A couple of years ago, I guess in a mid-life crisis, I bought a 911. My wife treated it like it was evil incarnate. Regused to look at it, ride in it, etc. I'd finally had enough of this and got her to agree that, if I got rid of it, I could get a fun daily driver and an autocross toy.

To make a long story short, yesterday I traded the 911 in on 2007 MCS (plus cash) in Laser Blue. The car should arrive at the dealership on 6/18 and be ready for delivery the next day. Right now (well not at this moment) I'm driving around in their MCS demo.

I've already taken a ration of crap from my kids, but told them to build a bridge and get over it - it's my car. My wife still hasn't seen the car, she's visiting her sister and returns the day I take delivery. She does think I have lost my mind, though. Anyone else think the same?

rob

 

I had the opportunity to drive someone's 911 SC up a favorite road. I thought it was kinda gutless, nice, but not what I expected. I always wanted a 911 Turbo.
I have taken the same guy up another favorite road in Swifty, and let him drive too. He was impressed.
Take them on your favorite road. At the end, tell them if they don't like it, walk back.

BTW: Welcome to NAM! I'll stay tuned.

 

We're all a little crazy ... one way or another. Welcome to the MINI-aholic version of crazy! Funny that your wife apparently thought you were nuts when you bought the 911 yet also thinks you lost your mind when you traded it in.

You may miss the 911 one in a while but you'll love the MINI.

 

I want to hear what she says when she finally sees and and, hopefully, drives in it.

I think she'll have a change in heart. After all, who can resist a MINI!

 

Of course, but why else does anyone get a MINI. Welcome to the club.

 

You are not crazy. I have done an 80 mile twisty run with the local Porsche club and at first they wanted nothing to do with me, but after the run, they all started talking to me and asking about Soulfire. What really got them was the fact that I could keep up with most of them in the short straights and ride up on their bumper and stick to them (unfortuniately having to break a few times to slow down) in the twisties.

 

There's really no comparison between a Mini and a modern 911 (eg, 997S).

But the old adage about it being more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow definitely applies to the Mini!

 

What year and what kind? Base car, 997S? GT3?

I dont understand. Why wasn't the 911 a "fun daily driver and autox Toy"? There are lots of PCA autox and of course full on PCA racing. You could turn it into a true race car and go PCA racing.

If your talking a 997, 997S (nm a GT3) ... yeah, ur nuts (sorry, IMO and you asked).

They havent made SCs in 25 years Try that 25 years ago and then compare

 

I don't see anything wrong with your trading a 911 on a MINI, the build quality is great (most of the time), the 07 engine is tourky (sp) with lots of potential, so rest easy. Take your wife for a ride on a nice twisty road, if she like to ride on twisies that is. If not, enjoy it yourself.

If she thinks your 911 was/is evil, wait til she catches the looks you get while driving the MINI.

All in All, enjoy your MINI.
Don S. (old81)

 

It was a 996 model Carrera 2. Tons of power, but not well set up for the sort of autocrosses we have in this area. I also couldn't justify $4K or so for R compounds and wheels (not to mention getting them to the autocross. Now if I had been doing track days...

As far as fun daily driver, yeah it was fun, but the ride was buckboard rough (285/30-18s will do that). Getting in to the MCS felt like going to a Lexus as far as ride goes. Maintenance was also pricey - I could have bought a nice autocross toy for what I spent in maintenance the last 2 years.

I agree with the more fun to drive a slow car fast sentiment - I sold a Miata for the 911.

I think my wife will like the MCS, she already said she wants to drive it and I could barely get her to ride in the 911. She's flying home on Tuesday and the current plan is to pick her up at the airport, then go get the car (assuming nothing goes wrong with the delivery)

rob

 

Why would your wife not get in the 996? When we had a 911, it was my wifes daily driver. I could not get her out of it.

Well, to each their own but there is no way I would dump a 996 for any MINI. Your talking two entirely different leagues here. The maintenaince cost is the price of admission. A few mods, although not cheap, and you can get even more power.

Best of luck. I hope you dont regret this. Especially if your used to the instant power.

 

Great story - no you are not crazy! Welcome to MINI land and I hope your wife REALLY enjoys it... We already know you will...

Donna

 

She just didn't like the car. "It's too ostentatious." "It looks like we're trying to live above our station." (Even though half the cars in the neighborhood cost what the used 911 did.) "I feel like eveyone is looking at us." Well, yeah, there aren't that many daily driven 911s around here, people look when they see one.

I'm not considering the Mini a replacement for the 911, they are obviously two vastly different vehicles. But, face it, where can you use all the capabilities of a 911 in day-to-day driving, without ending up in jail? I though about track days. Several of my co-workers are instructors at VIR. I went over one weekend when I was in the area and got a ride with Wade. It was a blast, but we hadn't finished our first lap when they cut the session off because someone backed a 911 into the bridge. I figured I couldn't afford the repairs if I had an off in the 911.

For the traffic I drive through every day the Mini has more than adequate power and I'm less likely to end up being noticed by the sheriff.

rob

 

Interesting. Well, around here, 911s are common, you see one everyday. I understand what your wife is saying. We bought a 911 way before we should have and it was out of place at the time. But the wife could have cared less, she loved the car. It was "her" dream.

Where can you use it? I'm not sure I buy into that argument, the R56 can do 140 MPH and your 996 177 mph. Where are you going to go 140 mph I think rather, its the holistic POV. Your 996 was built as a drivers car with no compromise to anything else. Sure you felt the bumps ... it is a pure sports car. MINI is not.

However ... best of luck. I hope you enjoy your new car. MINIs are fun ... and cute and your maintenaince should be free for what, 4 years (well not free, your paying for it in the price of the car)? Have fun and I hope your wife loves the MINI!

 

Crazy! I have never driven a 962 (or 911) but it must have been fun. In the interest of dometic harmony, the MINI may have been the better choice.

 

You have a point on the top speed. As far as the ride, I autocrossed my Miata and was too lazy to reset the Konis after an event, just left them at full hard. The ride was nearly as bad as the 911. Realize though, ride was not my complaint, it was my wife's. As far as the 911 being a no compromise driver's car, just hang out on some of the Porsche forums for a while and you will learn that it's nothing but a soft GT car, never mind the capabilities.

I am hoping the cuteness factor will mollify my wife some. As my email sig says, I have AADD - Automotive Attention Deficit Disorder.

rob

 

I do. There are the diehards who think once they went water cooled the game was over but some ppl here think that once the MINI went from supercharger to turbo the car took the wrong direction into more BMW like for the masses. Its somewhat similar to the 911 world.

Actually, except for the GT3 (and GT2), I think they are probably right. It has morphed more into a GT, especially with PASM. Nothing wrong with that, you can get whatever you want if you got the $$ from base car to the GT2!

Oh yeah ... cute. MINIs are cute. You can get your wife involved in "dressing it up". My wife loved to do that

 

I agree with that part -- it's now more GT than sports car (the mandatory PCM was the line in the sand for me ). But I'm one of those diehards that thinks the last 911 really worthy of the name was the 993!

 

You mean PSM, not PCM PCM is nav

I dunno, with the weight in the wrong place, I bet PSM has some some ppl's butts

 

It probably has. However, unlike with the Mini, you can't get a LSD with PSM (at least for the 996 and 997 cars). PSM really interferes if you forget to turn it off when autocrossing (although it does help when there is an inch of standing water).

Whatever, this isn't a Pcar board, it's a Mini board. I'm just looking forward to getting MY car and returning the demo to the dealer. 2 days and counting.

rob

 

No, I meant PCM. Nav is an option which requires PCM, as you probably know...

And, yes, I'm sure PSM saves multiple butts on a daily basis!

 

OK, I get it. Yeah, cupholders too ... imagine that

 

Take the wife for a drive in the Mini. If she doesn't love it...so what! IT's still your car...enjoy!

 

I will. The car arrived at the dealer today, she gets back in town tomorrow. Plan is I pick her up at the airport in the loaner Mini, drop her luggage off and go pick up my car. Can't wait!

 

Congrats & watch out for deer!