Sorry, but there is no way this car should be in the 8k range. Compared to my recently purchased JCW (call it $12k), this car has a few extras items (JCW sills, rear boot mat, R90s, and the dealer bluetooth package) and a few less items (no CF scoop, no CF mirror caps, and 30k less miles). NADA book value is around $12k-13k depending on zip code so I can see where a dealer is going to ask for 13.8k.

Based on the sticker for my JCW, this car probably stickered in the upper 30s (maybe even over 40k) back in 2006 vs a base R53 which stickered just over 20k.

Another way to look at it. The red JCW from NM just sold on eBay for $9100 and it didn't have the R90s, aero kit, english leather seats, or all of the packages this car has. The R90s are about $1000 for a decent set with tires on the forums, the aerokit is NLA and will probably set you back $1500-2000 once you get it painted (if you can find one to paint), and the english leather seats will cost you at least a grand to get a good set to your doorstep (not to mention installed). So buy a $9k JCW and then to get it to look like this one you are looking at another $3500 and you still wouldn't have all the packages or as low of miles. This car may not sell "fast", but once the right buyer comes along it is definitely worthy of the price. Take a couple grand off the price and it would probably sell relatively quickly (especially if advertised nationally).

As others have mentioned, there a few well priced JCWs and regular R53s here on the marketplace that would be better suited to your budget and desire for a project. JIM GRAHAM has a blue JCW with english leather seats and I believe he is asking around $9k. Also, there is a JCW in Cali that was just listed for $6500 (153k miles).

All that to say, don't let this top of the market priced car get you down. There are many well priced cars are out there so don't be afraid to go get the car that meets your needs/wants!

 

I don't think the JCW's are worth what people think they are. I put my 03' JCW on Craiglist a while back to see what I could get for it. I put it on there for $8,000obo....didn't even get any offers on it.

When you start talking 12-13K for a mini cooper that is 10+ years old.......why would anyone pay that much when you can get something like a similar year BMW M3 with comparative miles for a few thousand more?

You are nuts if you pay $13,000 for a 10 year old mini cooper......sorry.

 

I can tell you why, the mini's are more fun, I went from bmw m3 to a r56, then back to a 135i then back to a R53

I paid extra for a slicktop factory jcw

I wouldnt pay extra for an older JCW, they do not meet autocross rules, only the 2005/2006's do

 

Big difference between an '03 and an '06.
Big difference between a dealer installed JCW and a factory installed JCW.
Big difference between stock and loaded with a ton of aftermarket parts.

FWIW, I went from an '01 330Ci to my '05 MCS. I liked the BMW, but I really enjoy driving the MINI.

 

That being said.....I sure don't see many people spending $13,000 on 06' JCW's.......stock, modified, or otherwise. That's just too munch money for that car.

 

Recent sales I have seen, 2006 blue, blue interior package JCW, loaded went for 12K in Arizona, A loaded black car in Cal went for 14.5 on ebay, A loaded red car on this forum went for around 12K. All were low miles (the red car and blue car had 60K, the black one had 43K). Low mileage highly optioned cars go for a few grand more then lightly optioned ones.

 

Wow..that's crazy! Don't get me wrong, I really love minis, but why anyone would pay $12,000+ for a 10 year old one is a mystery to me. While not jcw's, I've seen some very nice low mileage R53's in my area going for $7,500 or less.

Too each their own I guess......

 

because the new mini's suck that's why

 

I'm with you 100% on this. I wouldn't pay over $8k for an R53. Think of all the fun one could have with $13k...AP2 S2000, E36/46 M3, Focus/Fiesta ST, R32, E92, 135i, to name a few....

I searched Craigslist for around 20 seconds, filtered with manual transmission between $12k and $14k in my area. Here's a few of the more interesting things that popped up.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/6159855721.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/6207445423.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/6194472624.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/6199100947.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/6198090422.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/6173518161.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/6188699634.html
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/6206715834.html

 

i've owned a few of the cars you listed, and I would rather be in the r53

this video is from yesterday

 

Your links are to a bunch of old BMW's and a Fiat. Although the 2007 BMW might be interesting if all the problem areas are addressed. The R32 and S2000 are usually not under 20K unless they have high miles. If you dont want to pay 13K for a low mileage factory JCW then dont, I am sure someone else will

 

that e30 with a m52 would be fun after it gets some s52 cams I'm about the same speed as a spec e30 setup on the track, it's really fun running with those guys

 

Sorry, double post...

 

I'll bite:

635CSi: I've had my share of big, old BMWs. They are great cars when in great shape. The needs list for those things can get very long. It would be $20k invested in no time.

E30 with M52 engine. I don't like the E30. It is cramped and rattly. I've bought someone else's engine transplant project before. Not ready to do that again.

Fiat 500. I'm not comfortable in the driver's seat. Next.

280SL with stick. Great cruising car with potential to increase in value. Zero sporting tendencies. Drives more like a Chris Craft. Both hard top and soft top are difficult to deal with.

Fox Mustang. I like those cars a lot since I had a Fox Capri in high school. If I had a spare $12k to drop on a toy, I'd give this one some consideration. As a daily driver, not so much.

E92 M3. I sold my E90 8 years ago because I was sick and tired of having to go to the dealer to get the various lights turned off or have it reprogrammed every time I wanted to add something. One year newer with a lot more miles isn't going to make that problem better.

Skyline. Not interested.

So yeah, I'd rather pay $13k for the MINI that is the topic of this thread than any of the cars from your search results. Everyone is different, which is why we are lucky to have so many choices available.

 

I think if I had 13K to blow...I would buy a regular R53 mini for $6,000-ish (lots to choose from)....and then put a ton of aftermarket parts on it, and still have money to spare for track days...and have a faster car than a stock JCW. I guess I just don't see what an extra $6,000 gets you on top of a regular S-....when you can get the same power out of a regular R53 with a pulley, intake, and exhaust.....vs. a stock JCW.

 

well for me you cannot autocross a regular S with those mods in DS or STX, you get stuck in SMF with a bunch of 90's honda civic CRX's that will blow your doors off

 

So I was just curious as I was reading thru this thread if you guys think I paid too much for my Mini Cooper S. I think I talked them down to $12,200 and paid cash. I think I got a good price for it 2 years ago but after reading this, maybe not.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/IMG_6531.png


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/IMG_6019.png

 

It's really not a good idea to ask such a question after you've made the purchase. It can only lead to second guessing yourself. You have to weigh each used car purchase on its own merits. However, 2 years ago I paid half of what you paid for a car with 10x the miles of yours.

 

Honestly, what I don't understand is why people have such strong feelings about other people buying a car they want. To that end, I am certainly not nuts nor do I think that paying market price for a car you want is such an unreasonable thing.

When I started a search to replace my trusty 2006 'vert, I looked at a bunch of different cars: E36/E46 M3s, 997 911s, Caymans, GTIs, F54 Clubman, and looked into a couple Gran Turismos.
Short version:
Gran Turimos & 997s - insurance and running costs were more than I wanted to spend.
Cayman - great prices; no back seat (back jumped to high priority just before my search began)
F54 - maybe the perfect car as a JCW, but not for 48k
E36 M3- just not "exciting" enough
E46 M3- the ones I wanted 2003.5+, manual, <75k were all ~25k
GTI - just too bland

Then I found the exact MINI (minus 3-4 options) I would get if I had a time machine and $40k in 2006 dollars. It is essentially bone stock; I want my fJCWs to be bone stock. I have been watching many channels (forums, eBay, Autotrader, etc) for a car that hit my wishlist. In the last 2-3 years maybe a handful of "almosts" have sold. Then the unicorn shows up and so I get it at a price good for both parties. Sure I could have gotten a R53 S and added $$$ in bolt-one and tunes, but that isn't what I wanted. I don't care about dyno runs, 0-60 times, HP numbers, or how fast someone drove a similar car around a track. What I care about is how the car "drives" and how much I enjoy driving it. Based on that the best $12k car was a 2006 fJCW.

As someone else stated, a car is worth what it sells for. Based on similar sales, there seems to be a market (it may be small), for well kept 2006 fJCWs. Probably because they are the cream of the crop of a well-loved generation of an enthusiast's car. Plus, the air-cooled Porsche market shows that the "feel" of a car can make people pay prices that logically seem "crazy". On that note, I'll just say I do somewhat regret not buying a peachy 96 Carrera S for the 30k my first 06 MINI cost me.

 

I don't think the majority of people who are going to go out and buy a an R53 are going to make it primarily an auto-x car....but I could be wrong.

 

Should've bought an r53 and modded it.

 

well I own a R53 JCW and an R53 S with mods, the jcw was faster stock than the S with a 17 % pulley/intake/catback both on the track and autocross.

The S did not get faster than the jcw until I added injectors/cam/tune and LSD and that cost quite a bit more than the JCW in the end, the S is faster but we are talking about 1/2 a second on an autocross course, it's faster but not all that much faster.

 

I was just giving him a hard time- hence the

 

No worries, I definitely got the joke even without the .

My first MINI was mildly modded and I know you get more hp/$ that way and it's awesome that you can make a R53 outperform a JCW. In fact, I was seriously thinking of putting a Sprintex on when my charger died, but it never died and I realized for the price of the mods I wanted to do and repairs I needed to do I could get the JCW I always wanted. Plus, putting 30-40k on a MINI for a few years instilled respect for the way the cars drive from the factory.

 

what happened to the OP. once he went and looked at said car...