No one's mentioned Renault Clio Sport...

 

I wasn't thinking Civic SI but more of the Honda Fit. Having driven one, I found it quite MINIish. Maybe more the nemesis of the R55 Clubman. Definately the Smart for the R50 / R56 MC...

 

Hummer is the real nemesis.

But, trying to compare like cars, I'd put it somewhere between the VW GTI and a VW Beetle

 

Plural of nemesis? Soccer Moms in their big SUVs accelerating hard off the line to then cut in front of me. I'm usually a pretty laid-back driver, but less so when they pull up next to me. Then there's the local high school crowd since I live close to a very big high school. Seems like as I transit that part of town there's often someone wanting to push the old dude in the Mini.

 

I don't think the MINI -- as a brand -- has a true nemesis. If GTI drivers were an aggressive lot, they might be; but I believe, truly, that they are GENERALLY a pretty nice bunch.

My own MINI's "personal" nemesis is an Evo VIII that lives nearby, which, for some reason, thinks that he is obligated to blow my doors off every time he sees GR8 COUP . I have never understood why the apparent animosity!!

I am anxious to get my head so I might actually give him a run for his money some time!! As it is now, I just sort of wave to him. (no, not one-half of a peace sign).

 

thats cuz NORTH AMERICAN motoring.com

 

The Mazdaspeed 3 matches up pretty well when it comes to cost and performance. Except the insane amount of hp and torque steer that comes with the 3, which makes it inferior.

 

Hmm, for me.........

Mazdaspeed 3
'07 VW Golf GTI & '04 R32
Subaru WRX (non STI)
'07 Civic Si coupe & Si Sedan concept

and soon......
BMW 135i

Next month I will give them a big surprise!!!

 

I would think the real nemesis would be the Miata. Having owned both there is a real similarity between the two. If the Miata had a backseat I would never have sold it.

 

I'd say the GTI might be the MINIs real rival.... but they look no where NEAR as good as the MINI, in my humble opinion. I would have bought the Miata if I had not seen the MINI (and its gas mileage listed in Consumer Reports at 30mpg for the S). I was sold. The MINI looks DIFFERENT and BETTER. That's the beauty of it. Genius. The marketing is brilliant as well.
My real nemisis is the big SUV... even at age 44 I still stick my tongue out at them (with a smile) when I go by. I'm a former Jeep Wrangler owner and I hated the big SUVs when I had it then too.

 

From a marketing standpoint I'd have to say Hummer is the nemesis as cliche as it sounds. The reason is that they are both trendy vehicles that sell heavily on image and target nearly the exact same demographic and fulfill the exact same purpose yet exist at opposite ends of the vehicular spectrum. It's a bit of irony really.

Otherwise I like to think of my MINI as having no nemesis, it's the friendly car that everyone likes. It fits in with the sport compact crowd, with the Euro crowd, and can run with the cute cars too like the New Beatle and the PT Cruiser.

 

There are so many interpretations of the word nemesis! I took the question to mean whether there are any other cars which offer the Mini's blend of driving fun, utility, size, price, quirkiness, etc. which a Mini owner might consider next time.

 

not all WRX owners are like that, whoever posted that on the first page. it's only certain times of the month that we get like that. something to do with the full moon, i think. lol

i've had a miata, and while it was a fun little car, i can't really compare it to the mini, since it had 78 Wps (what the dyno displayed in japan - about 75 whp) but also, it's rwd, and it's hard to compare the two, since the handling dynamics are so different.

i think if a miata had more space in it (the 1st gen, i don't like any of the others) i probably would have ended up getting one of those, as opposed to the mini.

 

Rollback Towtrucks in the middle lane of the Interstate that change lanes without looking, thus forcing the Cooper from the road; yes these are my nemesis (great quote from "******" <post #32> btw, Brad Pitt's best work imho)

 

Yes that is an Isetta, also made by BMW in the day. My brother owns a couple as well as some other obscure german micro cars. I can't link to him but check out isettagarage dot com to see if it matches. Speed and handling are not their forte

 

My vote too. The miata, civic si, & gti are also good candidates.