Description Reviews The Helix short shifter is the simplest, shortest one on the market. Other kits "shorten" the throw by using a short-stalk shift lever, forcing the driver to reach down by their right knee to make shifts. This kit retains the proper shift knob position while providing the shortest throw available for the MC or MCS. The kit can be installed with jack stands and typical mechanical tools in about 1 hour. There are three units to choose from. -(Left)The early '02-'03 will fit any Cooper or Cooper S on the Gen 1 cars. The '04 - current -(Middle) Fits any Cooper or Cooper S on the Gen 1 cars and ALL Gen 2 cars in the the model line up. -(Right)The last one is for all Gen 3 cars and will fit all F cars. Have any questions? Give us a call! Note: As with all short shifters on the market, the box cover cannot re reinstalled. The aluminum heat shield will also need to have a small dip hammered into it to help it clear well. We have been running like this on our personal car since 2003 without a single issue. Instructions Download 5 Reviews 5 Mini Cooper Helix short shifter Posted by Ken on 17th Jul 2023 Well made product, perfect fit, easy installation once you get everything out of the way. Made the car even more fun to drive (if that's possible). 5 Relatively Simple Upgrade to Shifting! Posted by Bishop D on 30th Dec 2020 I installed this on my '16 Mini Cooper F56 JCW. Fortunately on the Gen 3, you don't have to go from underneath the car. I had to go over the install instructions several times in removing the center console just because I wanted to make sure I didn't break anything. It was tedious, but certainly not difficult. The end result is a tighter shift feeling and shorter throw. It is a bit harder getting into reverse, but that's actually not a bad thing. Otherwise it feels great. 4 5 stars for how well it works - 2 stars for directions/info Posted by TMS on 27th Feb 2017 It's a pleasure to drive with the shorter shift throw- very nice feeling! HOWEVER, this must not matter to many others, but it did to me! Did you know that this mod prevents you from putting the nice gasketed cover back on the underside of your shifter box? I doubt the elements will damage anything since the heat shield provides generous coverage but the risk is fumes getting into the car. You can easily see light when you look up into the car (through the shift linkage) around shifter boot/trim, which means an exhaust leak, oil burning off, etc (deadly CO would be the biggest risk) can easily get drawn into the cabin, esp if a window is cracked and the cab is under a negative pressure. The courtesy of a heads-up from the mfg at the time of purchase would have been appreciated. I do plan to modify the cover, as I see mod’d covers are avail for 2007 & newer, that make space for the longer shift linkage. The install is easy for a mechanical person but the website’s written instructions leave a bit to be desired. For example, how do you all get the gasketed plastic cover off since the tabs are not particularly accessible? 5 Great mod to add to the enjoyment of your mini! Posted by Jason Morse on 24th Feb 2017 This definitely made the shifter feel so much better. For a short amount of money and a little bit of wrench time I would absolutely recommend this. I did mine while I was doing the turbo oil line replacement since I already had the exhaust undone. I found it easier to remove the exhaust from the flex pipe back to gain easy access to the shift box. I also modified the shift box cover so that I could re-use it. 5 Simple, inexpensive improvement to the feel of your shifting Posted by Will on 11th Oct 2016 I did this install myself, although I suppose you could have a shop do it. It's relatively easy to do as long as your car isn't terribly rusted. The interior of the car looks the same, no visible changes with your shifter. The feel is much better when shifting, and, in my opinion, is how a sports car should be.
5 Mini Cooper Helix short shifter Posted by Ken on 17th Jul 2023 Well made product, perfect fit, easy installation once you get everything out of the way. Made the car even more fun to drive (if that's possible).
5 Relatively Simple Upgrade to Shifting! Posted by Bishop D on 30th Dec 2020 I installed this on my '16 Mini Cooper F56 JCW. Fortunately on the Gen 3, you don't have to go from underneath the car. I had to go over the install instructions several times in removing the center console just because I wanted to make sure I didn't break anything. It was tedious, but certainly not difficult. The end result is a tighter shift feeling and shorter throw. It is a bit harder getting into reverse, but that's actually not a bad thing. Otherwise it feels great.
4 5 stars for how well it works - 2 stars for directions/info Posted by TMS on 27th Feb 2017 It's a pleasure to drive with the shorter shift throw- very nice feeling! HOWEVER, this must not matter to many others, but it did to me! Did you know that this mod prevents you from putting the nice gasketed cover back on the underside of your shifter box? I doubt the elements will damage anything since the heat shield provides generous coverage but the risk is fumes getting into the car. You can easily see light when you look up into the car (through the shift linkage) around shifter boot/trim, which means an exhaust leak, oil burning off, etc (deadly CO would be the biggest risk) can easily get drawn into the cabin, esp if a window is cracked and the cab is under a negative pressure. The courtesy of a heads-up from the mfg at the time of purchase would have been appreciated. I do plan to modify the cover, as I see mod’d covers are avail for 2007 & newer, that make space for the longer shift linkage. The install is easy for a mechanical person but the website’s written instructions leave a bit to be desired. For example, how do you all get the gasketed plastic cover off since the tabs are not particularly accessible?
5 Great mod to add to the enjoyment of your mini! Posted by Jason Morse on 24th Feb 2017 This definitely made the shifter feel so much better. For a short amount of money and a little bit of wrench time I would absolutely recommend this. I did mine while I was doing the turbo oil line replacement since I already had the exhaust undone. I found it easier to remove the exhaust from the flex pipe back to gain easy access to the shift box. I also modified the shift box cover so that I could re-use it.
5 Simple, inexpensive improvement to the feel of your shifting Posted by Will on 11th Oct 2016 I did this install myself, although I suppose you could have a shop do it. It's relatively easy to do as long as your car isn't terribly rusted. The interior of the car looks the same, no visible changes with your shifter. The feel is much better when shifting, and, in my opinion, is how a sports car should be.