why no around-view camera to help us prevent curbed wheels?</p>
<p>-Any chance of cooled seats anytime soon? Even the more economically-conscious Korean brands are pushing both heated and cooled seats into their smaller cars.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Awesome set of questions!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>So here are the questions from Germany, gathered in the F56 forum, that you could please check:
– are there different tyre-manufacturers with 15-18″?
– are 2 different tripmeters accessable on the display behind the steering wheel?
– Is there a digital soundmodule or are the mechanical sound”generators”
– The sunroof: preproduction shows only the front to pop up, R53 style, not both, R56 style. Which one made it to production?
– Which adapters for common phones are available
– Aircondtioning: filled with R134a or R1234f? Will there be a switch to CO2?
– Doorlightning: Light in the doorhande, under the door, or both?
– Windscreenwasher: still 4 single jets, or even spread spray?
– What dampervalues are used for normal, sport and selectable dampers?
– can the outside-temperature be shown in the navigation-display (or radio-display)?
– pre-production cars show a speedometer-ring with single differetiated LEDs instead of 1 line. Is this still possible on a production car?</p>
<p>Oh, and if you happen to get to know following information, we won’t be mad:
– is the One-engine an BMW-produced engine? What is it’s code
– what engine/eingine-code will the SD-engine be
– Output-power of JCW</p>
<ul>
<li>what is shown after 99.999 km/miles, since the meter only shows 5 digit from the start</li>
</ul>
<p>That’s all for now, we’ve only been collecting 1 week ;)</p>
<ul>
<li>what is shown after 999.999 km (we’ll know August .1 2026, Project 1M km with F56 starts August 1 2014)</li>
<li>wheelbase and length of F55/F54</li>
<li>is there a hidden menu like in the R56, for instance to correct the MPG-value to match the actual MPG-Value</li>
</ul>
<p>This is great. Thank you.</p>
<p>Welcome 😉 Excuses that the “That’s all”-sentence moved to the middle, and minor typo’s.. breakfast was waiting, I had to type faster than normal ;)</p>
<p>LSD / E-DIFF etc… how is the power getting to the ground? Also is there torque steer?</p>
<p>I honestly want to know what the diff will be on the JCW, but I’m also interested on the cooper S.</p>
<p>Me too re the JCW</p>
<p>The R53 LSD and short-lived R56 LSD while appreciated, wasn’t much to write home about (only 30% lockup). It will be interesting to see how the optional BMW-tuned Drexler LSD on the M235i sells/performs. Any thoughts on if the take rate on the M235i LSD would have some influence on MINIs decision to have such an option on the JCW? Given the increase in power the JCW F56 will have, and JCW being elevated as a performance brand within MINI, it would be welcome to see.</p>
<p>How much does it weigh in both Cooper and Cooper S form?</p>
<p>How much does it weigh in both S and non-S models?</p>
<p>is the dashboard assembled better to avoid the crackling noises typical from mini R56?</p>
<p>Please, for the love of God, get some info on the non-HK stereo?</p>
<p>What are the speaker sizes, outputs, are there 100-Hz filters on the rears in the software again?</p>
<p>I almost didn’t buy my R56 because I couldn’t find the HK and needed a car “now” and had to choose from inventory. The drive won me over, and I had to just suck it up and get myself a little compact subwoofer. I’m not an audiophile, but if the audio is as horrendous as the R56 base system, then it’s a no-go. I’m not about to buy another brand-new car and have to immediately toss in a compact subwoofer just to be able to tolerate listening to the radio.</p>
<p>The cost of the HK system is significant, it’s a shame MINI don’t offer a half way option like BMW, or better still one hopes the standard system will be okay!</p>
<p>I’d be interested to hear the response as well. I was very disappointed with the base R56 sound system even compared to my non-HK R53. Given that the headunit in the F56 will be as near impossible to replace as the R56, knowing more specifics would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Seems most are excited for the base cooper with all of its significant improvements. please take note of the real improvements on the S. I drive an R53 and if i’m bumping up to teh F56 then i want to make sure there’s actual value in it. (apart from the bells and whistles). so long / short. please detail driving comparison with the R53/56.</p>
<p>The size. I’m not a fan that they had to make the car bigger. Can you please comment on the size being larger?</p>
<p>Ok, here we go …..
– Engine performance – is the throttle response improved over the R56?
– Is the handling and steering feel improved over the R56?
– Rev matching with manual transmission – how does it feel in actual use?
– Level of wind and road noise – is it reduced?
– Now that the base Cooper has more HP and torque, is the S worth the higher price?
– Does the Base Cooper still have a spare tire?
– Will it ever be possible to order the Cooper with non-run flat 16″ tires?
– How does the clutch feel?
– How does that new gear shift knob feel when changing gears?
– Please comment on the different suspension setting that will be available to us.
– How does the car look with 16 inch wheels? Do they look too small?
– How do you like the heads-up display?
– Do you feel the Coopers 3 cylinder engine will be too stressed with the Turbo?
– Is the base stereo/hifi improved over the R56?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>“- Level of wind and road noise – is it reduced?”</p>
<p>good question.</p>
<p>will they launch new color following to the launch ( reef blue, bue eyed purple??)</p>
<p>Headroom, leg room, shoulder room, knee room. How does it compare to R56?</p>
<p>Don’t care about the back seat. :-)</p>
<p>And on the knee room, does the sloping thing on the center console reduce knee room? (I hate a BMW 3-series because of the sloping plastic into the center console and I don’t expect this to be that bad)</p>
<p>One other weird question that applies to track days and other high performance driving. Have they done anything to mitigate oil starvation under hard cornering? My R56 would have low oil pressure from time to time when cornering hard.</p>