Hello Everyone!! I currently own a 2002 Corvette Z06. It is a great car. However, looking to the future, I am finding the price of new Z06's going through the roof!! For the past few weeks, I have been looking at new 2006 Mini S JCW's. I am looking for anyone's opinion or input about selling the Z06 and buying a Mini.

 

Go with the Cooper S w/JCW or the JCW GP edition - you'll have more fun on the twisties, and insurance premiums are waaaaaay lower.

Of course, you also have to consider the audience here...

 

Corvettes are faster. Minis corner better. IMHO I think Minis are much better looking (but I am a bit biast ) Ditto what crazy said regarding lower insurance cost on the Mini.

Welcome to NAM !!!

 

They are completely different cars. Different ride characteristics, performance, economy, everthing. Different visceral experience, different reactions from other people when they see them.

One is a sports car, the other a sporty coupe.

They're both very good at what they do. You should drive the Mini, a good long test drive, and see how you like it. Remember of course in the Mini you can carry 4 adults in a pinch, OR fold down the back seat and have far more carrying space than you'd ever have in the Vette.

Get both.

Question to the community: the 06 JCW's would all be dealer leftovers, right?

 

Maybe if everyone is under 5'8"ish. Doesn't work with 6'3" folks. There is NO backseat period. Only a child sitting crosslegged would survive in our backseat..... guess that's why we never take anyone with us.

 

Oh, I dunno.. I recently went somewhere where two of my passengers were over 6' (one in the co-pilot's spot, the other in the back).. and the one in the back didn't have any complaints as I might have expected (especially since I, at 5'8" insisted on driving)

 

My last car was a new 2001 Vette(modded) which I sold and bought a 05 MCS (July '04 build). I love my MINI. Coming from a string of modded muscle cars: 5.0 Mustang and a LS1 '98 Camaro to name a few I have never regretted the change. Oh, when I hear a muscle car, there is a little heart tug, but not enough to make me regret my choice. My current plan is to get an '08 MCS JCW. I traded sub 5 second 0-60 for fun ALL the time. Geez, I even have fun backing the MINI out of my garage. And, my neighbors appreciate their windows not rattling when I use to rev up my old muscle cars.

 

unless every road is straight, a mini would be neat. a lot cheaper, you can JCW it or dont bother (my recommendation) and customize it later with someone like DINAN or another dealer authorized modification company.

I put 15" rims on the car. jcw is 18 inch. your teeth will fall out due to some of the JCW mods, a vette has much more smooth of a suspension compared to a JCW. Unless of course is it just a 1 day a week car that you sometimes bring to a track, then JCW with 18's is a great option. You probably have no idea what I am talking about, unless you went to a dealer and chatted.

The 06 vette community is like a nostalgia laden/wealthy only community vs mini which has a lot of character.

not to mention the mini is MUCH cheaper to insure.

obviously a vette is faster in many ways, but that's of little consequence in a world of traffic and 55mph speed limits. I had a racing type of car once like that, was good for 2 seconds and then you have to take your foot off the gas. Mini can speed up and stay the speed around a turn for 1/3 the price.

even a mini regular has insane handling

 

agreed, 6 foot person can be in front and other tall people can sit in back. my friend drove it and he's 350 lbs and 6 4. not only are his legs long but he's huge (works out just a bit eh?) The MA who was 6 1 sat behind him without bowing his legs all that much. enough for an hour drive. 4 hours, no way unless they were youthful types.

Side note: the scion TC cannot fit someone above 5 6" in the rear without hitting your head!!! i was shocked and so slammed my cash down on the mini right away. leg room was good but head room was bizarre. a lot of cars have this problem where the backseat peoples' headroom is miniscule, midsized cars included.

 

Since I don't fit in a Vette, Mini is the way to go. Besides, can your Vette keep a couple cans of drinks cold in the glove box?

 

Keep 'em both!
MINI as the everyday driver and the Vette for special occasions!
That's a great combo...I'd love to have it.

 

It will depend on what your life's priorities are at this time. I've always wanted to buy a new corvette since the late 60's and have driven quite a few. Even had a used one for awhile (78). I'm still a big corvette fan. But when the opportunity came for me to get a personal car mainly for commuting purposes came up, I ended up getting my MCS. My wife would have supported me getting a Corvette also. But at this time in my life, I think I put good handling (not that the Vette handles bad) and practicality, over brute force (not that the MCS is any slouch).

The MINI and the vette are quite different beasts and both would put a smile on my face when driving.

My only possible reqret will be having gone through life always wanting to own and drive a new vette and not doing it. But that's not a big regret because I have a MINI that surprises on who well it handles and goes.

 

Personally, I hate vettes ... always have. Check the Car Bashing thread ... its my bash. No matter how fast the car is our how much you get for the money, it still haunts you that you get a dash or interior plastics from a Chevy belair, impala or whatever.

That said, if they cars were the SAME price ... no contest ... VETTE all the way.

As to handling ... put the same driver behind a new C6 and a new JCW ... no contest. By by MINI

 

I haven't done a direct comparison myself, but I'm skeptical that the Z06 is slower in the twisties than the MINI, at least a Z06. My dad's had 3 Z06s and his current one is a phenomenally handling car. They're quiet low and the power and sound from that LS6 is addicting. His main beef with his has been quality issues. Shaking hood, rough ride, but the '04 Anniversary Z06 seems to have fixed them.
However, I would say that unless you're a power-junkie, the MINI is more fun to drive. Plus it's got that back seat.
And my dad gets enjoyment out of occasionally taking my '03 MCS out for a spin, even though he's got Z06 and an '02 DINAN 540i to choose from.

 

Agree. Specially because you have the Z06. . This is wierd. You want a MINI and I want a Vette someday. Keeping the MINI of course.

 

I had an '02 6 speed corvette with the Z51 suspension, and I traded it in on a cooper s. The mini is a real fun car, but you will miss the power of the corvette. The corvette Z06 is a real beast, great handling with looks and power to match. That is a tough choice, especially since you have a Z06. I would ask myself if I value all out performance or a really fun car like the mini.

 

At my last track day I was out with some Corvettes. I could keep up, and in some cases pass, the Corvettes in the twistys. Especialy in the morning when the track was wet (I have the LSD). But, when we got around to the straight the Corvette naturally got back ahead of me.

The MINI may not have the raw power of the Vet, but it is a very peppy little car and has enough power for legal daily driving. Yet you can still scare the heck out of your passangers taking a clover-leaf at 70 mph.

 

Amen to that. I was even brushing my head against the ceiling when I was driving the TC and I'm only 5' 11". The TC is a great car for the price but the MINI has far more personality. People always wonder how a big guy like me can drive around in such a small car but I never even feel cramped driving such a small car around. In fact it feels just as spacious as my old 95 Accord.

As for the Corvette vs. Cooper S. Its hard to compare because they are such different cars. I'd go for a Cooper S especially if it was a matter of price. If I was up in the Corvette Z06 range I'd probably go for an M3 or Cayman instead.

 

Well, it's really interesting comparison. When I was buying my first MINI, I was thinking of VW GTI and Audi A3, but not Corvette or something else in similar class. I never drove Vette and, to be honest, never wanted. I know they are very good cars. My friend sells them and keeps asking me to test drive one, knowing I am a big car enthusiast: it just doesn't compel.

I drove for the first time when I was 6 (manual transmission) and since then liked to test drive different models and see how they feel. I bought my first MINI Cooper S Automatic in March '05 after test driving it for one block only. Three weeks ago I received my new JCW and traded in the other one. I can't explain how it feels... actually I can: it feels like the most comfortable pair of pants and shoes with a rocket attached to them

I value car's handling performance more than top speed or 0-60 time, since I find it boring when drag-racing or circling NASCAR style. And when it comes to slaloming the MINI is faster than Corvette, Viper, Porsche and Lamborghini. My JCW is a blast to drive. The only modifications I've done is replacing the stock sway-bar with 19MM H&R and fitted the car with 18" OZ Ultraleggeras with high performance tires and the under-steering is gone.

About the interior space: if you buy a MINI and complain about its limited space, then you're in a wrong Community. I drove my '05 MINI 2050 miles in one week with my wife and 2 daughters, (12 and 16 years old) in the back, from LA to Monterey California and Flagstaff Arizona through Santa Barbara, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and back to LA (MINI Takes the States event). I am 5'11", my wife is 5'10" and daughters over and around 5' as well. No one asked me to stop because they weren't comfortable in the car. It was just pure fun. By the way: I didn't have any roof rack, since everything we needed for one week travel fitted in the boot. Don't forget: the car has more leg room in the front and head room than most cars in its class.

This is one of the few cars I can customize the way I want. I don't want to drive any other car other than my JCW. I will buy an M3 and Ferrari when I can afford, but not as replacement for my MINI, they will be parked next to each other

Good luck with your decision!

 

the Vette is a faster car, without a doubt, but the Mini is more playfull and enjoyable all the time. It's also more car than most can use right out of the box, like the vette is as well.

Matt

 

Interesting dialog and especially since I own a new Corvette and took early delivery of the GP in Monterey. I drive the Corvette every so often for fun and it's a wonderful car. If I only had one car it would be the MINI. I still enjoy driving my MCS, even though of course I'm selling it now that I've got the GP. No one car will do everything be everything. I'm lucky to be able to have both types of cars, but if I could only drive one car, it's probably be a Cayman S. Oh, wait a minute, that's a different subject altogether! Considering the money and the "fun to drive aspect" I really think I'd consolidate to "just" the MINI if that were necessary. Obviously, drive the MINI as much as you can, if possible, before you make your decision. It's a delightful choice to make, and there really are several great cars to choose from these days. Regarding MCS vs MCS with JCW, well, my MCS is still so much fun to drive, even in comparison to the GP, so the money is going to have to factor in to the equation. I bought the MCS to keep for a long time, then the GP came out, the rest is history. To me, the MINI feels like a home run in terms of a car you can enjoy for a very long time.

 

freez3 has the right idea.

 

Funny, I just sold my 2002 Z06. I still have my MCS as my daily driver and like it alot. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a mini will satisfy any need you have for acceleration. It's fun but don't let anyone tell you stock Mini's are fast -but that's not the point of the car. If anything, you will forever be ruined to anything that won't dependably run 0-60 in less than 4 seconds (depending on driver) after selling the vette. I'm going through the process of finding a suitable weekend replacement for the vette. Not as easy as I thought. That said, I do like my MCS VERY much - hell, I kept it and sold the 'vette didn't I? It's comfortable and a great commuter car - and it's fun in the canyons. The JCW stuff is cool, helps resale a bit but the performance gains could be had for less money if you are willing to mod yourself. My 0.02.

Matt

 

I thought you left???

 

So far I haven't been haunted a whole lot. I simply replaced the interior.





Jacob