Well, the MINI has been fantastic, and I have almost no complaints. It's been fun, it's been entertaining, and it's been popular - but I crave more power!

First off I'll tell you that everything you guys love about the MINI, I love about the MINI. It gets positive responses everywhere, it looks fantastic, it drives like a grown up go kart - it's awesome.

But it's not what I want right now. Driving this car hard is like having a friendly tussle with a big, friendly puppy. I'm not saying I want a brawl with a rabid junkyard dog, but I'm looking for something more risky and hard-edged.

I've narrowed down my search to two cars, and I know the response to them is going to be colored with all sorts of prejudices, but I thought I'd ask anyway...

Porsche Boxster S or Corvette Z06?

I love going to the track, so this would be a track tool as well as a road car.

Any recommendations?

 

Go test-drive them both! Then come back and tell us about them! Hubby has an older 'Vette, so I understand the attraction. The Boxster is very nice. Good luck! :smile:


Clover

 

I would go to a specialty car rental agency and rent one of each for a weekend before you make the decision to buy one or the other. It is worth a few hundred dollar investment. My ex roommate was a very high end auto broker in Hollywood and I have driven nearly every exotic car there is - Porsches, Lamborghini’s, Ferraris, special edition Corvettes, etc. With the exception of the Bentley, I cannot think of one that I would actually enjoy driving every day. The power is fun. But the maintenance expense, worrisome parking, horrible gas mileage, exploitative insurance costs, typically rapid depreciation, and everything else that goes with the ownership of this type of car is just not enough to offset the extra - mostly unusable - power in my opinion. I can honestly say that the MINI is the best bang for the buck. Plus I have found the people in the MINI communty to be the most pleasant. But if money ain’ no thang, go for it. You gotta love what you drive.

 

?

 

the new ZO6 is hot. but it's hard to zip in and out of traffic in. if more power is what you want i am sure it's out there. i hear someone here is reaching 300 HP in there twincharged mini. the power to weight ratio will be almost as good as the vette. make sure you have all the options for to let it go. good luck

 

I had the same question in 2002. I drove a few boxsters ("S" included) and liked the car but when I drove the Z06, there was no doubt that I HAD to have one. Sure the fit and finish isn't like a German car but there are plenty of options in the aftermarket world to fix that. But I will warn you, after you are used to the power of a Z06 you will think EVERYTHING you sit in is slow. As far as driveability... I have 20,000 miles and counting on mine. I've driven it everyday for the last year or so and love it. Don't buy a boxster until you give the Z06 a day in court.

Heres mine:



Oh, and as far as gas mileage is concerned... The current Z06 gets 28 mpg on the highway and it's not awful in town as long as you keep you foot out of it.

Matt

 

I still have to sell my car (I haven't even put it on the market yet hahaha - the MINI is difficult to part with), so I've got some time to decide. I'll definately go out and test drive both before I do.

And to explain why I'm not going for the twincharged MINI - I saw a Z06 on Ebay with a Buy It Now of $28,000 - I can sell my MINI for $23, so that means it's actually cheaper to buy the Vette than to install the turbo!!! I haven't looked as much at the Boxster market, but it's been parallel with the corvette most times I've seen it.

Thanks for the input guys- you guys rock.

 

I see you are in Los Angeles, too. If you want to go for a ride in my Z06 or have any questions about these cars, let me know. Also, if you have the budget, try to buy a 2002 or newer Z06 - 385 hp vs 405. Geeez, I hope the buy it now you saw was for a 2001. My $0.02.

Matt

 

I came this (" ") close to buying a late model Z06 before settling on a nice, slightly used Mini S. I don't regret the choice. However, there is nothing like the Z06 for pure, raw power and fun, and I'd have one in a heart beat if the budget could allow for it. Drive it and you will be very, very impressed.

One thought, though. Almost anyone who seriously considers a choice between a Corvette and a Porsche is going to choose the Porsche. They are two completely different animals, and anyone who's drawn to a Porsche probably is drawn to fine engineering and racing heritage. The Corvette has a nice heritage, but it is not highly engineered by any means.

My Mini may go on sale if my wife grows tired of it. I just bought this for myself. :smile: :smile: :smile: Yes, it has the Cummins.