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Truth is that I miss my R53. When I totaled it last year, I replaced it with an '07 BMW 328i (E92 coupe). It's a great car, with ridiculously low miles. But it's so perfect that I can't do anything with it!
Also, I rarely drive it because I have a 2000 Montero Sport 4X4 that I'm in love with, and upgrading daily. Further, the 3-Series BMW online boards are filled with, well, a different breed of enthusiast than a Mini enthusiast; a different camaraderie, different power and style goals, a certain arrogance, etc. I miss the NAM Mini Cooper family.
I think I'll be selling the E92 soon and upgrading to another R53. In the inimitable words of Arnold, The Terminator: "..." (you know it by heart)
Thanks guys. Not quite back yet, but plans are brewing.
The Mini IS more fun! And because I now have a 4X4 that can pull a trailer (with a Mini on it...) I'm wondering if now is the time to put together an R53 that I can track for fun. It would be ideal to have a few different vehicles in the stable: an offroad/camping/hauling truck, a sleek upscale coupe, and a track car for alternative weekends. If only I had the space to park all of them (and the $$$ to keep them all proper). Options, options, options...
For me, it was a 9 year journey from totaling my '04 MCS in 2006 until I purchased my 2005 MCS in October 2015. This was my progression:
'98 Mercedes Benz ML320
'06 BMW 325i sport
'01 Volvo V70
'99 Porsche Carrera 4
'02 Volvo V70XC
'01 BMW 330Ci
And then back into the MCS. I wasn't looking for a car at the time, but my E46 needed an extended repair and a friend of mine let me use the MCS he was selling. It never went back to him...
Thats the problem! If anything ever happens to my R53, what do i get for a fun car? An M2 or M4? a GT350 or z28? everything else only provides electronically enhanced/managed driving experience.
"hold on, let me switch on "sport mode" so i can feel like i am driving quickly...."
As some of you noticed, I no longer have an R53 but have been seriously considering getting another. In the meantime, I bought a 2000 Montero Sport 4X4 as a true Sport Utility Vehicle with trailering capabilities, fixed it up real nice. Was seriously considering selling my BMW 3-series coupe (E92) and replacing it with a bare-bones Mini that I might track on occasion - and which said Montero Sport (Limited, 4X4, etc) could pull on a trailer if/when necessary.
Well this morning, those hopes were dashed. Not 24 hours after putting the last touches on the Montero Sport (brand new carpet), some idiot ran a stop sign (he had a stop sign, I didn't) and dead-stopped in front of me, causing me to hit his front end (21-year-old in a new-to-him 2011 Range Rover) and destroy all of my hard work.
Yeah, it may look minor, but: body damage, bumper damage, sub-frame damage, suspension damage, camber is waaaaay negative now... It's all tweaked. A neighborhood witness said he was going fast and didn't stop, so I have that in my back pocket. His insurance (legit, thank god) will pay out and probably total my MS, but I'm not optimistic as to how much. The list of repairs and improvements is too long to list here. Sadly, I'll never get back the hours of personal labor (not unlike my R53), but I have very recent receipts totaling more than $3K.
I know, I know, this isn't Mini stuff. But it's like there's this invisible wall that's stopping me from reaching my Mini + Montero goals, the perfect SUV & fun car combination.
Seriously, the gray 2-toned paint is barely a week old. Wheels & tires, less than 100 miles on 'em.
And now from today (you can see the impact spot on the left before he backed up out of traffic)...
