are all minis front wheel drive?:(

[2002forlife]

are all minis front wheel drive?:(

[s_ribs]

New, yes.

Old, no (at least not some of the racecars I've seen).

[2002forlife]

Weak

[Koopah]

Both new MINIs and old Minis are FWD as delivered from the factory.

Theo

[sirtiger]

why?

[2002forlife]

why?
fwd is weak man wake up :rolleyes LSD RWD only way to go

[jblow]

I thought so too...until I drove one.

I've had a number of rides over the years including a couple Tiis, E21s, MR2s, Miata, A4, etc and I must admit the MCS is one of, if not the most fun to drive.

[DriftingE30]

fwd is weak man wake up :rolleyes LSD RWD only way to go
LOL... i used to think that as well. But the FWD system in the MINI isn't like all those others out there.
I got a 88 325is and a JCW MCS comin soon. both are damn fun to drive.

[dos Santos]

are all minis front wheel drive?:(

:lol

[Dickfruster]

All Minis exept some drag cars are FWD. The concept is to keep the car small. No tunel for the tranny or the driveshaft and very short front end. I dont like the new ones since they are pretty heavy and not that fast.

A small turbo rally 2002 or the early 320 are far more fun to drive, since the are classic sedans.

[Koopah]

fwd is weak man wake up LSD RWD only way to go

Hmmmm...

Depends on your definition of "weak", eh what? My definition of "weak" definitely does not include sub-6.5 second 0-100 kmh performance with the ability to corner at .98 gs, and combined (calculated) mileage in the 26.3 mpg (US) range, all for under $30,000 USD!

And, to put things in perspective, with its 1.6 litre engine, my JCW MCS is pumping out 131 hp per litre while turning in that 26.3 mpg. By contast, if my 328i's engine could produce hp at that rate per litre, it would be pulling about 367 hp (that would be 393 hp in a 330, or 419 hp in an M3).

Regarding the MINIs weight, at 2,679 lbs and 210 hp, my MCS is carrying 12.8 lbs per each 1.0 hp. A 330i sedan, at 3417 lbs and 255 hp, carries 13.4 lbs per each 1.0 hp. But they are both bested by an M3 coupe which, at 3415 lbs and 333 hp, carries only 10.3 lbs per each 1.0 hp.

Curious about early 320, E21 series numbers? The US 1979 320i 2.0 litre, at 2600 lbs and 110 hp, carries a whopping 26.3 lbs per 1.0 hp! That's TWICE the weight per hp compared to the MINI MCS JCW or the BMW 330i sedan! Or, looked at another way, a 1979 2.0 320i would need to weigh only 1474 lbs to equal the weight/hp ratio of the 330i, and only 1408 lbs to equal the MINI's weight/hp ratio.

In 40 years of owning and racing both FWD and RWD English, German, and Italian sports cars, I can honestly say that I've never owned a more pleasing performance car than the MINI Cooper S JCW. Yes, I would go AWD if I were using a modified car for a high speed track events, but the MCS kicks butt on a short track, autox, and in street driving.

From a practical and engineering perspective, FWD and RWD both have their advantages and their ideal applications. Both have distinct disadvantages as well. To say that one is superior to another without referencing context or application simply ignores reality or (at worst) demonstrates profound inexperience. And, IMHO, it also conveys unfounded bias rather that helpful information.

Again, this is all MHO, but...to each his own!

Theo

[Dickfruster]

I dont know ,but the new minis are pretty heavy and by the factory numbers they dont go fast at all. And the turbo cars I was talking about are 150hp and lbs stock, but can easily be built up to reach 200hp. And 300hp spraying.

[Dickfruster]

I dont think he means "weak", but mostly boring. A mini being a FWD, doesnt suffer at all from any handling issues or what not.

[onasled]

I dont know ,but the new minis are pretty heavy and by the factory numbers they dont go fast at all. And the turbo cars I was talking about are 150hp and lbs stock, but can easily be built up to reach 200hp. And 300hp spraying.

I figured by your first post that you were speaking from experienced time in the seat of a Mini S, but by this post it seems you have not had the pleasure?
You can say all you want about the Mini, but do youself a favor and drive one or get a ride in one with a good driver at the wheel. Click on my sig below and see how slow the Mini is. :)

By the way, where did you get those flairs?

[onasled]

By the way, don't know of ANY rear wheel drive late model Minis in the states. But here is the one I do know in Europe.

http://members.tripod.com/ghmyc_1m/Mini-086.jpg

[Koopah]

Thanks for sharing the video, onasled!

I'd just like to point out three things about onasled's MINI:

1) It's not that far from stock. Yes, its had the usual street mods that you and I would consider, but I'm guessing its pulling in the 220s for hp (stock JCW MCS = 210hp). So, it's not twin-charged, blueprinted, JATO equipped, etc.

2) There is a portion of the video that illustrates one of the main advantages of a well-balanced FWD car: the ability to transition to power-on at an earlier point in exiting a turn. It appears that much of the passing that Greg did looks to be due to his ability to put the power down much earlier than the Porsches when coming out corners. This is because in a FWD car, the driving wheels are pointing straight down the corner exit line much sooner. In a RWD car, the rear wheels don't become parallel with the exit line until much later in the corner.

3) onasled is actually being modest in selecting the video he has shared. You should see the one where he passes a track full of Cobras!

Finally...does anyone think that the drive in onasled's video is "boring"?

Theo

[BDBMCS]

Great video onasled. I know this is a little off the track of this thread but...... How did you mount the camera? Did you buy the mount somewhere? I'm asking because I'd like to get one for my Mini. Its on order, but I'm trying to line up the things I want for my first track day with this car.