Has anyone run the Dragon with both versions? I would be interested in your observations.

 

Yes. And both handle fantastic.

 

I have run both Cooper and Cooper S, classic Mini and several other cars. I never held up any S in the Cooper. It's all about the handling on this road.

 

I was easily able to hang with the Cooper S's, including a JCW or two when I was on the Dragon at MOTD '05 in my 'lowly' Cooper with an auto CVT transmission. As said above, the Dragon is all about handling, not speed. And the Cooper w/ a CVT handled it beautifully!

(Now when we were off of the twisties, that's when I ate a little bit of exhaust fumes from the faster MINIs out there...)


-Paul!

 

I think that in a fair race, a Dragon could beat both a MC and an MCS.

If the cars start to pull ahead, the dragon could just breathe its magical fire breath and melt the tires on the cars.

Race over

 

A MINI is a MINI. Period.

I have never found a road where if you drive it at speed limit you could not fully enjoy it in a MC or MCS equally well.

It's the driver not the car. Be safe out there.

 

+1... The Dragon is so curvy that it is all about handling...not so much about speed. And yes, motor safely!

 

when is the next dragon run? I have been wanting to head up there and after x-mas and springs it might be nessesary!

 

The 'big one' is the first weekend in May. However, there's smaller runs heading there periodically throughout the year. Check the national events forum on this board.

And, you can always put up a post yourself and see if anyone wants to meet you out there! There's always a few that don't mind heading that way.

Just be extra careful in the winter!! Besides possible snow and black ice, tires, especially performance ones, don't stick nearly as well to cold winter asphalt as they do to hot summer roads.


-Paul!

 

He wanted to know what differences there were when driving the dragon in these cars! He wasn't asking which one was faster.... way to jump on the defensive everyone....

I'm 99% positive that an MC and MCS will not handle the dragon exactly the same

 

I've always done the Dragon in an '03 MC CVT [Fall-'04, May-'05, May-'06], and it's always been a great ride. In fact, if I thought the MC couldn't handle it, would I have returned for more punishment? Next year, I'm bringing my new S, and am positive the ride will be just as great. The fun just gets better....

 

 

considering you should never be out of 3rd gear on the Dragon in an MCS (the speed limit's 35 for a reason!!), I think eirther car is suitable.

 

Does 'fair' mean that the MINIs aren't driven by knights in shining armor?

 

Well, what if its the flying version?

 

My Coop was a stick. I needed to shift a bit more between second and third more than I do in the 6 speed S. That was about it.

I have yet to see a knight in armor driving a MINI anywhere, much less on the Dragon.
But I have seen MINIs piloted on the Dragon by wenches. The Dragon fears their rath and only makes their tires nice and warm, rather than melted.

 

Ill bring my chain mail in May

 

A MCS should be able to run the dragon a few seconds quicker than a MC just because there are a couple long straights where more power can really speed things up.

But since the dragon is just a road, not a race track, this is all hypothetically speaking.

 

. Sounds like a plan