Throttle response will be sharper and the steering should be heavier. If you have the dynamic suspension (DDC), then it will also stiffen that up...assuming it hasn’t been disabled in the settings.
As you get more pops and bangs in sport mode surely there must be some changes to the fueling as well? with my pro exhaust flap open in sport i get 3 pops in a row each time i let off the gas (as though 3 drops of unburnt fuel is added to the exhaust - how it seems anyway).
I have a problem because I have used sport and sports transmission already in my first few hundred miles...
2020 Mini Cooper S auto here with no pops and bangs but maybe once it’s run in a bit more then I might hear something.
As i mentioned earlier, IMO pops and bangs come from driving hard above certain RPMs, not because you switch driving modes (unless the cars with GPF have it turned off completely). Though one thing definitely helps another.
Once your break-in period is over, try driving harder to see if you get pops and bangs. Switching everything into sports mode helps of course.
Well, the guys have described everything above.
I'd also like to mention that also in Sport mode your minimal revs will go up to ~2K as opposed to ~1-1.2K in Mid when cruising, which helps pick up some speed whenever you need it. Also, your torque converter lock will become more aggressive, you'll feel that when going off a traffic light.
And IMHO pops and bangs don't really depend on mid\sport settings, they depend on your RPMs but sport get your RPM higher so.... you get pops. I mean, you can get pops all right even in mid.
To summarize all of the above
More agressive and "early" throttle (which in turn results in later upshifts and holding RPMs longer as well as more prone to pops and bangs)
I think you have an LCI model, possibly with the GPF... and if you do have the GPF then I think that you won't get bangs/pops At least that's what I've heard/read. Hope I'm wrong because the bangs/pop do add a lot of fun.
Our Clubby has a valve in one of the exhausts which I am sure is affected ie opened in sport mode. As above 1200km or 1000 miles and it's ready to go-I steadily opened it up.