Here’s a YouTube snippet of video from Alberquerque – but it’s really the sound not the video that’s excellent 🙂
Listen (and watch) Matt hauling his nearly new GP up Sandia Crest back in August (Matt says this video is courtesy of the Alberquerque MINI club – I’m sorry that I don’t have a link to them!)
Fireball Tim has posted part II of their MINI Takes The States video documentary; head over to CarTV to watch …
(also, and un-associated with Fireball Tim, check this post by Murray over on MurMINI, which links to a “sneak peak” of what will hopefully become the official-and-available-for-purchase-on-DVD MTTS video! UPDATE: The video has been removed now, but you can see it on Google Video here – thanks for the update, Murray!)
Read the review here:
… More important, then, is the spread of power, and this was enough to vault the car from rest to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. That’s 0.5-second quicker than the 207-hp John Cooper Works Mini … the GP handles extremely well, pulling 0.90 g on the skidpad, a Mini record … With only 415 Mini GPs coming our way, the prominent rear wing, unique color combination, body kit, and lack of a rear seat (a rear strut-tower brace now occupies that space) differentiate this car, making it instantly identifiable as an exclusive collectible. We do hope you got your deposit in on time.
Will it be as much fun to drive?
Visit the Horizon Hobby website for more pics, or to order … And just like the real thing, supplies are limited!
An interesting response to NAM member DarkMiniCooperS from GNK, who created the LSD in our GPs:
Thanks for your recent enquiry on GKN’s website and nice to hear good things about our ‘SuperLSD’.
The design life for the differential is equal to that of the vehicle – call it 150,000 miles – but that depends on usage and maintenance. The main wear related effects will be a gradual drop-off in torque biasing capability (called ‘TBR’) and an inevitable increase in the propensity to make noise when working hard. These two aspects are common for all torque biasing LSDs irrespective of the mechanical layout of the LSD or it’s manufacturer.
The TBR of the SuperLSD that you have fitted into your Mini is in the range 1.8 to 2. As you say it is noticeable enough to be useful, but does not introduce the issues related to high TBR devices in front wheel drive vehicles. I tested two Mini’s back to back on a frozen Swedish lake a couple of years ago and the LSD equipped vehicle had better traction (obviously), but more importantly was much more settled backing off the throttle into bends. It was easier to drive quickly that the open differential car.
Since it sounds like you are an enthusiast you need to pay attention to maintenance. I would recommend that you keep a close eye on the level and condition of your transmission fluid. Always use the BMW recommended fluid, since it was developed for this application. An expensive aftermarket fluid might work just as well, but it may also have dire consequences for your seals, bearings, gears or the LSD. It may also affect your shift quality. Be vigilant for noise during split mu launches or repetitive hard cornering. The differential is not being damaged, but the fluid is being overworked and overheated and hence the potential need to renew it.
GPMINI.net 