very nice. Did you get the covers for the backseat too? I have a lot of things to order and one of them are seat covers.

 

I have a Cooper, am proud of it, and have lots of friends with MCSs. I also did actually run into one.........just one........MCS owner that actually, intentionally, dissed my Cooper. It was sad....for him. Most owners do love all MINIs.

If I could utter one caution to make MINIdom a better place, it would be to please refrain from referring to any MINI as a "base model." If there is one it might be a MINI One.....not a Cooper. I recommend that, in all our interactions, we train ourselves to refer to the MINI being discussed by model name.

 

Where do women fit in the pecking order? Women fit in the pecking order where they buy the most cars. Anyone males out there own a Miata? How many women own Hummers? There is a waiting list for Ford GT-40's. Wanna bet what percentage are women?


To deny that cars mean more to men than women would be to deny the basic nature of the sexes. Minivans are marketed to women. Dodge Hemi's are marketed to men. These are the way they are sold because this is what they buy. When we bought my wife's last car she wanted all wheel drive so it would not slip on the ice. She literally did not care about any other aspect of it. Not even the color. She is not even in the pecking order.

As a man, to deny that you want a faster, flashier, more aggressive car than the next guy is to deny reality. Why do you think all the people on this board list all the high performance accessories that they have in their car in their signature? Do you care if someone has a different exhaust or reduced pulley? Or if they have a "European Parcel tray?" Only if you are competing with them for "Hottest Mini" or the equivalent.

I have always owned and driven "odd looking" or "rare" cars. I can't afford expensive cars, so I like the unusual. An Opel Kadette here, Triumph Spitfire there. A VW Thing, New Beetle, Honda Element, Land Rover Discovery, 61 VW Bug. Cars for which there is no dealer in my town are best. That insures my unusual status.

In the United States, cars are an extension of your personality. Its not right or wrong - it just is.

 

MCS here, but an MC is closer to the original.

 

I see a number male Miata drivers, and more than a few out on the auto-x course. And in northern NJ, I see a lot of women driving Hummers - H2's if you want to throw those in specifically.

 

Hey! Look at me! I have a Euro parcel tray! It was my first first mod (the glove box organizer was the second). But alas, no pulleys, magnaflows, Works, Aeros, Navs, short shifters etc.

This is all silly. A MINI is a great car whether you have plunked down a few extra thousand to buy some extra horsepower (and a bonnet with a hole in it) or not. The need for a MCS (or JCW) depends on how you drive and what you use the car for...

Anyone dissing other owners deserves to be flamed.

Happy motoring.

 

Perhaps this is at the crux of the issue. True...this is A reality, but most certainly not one all guys share. I've heard this faster, flashier, more aggressive car phenomenon called many things...some not very nice.

 

I guess living in the ALOHA STATE, we love all our MINIs:smile:
I don't find a class distinction (MC vs. MCS). As a matter of fact, there are about 7 couples/owners that own 2 MINIs .....one of each!!

 

I came "this" close to buying a Miata in '96. The deal breaker for me was that it was a limited edition (one of many Miata L.E., as I found out) that came with a hardtop. I lived in a small studio apartment at the time and had nowhere to put a huge piece of fiberglass during most of the year. So I bought a N/A RX-7. And until three weeks ago, that was my favorite car.

I look at the mods that people list and think of it as an extension of their and their MINI's individuality. Not to mention, if I'm looking at an intake and see lots of people with intake x and few with intake y, I'm going to look more seriously at intake x. Not to mention we can always pm them to get their individual response.

I'm like you in some respect with your taste in cars, liking unique over anything else - even speed. I've admired (but not owned ) Lotuses (my favorite marque), a Triumph GT6, RX7's, Land Rovers, most european cars (they have much better designers IMHO) and of course MINI\Mini.

Just one thing though....the Element? AAck. Only the boxy Scion and the Aztec are worse looking vehicles. But to each his own.

The reasons that I got an S were deffinitely not the same reasons that I was getting a MINI. If there was no S, I would have been very happy with a Cooper. If there was no Cooper, I would have been happy with a One. The S has similar performance to my N\A RX7, so that made my decision for me. Its quick, sure. But the thing I love most is the handling, which is the same as you can get in a Cooper.

I drive for me, not for some schmuck on the road who thinks his car is better\faster\cooler than mine. If that's what he needs to make himself feel better...he can have it.

Happy motoring, in whatever MINI\Mini you have.

 

I don't think it's really snobbery. You're talking about people who just find it difficult to understand individual differences and who are therefore, less tolerant than others of points of view beside their own.

 

Just a little sidenote......Why does MINIUSA have all of these little gadgets, roof flags, towels, handbags that are specifically just for that red S MCS drivers? Does MINIUSA condone this segregation of cars and put it into our minds to be that way? Whenever someone is talking about performance, why is it always about the Cooper S? If I didn't read all of the boards and posts about yo yo this and ziptie that or pulley whatever, I wouldn't have anything to talk about at my club meeting. Its just that way I guess. I do agree that MCS owners are more passionate about the car and its heritage and are constantly fiddling with something to make it better. Thats why most aftermarket shops have a MCS mule to test things out. They sell more performance stuff for the supercharger. But you MCS drivers shouldn't ever forget that there are some MC owners that do care about handling and performance than the next guy. I do agree that some MC drivers as well as some MCS people that should have bought a VW or Scion or one of those other cartoony cars for teenagers. I do think that both cars are incredible in their own right as far as handling goes. MCs do pass Corvettes on the track in the twisties, believe me I've seen it. For all of those MCS drivers, don't put down the MC, when you see someones MC, you can typically tell by the persons smile if they are passionate about the car, or if it is just a ride for them. Thats all you need to know about each other, and if you don't get a wave from another MINI, who knows they might not be all crazy about the rally days and history of the MINI family. Just my two cents, all of the above is crap, I have a MINI I drive it like its supposed to.........MY WAY!

 

The Honda Element a bad looking car. Of course! But they do not make Datsun F-10's anymore.....

As my brother said, seconds before he put the Porsche through the guard rail, "Watch This!"

Its all about "Watch This," whether its performance, oddness, cuteness, whatever. As long as they look.....

 

Yes, I've been blasted here when I talk about the virtues of the CVT, 15 inch wheels, upgraded brakes for 15 inch wheels, trying to save weight on brakes, and some say that I paid way too much for my MINI and they don't understand why, and some ask why didn't I just get the MCS. It seems I am frequently having to defend my purchase and desire to upgrade this model. Even people who have not yet purchased their MCS will blast me. I'm not saying that many do it, as it is just a few, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So, now I first visit the MINI2 website as they have a CVT section. NAM is now secondary to me, and my attitude is now hardened as I don't want to accept this anymore. Also others have left the MINI community (or almost) as they had similar treatment after heavily upgrading their MC and got other cars instead.

I agree with someone else who just posted here who said that people refer to the MC as the base model. That couldn't be further from the truth, as it is a Cooper, which is the performance model. This will become more evident when MINI brings out more models, which do not (may not?) use the term Cooper in their names. But I'm sure they will all be fun cars to drive, nonetheless, as they will still be MINI's.:smile: And yes I'd be interested in a diesel MC too.:smile:

 

__________________
Checkerboy, what you say makes a lot more sense than some of the other posts I read on this board.

 

Do you have any idea how much I want to ask you why you didn't just get the MCS now? It's not fair to do that to me.

 

Okay, saw two MCs and MCS this afternoon and none of drivers looked at our MCS. In fact, we know one of the guys.

I think it's just too common here or they are all waved out. Or they don't care.

 

My MC is the best car I have ever owned.An MCS would have just cost more

 

I think that's true, at least from this woman's perspective. I haven't gotten my MCS yet, but when my husband and I started looking for cars, I was attracted to the MINI because of its looks and its value. We test drove both and I perferred the Cooper. I love the chrome grill, liked the idea of better gas milage, lower price and I was still mulling the option of a CVT. Alas, the husband wanted more power, so if we were going to get a MINI, a compromise was in order. I'm learning to cope.

However, I think I will envy the MC owners in some ways for all of the above reasons.

 

Thanks Zgokart, it's true, It's just a great line of cars and I feel preveliged to own one.- Thanks.

 

I've been most fortunate to own both models, a five-speed Cooper and now Wanda, my MCS. I was very happy with the first one until I saw the first pictures of the all-Jet Black MCSs! I just fell in love and wanted one. I hadn't ordered enough goodies in the Cooper and made up for it in Wanda. She has everything I really want.

And in response to JoeDentist, I have always loved cars. One of my earliest memories is sitting on Dad's lap behind the wheel of his Hillman Minx, thinking that I was making it go! LOL! I love performance, I love reading all about the performance mods, and especially, I love to drive. I have clocked 34K miles on Wanda since 4/4/03, mostly on the two cross-country roadtrips I've taken in her. Last year was a solo trip; this year I had co-drivers, YuccaPatrol and my husband. :smile:

I guess my point is that I am a middle-aged woman who feels like she's 25 again because of the passion these MINIs generate in all of us! I love MINIs, whether Cooper, Cooper S, or the new Cabrio. They are all fantastically fun, quirky little beasts. I also feel privileged to own one. I still peek out the living room window at her all the time and smile with glee that she's mine! ALL MINE!!!!

Remember to keep your windows down in good weather, so you can wave at other MINI motorers! I sure try to do that!

Clo/Wanda

 

Some beagle psycho-babble:

Snobbery is an ugly characturistic that goes deeper than cars. You can have pride in what you have without having a need to look down your nose at others. A snob about cars is a snob about other things as well: address, job, PDA, TV, etc. These poor slobs go through life unsatisfied. There's a deep lack of self worth driving their behavior.

We all know individuals like this. They must find their own way to happiness.

I've come in contact with no MINI people like that. I suspect most are not. Now that the MINI has been out for a few years, it's just us MINIacs! Wahooo!

Godspeed.

 

While Joe Dentist is correct to some degree, I think the issue is more subtle than he makes it out to be.

There is a long tradition in this country of car as surrogate phallus. There's no denying that fact. It's an integral part of marketing, and an integral part of the psychology of car ownership for male buyers.

But that's only one part of the puzzle. Cars are very much about personal style. People that choose cars strictly for performance, or modify them for performance, and making a style choice about what kind of image they want to project. For instance, if I drive a jacked-up pick-up with loud pipes and a winch, I'm a tough guy.

Car as sexual symbol is only a single dimension of the picture, though. Take the MINI for example. MINI owners tend to be individualistic creative people. They want a unique car, like the Spitfire and VW Thing you mentioned. Additionally, they're also more concerned with the quality of their driving experience than the average buyer. They want to have fun. But they don't necessarily want to win a drag race. And for some, economy is factor as well.

So, I see the point Joe Dentist is trying to make, and think it's somewhat true. But I also think it's an oversimplification. If it were entirely accurate, we'd all be driving Corvettes and Mustangs and drag racing at every stop light.

 

Joe,

M'be a wee bit less sexism in your next post. While I understand the stereotypical owner of a Mazda MX-5 Miata might not be a hairy-chested testosterone guided speed freak, there are a number of those types who do appreciate the neutral handling aspects and general all around good nature of the vehicle. For the irony of your comment just look to your previous rides: those pavement burning beasties such as the Triumph Spitty and air-cooled VeeDubs (not to mention the Water Bug, that generally appeals more to the fairer sex).

To equate hp with gender just don't cut it man. There are many females who could clean my clock around a race track regardless of the hp of their machines. Yours too I'll wager.

I suggest a "reality check" by attending an IRL race to watch Sarah Fisher or a Toyota Atlantic race to see Danica Patrick in action this summer. Or better yet, try out an SCCA auto-x yourself and have your testosterometer personally adjusted by a girlie girl.

 

My wife wouldn't ever dream of owning a minivan. In fact, she made me sell the Audi allroad we had so that we could get another Porsche. On the flip side, I know a lot of guys who don't give a ***** about what they drive. Don't generalize.

Actually, I like it when people list their mods. That way you can ask them questions about the mods in case you're considering them for your own car.

 

Aw, I love them both. In fact, I think I like the look of the MC better. It's more "British" looking to me, which is what attracted me to the car in the first place.

Then I decided that I wanted to go faster. But I personally love both of them, and seeing how there are only a few in Akron, I'm ecstatic each time I see one. Even though I'm hoping they don't become extremely popular. I like being unique...