Hello everyone, I just placed an order for a 2011 Cooper S since I could not find one in stock with the options I wanted.

It was a bitter sweet moment for me since It meant moving on from my DD which was a Stage II 2002 WRX sedan. I loved the Subie for all these years but after it turned over 192,000mi last week...I felt it was time to move on. The car has given me no issues (still on stock clutch & turbo) over the 10+ yrs of ownership...hopefully the Mini will do the same. One thing is for sure, during the test drive the Cooper S held its own against my WRX in terms of handling & road feel.

So, very soon the Mini will join its older brother...my M3 which only gets flogged on special drives .

I look forward to contributing & learning about the Cooper S in the near future on this terrific forum.

 

Welcome! Interesting to hear that the MINI compares favorably to the Subies. While you will be going without the AWD, I'm certain that you will love the MINIs capabilities.

 

Yes, I am going to miss the AWD...hopefully a good set of snow tires will suffice for the not so harsh southern Ohio winters.

 

Looks pretty good for 10 years old. I had a Baja for a few years in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Which just happens to be the second coldest capital city in the world! The AWD was great in any kind of snow.

Buck