Hello all!

This is my first post, and I am writing with hopes of learning some tips from the great people of this site

I am looking to buy new, with an automatic (needed so my wife can drive it as well). I would like to know what the best "cost/benefit" options are for performance and ride.

I used to have a 2001 Porsche 911 convertible, that I bought used in 2006. In 2008 its 60,000 mile service was up, and it had a few mechanical issues. The bill was going to be $12,000, so I traded it in to the dealer. That kind of money is outside of my budget.

Needless to say, I loved the car. What I am looking for, is as close to that experience driving as I can get. The Mini's seem to be that. Any recommendations for options that truly add to the driving experience, and are not just marketing hype would be well appreciated.

I am also looking for a car that doesn't get me the looks the Porsche did. Before the Porsche, I drove a Toyota MR2 Spyder. It looked affordable enough that people would come up to me in parking lots to talk about the car. In the Porsche, everyone seemed to think I was a jerk. I think the Mini would better fit my personality, then say, a used M3 convertible. I think the M3 would still put me in the "you must be a jerk" category. How often does your MINI turn into a conversation piece?

So, to sum up. What options should I get to best improve the driving excitement, and what should I avoid as an expense with little return? And, do you often find people looking at you and smiling, or looking and you and smirking? (I asume it's smiling, I would just like to hear personal accounts! )

Take care, and thanks in advance!

 

OK, but remember this is JMO.

1. Get the standard transmission and teach your wife to drive it. Automatics are fine in rush hour traffic, but the stick is just so much more fun to drive.

2. Get the "S". If you do, you'll not regret it but if you don't you might.

3. Get the sport stripes, look at my photo and you'll know why.

4. Get everything you want when you order. Hindsight is 20/20.

5. Almost everybody thinks MINIs are cute and unless you show yourself to be a jerk, they won't think you are, they'll think you are cool to drive such a cute car.

 

Definately get the "S". It is a huge improvement over the Justa.

If you plan on an aftermarket suspension ie. Adjustable Coil Overs, Sway Bars, Wheels and tires just get the standard suspension. If modding is not your thing, Get the Sport Suspension. You will get better springs, sway bar and 17" wheels. I have the Sport Suspension and love it.

I have the auto air and honestly I never use it. I usually have it on max till the interior cools off and then I adjust it.

I highly recommend the Stereo Upgrade. The standard Mini Stereo is less then good.

Xenon headlight look cool if thats you thing.

I think the Mini looks alot better with Stripes. I see most Minis with them so that must be the concensus.

Best of Luck. My Mini is the funnest vehicle I have ever owned! Please post some pics when you get her.

AXO

 

Forget just S, if you can swing it, get the JCW R57. If you want looks, I got three double takes yesterday when the cars next to mine drivers' looked at the ginormous brakes!

If you want a 911 experience, forget a slushbox at that. and PLEASE don't say you had one on the 911. Please.

 

haha, nope. It was manual. I got the car before I got my wife . When I owned the car, I also had a 4x4 pickup truck. I used it to tow my boat, and to drive in the winter (I live in Minnesota). So part of selling the car, was to also reduce total expenses. I chose to sell both the truck and the car, and go down to one vehicle. I had only three things that were a requirement. It had to tow my boat, drive well in snow, and the top needs to come off. There is only one vehicle made that meets those requirements. Jeep Wrangler. I got a 2009 unlimited. I love the Jeep, but man do I miss the performance. My wife has a 2008 Mazda 3, so the best fit for our family, is to keep the Jeep and swap the Mazda for a MINI. It would be a tuff sell to trade her car in for one she can't drive though.

I agree with AustinS however. I should teach her how to drive a standard, and skip the auto. I should see if she is up for that!

Hmm... I have a racing seat w/Logitech G25 wheel, pedals and shifter, a PS3, and GT5. I wonder how well that would work as a simulator?

 

If you are coming from a Porsche just go straight to the JCW.

 

The JCW is around 6 grand more then the S. Can you really tell a difference between the two? I mean for 20% more cost. I am sure there is a difference, just curious if you all think there is a much noticeable difference.

 

Yes. Take a Cooper for a test drive then take the Cooper S out and finally a JCW. The you decide for yourself. I drove a bunch of different cars when I was evaluating MINIs including a first gen convertible, a R56 Cooper S and a JCW.

The JCW won. No comparison. Might be a bit different now as the Cooper S has a bit more horsepower.

Take them all for a drive and then come back and tell us what you went home with.

 

I am planing on going next weekend to the dealership (it's 2 hours away). I will drive both an S and a JCW. I know I am not getting the entry model.

Last question . Is there noticeable diference in drive between the cabrio and the coupe? I don't think my dealership has a JCW convertible in stock.

 

I do not think its going to make that much of a difference if you test drive a hardtop, convertible or Clubman JCW. You want to check the acceleration and the braking.

Maybe others that have a Cabrio or Clubman JCW can chime in.

 

There is a huge difference between a cabrio and coupé. Nothing can compare to topless motoring for the sheer pleasure it gives. Having driven a 911 drophead you know of what I speak so go for it. Just keep the canvas clean and treated. The only time the top is up here is for rain or when the co-pilot says she's had all the fun she can stand.

 

We meant with respect to performance. For example, my 2001 911 was no match for the same car in a coupe around a track. It just didn't handle as well (Porsche has fixed that now). I wanted to make sure if I test drove a drop top S, and a hard top JCW, I was testing Apples to Apples around the corners.

 

OK then, when I got this MINI I was all excited to get it on the solo track untill it was all clay barred, polished and waxed then I decided not to spread cone juice all over it. I tracked a TR and a borrowed D Jag back in the '60s but don't have the heart to do the same with my MINI. As far as stability thru the chicanes, this little fella doesn't break a sweat. I've driven the hills of MO and AK very agressively without crossing the lines or braking traction and not been disappointed. I don't think you would be either. But still, hard driving aside, you and I both know there is nothing more satisfying than a beautiful any season drive through the countryside with the wind in your hair. JCW cabrio it is then.

 

From my driving experience, I think the coupe and cabrio perform pretty much the same, however the perception with the top down is that the cabrio performs better. I know that running hard on The Dragon, with the top down, is a thrilling experience. But then, I came to the MINI cabrio from a Gold Wing, so the open air is what I love.

 

I opted for a Hardtop S with a pano sunroof for security reasons. South Florida is palgued with burglaries of vehicles. I tend to carry my laptop and Zune with me on daily jaunts. The Sunroof was a nice compromise. The suspension on the drop top is also alittle different from the coupe. (Part #s different for suspension parts)

The JCW is Super Nice, but for $6K you can modify your S to run circles around a stock JCW.

Just my $.02

P.S. My wife learned to drive a stick in one outing. She loves it now.

 

Congrats, now get some pictures up.

 

I love it... comments go up about all kind of neat stuff but nobody's happy until pictures are posted (me neither). Maybe the banner on the home page needs an update to say don't post a thing 'till you've got a picture included.

 

Yea, I thought the same thing. I would be worried about violating the warrantee however.

 

You could buy a regular S and add the JCW kit at the dealer for less than a factory JCW and it could be an automatic if you have to have it...

 

I haven't driven that many convertibles but I can tell you the Cooper is really solid. We test drove the EOS before the Cooper and that car was a joke. There was so much body wiggle it wasn't even funny.

 

Odd being the EOS is a purpose built convertible.

It’s good to know the MINI is a stiff drop top. I figured it should be, being it’s a small light car, but I worry because cutting off the roof is an afterthought with its design.

I think I will ask to drive both an R56 S, and an R57 S, to see if I can tell the difference in performance. If I can't, then the JCW R56 should be good enough. I am getting excited for this weekend!

 

That is drawing a straight line from an unwarranted asumption directly to a foregone conclusion. No afterthought at all.

The following is an educational thread showing their toughness. I was admitted to the clan by virtue of a cosmetic interior mod expanding the group from just T.I.T.S to T.I.T.S & A.R.S.E (Anti Rollover Support Enthusiasts.)

https://www.northamericanmotoring.com...e-society.html

 

Show me where for $6k you can get different pistons, intake, transmission, clutch and keep the factory warranty in tact?

It's like saying, hell, get a 911, what they charge extra for that turbo you can do lots to your 911 to make it faster. Silliness.

 

+1

As the man says, "open air is where it's at!"

 

What I meant by the convertible not being purpose built, is that the design of the car was fixed before a convertible was thought of. The car is made my BMW, so I am sure when they made a convertible out of it, they reengineered the car to keep its structural rigidity. But a lot of the time when you do this, you add weight. This is even more noticeable in a light car.

It’s good to hear the MINI convertible is as capable as the hardtop. This makes me even more excited to get one!