It was fun! I think I would've had more fun if I'd known the road better. I'm not a great driver, but I've been driving my Z long enough to feel the difference between RWD and FWD. Imagine my surprise when I took a late apex in a MINI. =P Anyway, I had fun, and I stand by my comment that it's on my wish list.

 

Yes, I drove the 350Z Track version once and felt that they are quite different cars. No offense but I felt the Z less mobile in the sense that my Mini reacts to my steering quicker than the longer and heavier Z. Yet having said that, the grunt in the Nissan was something else. Low down, there is a lot more torque to play with and anywhere in the rev range, the Z is (ouch...) quicker. Yet I still stand by my choice and I still prefer the Mini....

Cheers

 

If I'd've test driven the Z *and* the MINI, my choice would've been harder. Probably still the same, though. Now I just have to find a girlfriend with a MINI ... or start saving for a second car.

 

longbowe: I test drove the Z after having purchased the MINI, and I agree with you, if I had driven both before purchasing, it would have been a much more difficult decision. :smile:

 

Longbowe,

I was like you, I had a 1998 M3, and when the MINI first came out, I wanted one so bad, but had just gotten my car, so I convinced my girl friend to get a MCS. We put the order in and began our 12 month wait for it. In the mean time my girl friend really needed a car, so we bit the bullet a bought her a civic. My car was giving me problems and costing $$$ to fix, so I sold the M3 and got the MINI when it finally arrived. Never been happier,

Cheers :smile:

 

Z = nice car, excellent power delivery but aweful and cramped cabin, impractical to no end.

I co-worker has a '03 350Z and while the car rocks I can't stand to sit in it for longer than half an hour. Very poor rear visibility too.

 

>>Z = nice car, excellent power delivery but aweful and cramped cabin, impractical to no end.

I think I mentioned in another thread that for me (5'8", 160lb.), the Z's cabin is not really awful or cramped (the leather helps, and the fact that I got frost, which makes it seem more open). It's absolutely impractical, but that's actually one of the reasons I bought it. No more, "Bruce, can you drive?" except when my friends are offering to let me drive their cars. I can deal with that.

>>I co-worker has a '03 350Z and while the car rocks I can't stand to sit in it for longer than half an hour. Very poor rear visibility too.

Hehe, as a passenger, that's probably true, but thankfully I'm not a passenger. I have a friend who constantly falls asleep in the passenger seat, despite my driving it into the hills. He claims the leather puts him to sleep, but since he works at Enterprise, I've no doubt that his work schedule has something to do with it as well.

The rear visibility was definitely something I noticed. I've since gotten used to it, which doesn't make it less of an itial to potential new owners. The other thing, though, is that I find I don't need it as much as I'm usually leading the pack.

So! Should I try to find a gal with a MINI who doesn't mind a boy with a Z, or should I save up and forget about ever buying a house? Whadday'all say?

 

Hmmm.....what makes you think that if you found a girl with a MINI that she'd let you drive it? She might just be having too much fun to turn over the driver's seat!

 

>>Hmmm.....what makes you think that if you found a girl with a MINI that she'd let you drive it? She might just be having too much fun to turn over the driver's seat!

 

Mmmmmmmmmm... how about living in your MINI?... yeah, that's it, you could live in your car down by the river! AP could pick up on a story of someone who could live in such a small car... you could be famous!

God speed.

 

>>>>Hmmm.....what makes you think that if you found a girl with a MINI that she'd let you drive it? She might just be having too much fun to turn over the driver's seat!

Sorry bro, my g/f has a MCS... I rarely drive it... If I'm really good, she lets me drive her "back-up" car ('97 M3)

 

That settles it, then. I'm gonna hafta win the lottery. Or maybe one of those Hershey's bars I bought will make me lucky!

 

>>I just test drove my first Mini!!!! It took almost two hours on a Saturday to get to a salesperson but it was worth the wait! The salesman drove first and tried to scare us to death or at least my wife in the back seat. I was having a blast! We definetely want the "S" but prefer the chrome on the Cooper. Where did some of you get the chrome for your S?


See this discussion thread:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ic=18808&6