Mini with Paddle shift?

[weefossy]

Question, can you get an auto Mini with "paddle shift" ? Do they do one for American market?

Reason for asking is

My own car is an auto with sequential shift, if needed, and
I love it. Very rarely use sequential shift because auto / kick down is more than adequate for most of my driving, but it's nice to have option

Last 10 company cars have all been autos and I love them. so easy in traffic.

Have been driving Mom's Mini a lot recently, because of her bad leg and I find it very tiring in the traffic to and from work. Don't mind the gear changes on a mini run, but too much effort coming home from work in slow traffic.

Have driven a few nice cars with paddle shift, including F430 ( not meaning to go on about it) and 3 series beemer and they are superb with paddle shift. Instant changes and all very smooth with power immediately there. Faster than my long legs can work a clutch!!

Never seen Lenore fall behind on runs (can't say the same for Andy) so sequential shift does the business on their Works S. Am I mad in thinking our next Mini might be an auto? with paddle shift?

Are too many people influenced on "Floppy" paddle shifts by Mr Clarkson's comments? It's good enough for F1

Thoughts?

[AndyP & Lenore]

Response from Lenore: :thumbs up:;):laugh:

Response from Andy: :ragin::ragin::ragin:

Now to the serious stuff...

Obviously we're gonna be advocates of the auto box. And ALL our MINI's have had paddle shift, but with the exception of our first Cooper CVT which needed a bit of pushing to get the best out of it, we don't use them. With both Cooper S's we used them at first, really as a novelty, but we find simply planting your foot at the right time is enough to get the best out of the car.

I've heard a few folk on MINI2 (remember that site?) saying they use the paddle shifts more to force the gear up rather than down as MINI's can hold the gear a little too high after a spirited drive, for example when you start on a downhill gradient.

PM on the way.

A.:D

[weefossy]

Andy, didn't realise your cars had paddle shift. Also interesting to hear that you use the accelerator / kick down and that gives more than adequate response on a "spirited" Mini run.:D
Mmmm more food for thought.

[AndyP & Lenore]

Malcolm, it looks like with a Cooper a paddle shift is an option, but with a Cooper S it is automatically added whether you want it or not.

A.

[Craig]

I have driven a Saab 95 estate with paddle shift and I used it from approx 3 weeks during G8 (it was our hire car :thumbs up:)

I have to say I used the paddle shift a lot and loved it, hardly ever using the auto only if I was stuck in traffic - best of both worlds I would say... :smilewinkgrin:

you just need that supercharger whine now malcolm... :Whistle::clap:

[Gismo]

And i tried it on the M3 and absolutely hated it, just couldn't get the hang of it :blush: but that was more my fault than the device itself :Whistle:

[Mini Ecosse]

Our other car is an auto with paddle shifts.

Love them, used a lot. :thumbs up:

[Scottie]

I found the paddle shift in our V10 to be very handy come the winter. In that beast is was a safe way to slow the car when the roads were covered in ice and snow

[Mini Ecosse]

I found the paddle shift in our V10 to be very handy come the winter. In that beast is was a safe way to slow the car when the roads were covered in ice and snow

Ditto:thumbs up:

[stoney]

i have driven an audi with it and loved it but also love my gears just fell that it more of a shure thing and less to go wrong also dont like how its push and pull to go up and down would prefer if it was one paddle for up and one for down

[GCA3N]

I found the paddle shift in our V10 to be very handy come the winter. In that beast is was a safe way to slow the car when the roads were covered in ice and snow


I followed Ian and Rita from Northern Mini on the twilight run. They have a flappy paddle thing on their R53 and they drove practically all day hardly using the brakes. It was actually hard to keep up on the bends,(No comments Baz) while I was having to dab the brakes they were just flipping down a gear. Now you could argue that I could have used the gears too but on tight twisting roads and driving quite spirited I did'nt really want to hold the steering wheel only with one hand. If I had the choice I would have an auto box with paddle shift.

[zimbo]

Sorry but autos for me have always been classed as an 'old mans car' (Except you Andy & Lenore...) was brought up hearing that phrase.

The only times that I have ever driven an auto has been both times that I have been to the US and had rental cars and thats all. Don't know If I could live with it permanently though...

I am one of these people who loves changing gear myself and there is also the fact that if anything goes wrong with the auto box it is going to be WAY more expensive to repair than a manual box.

Never had the chance to drive a car with flappy paddles yet, so can't comment on what that is like, but would be willing to give it a go to see so I can give an opinion next time round :D (any F430 owners willing to give me shot?)

So Malcolm I have come to the conclusion that you must be get old then, if you are considering this auto? :lol:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Zimbo, you should really try and drive an auto with a DSG gearbox that should make you change your mind (especially as a DSG gearbox can change gear faster than anyone driving a manual).:thumbs up:

Another thing to bear in mind is some people don't drive autos because they are lazy but because they want to or have a medical condition that makes driving a manual awkward or impossible (all just my opinion).

Anyone who ever wants me to take them out in our MINI's and show them what a DSG gearbox can do, just give me a shout.:thumbs up:

L:D

[doogz__]

The only auto cars with flappy paddles i've ever driven are a Mk golf GT TDi, and a C2 VTR.

Hated the two of them. Aside from the fact i don't do auto's, and the gearchange is remarkably slow (not like the Ferrari you'd have driven, not quite the same technology) i just didn't like the paddles. I much prefer to use the stick to bump up or down a gear.

And the problem i find with that, is that they're always the wrong way around.

Forward is supposed to be down a gear, back is up!

[doogz__]

Zimbo, you should really try and drive an auto with a DSG gearbox that should make you change your mind (especially as a DSG gearbox can change gear faster than anyone driving a manual).:thumbs up:


The thing that annoys me though, isn't the speed of the gearchange.

I don't doubt they are incredibly quick to change gear, apparently a DSG box is actually quicker than the Ferarri 430's sequential manual box at changing gears.

What i dont like, is that it doesn't change gear when you tell it. It changes gear a half a second later, when it feels like it, by which time in a manual, i could have changed gear and been off again!

[ianking]

I have driven both manual and paddle versions of the E46 M3 and much prefered the manual.

However I have driven both manual and auto versions of the E60 5 series and it would have to be auto all the way for me.
I have driven many big 4wd motors such as Range Rovers and these things are far nicer as an auto.

I think its all about the size of the car. A big car for me anyway is far far nicer as an auto but a small hot hatch car has to be a manual for me.

I drove an original CVT Cooper r50 when I had it as a courtesy car and it was awful.
However not driven the newer DSG boxed car, but I still think hot hatches should be manual.

[doogz__]

With automatic gearboxes, you really need an engine with plenty of torque, to smooth out the gearchanges. The Cooper S has a fair amount tbf, but i'd imagine an auto box in a NA mini must be pretty jerky if you're in a hurry. never used one though, so i'm just guessing

[Scottie]

Is it correct to call the auto/gearbox in the mini a DSG (direct shift) box???? I thought that term belonged only to VW group and Audi.

Should the Mini not be called semi automatic or in a style similar to DSG.??

I've no idea that's why I am asking.

[stoney]

it is a dsg box i know i was told its the same as auldi dont know if that bit is true tho

[AndyP & Lenore]

Is it correct to call the auto/gearbox in the mini a DSG (direct shift) box???? I thought that term belonged only to VW group and Audi.

Should the Mini not be called semi automatic or in a style similar to DSG.??

I've no idea that's why I am asking.


Our R53 has an Audi DSG gearbox, can't remember what make the R56 is.:blush:

L:D