Noooo....not dead yet! I think your point was that there was no comparison with CeeTee's 911 example. My point: lots of differentiation to discuss. Nothing of substance to discuss between an MC and an MCS other than the Turbo ( and a bunch of ownership pride issues). (Just trying to keep a rediculous thread alive. Otherwise life gets a bit too serious)

 

Actually, this thread was dead and gone but another potential owner, asking the ever-relevant Cooper vs MCS question inadvertently caused it's resurrection. Otherwise.....a whole new thread would have started!!!!! Yikes!!!

 

You really need to get out more and drive some real cars.

Lightening fast is not the first impression most drivers get stepping into an MC. My JCW doesn't even fit into that category.

 

This thread could die a noble (well , maybe not anymore) death if people didn't keep responding with calls for its demise. It will be interesting to see how it reaches its absurd conclusion.

I'm guessing a moderator will have to pull the plug.

 

You're right!! The thing with many discussions of this nature is that, entombed in here somewhere, is some very useful and valid information (and not necessarily what I generated). How to sort that out I have no clue.

 

Hey - I'm driving my part time MC this weekend - a CR/S 06 R50 (actually the loaner I always get from my dealer!). I got it Thursday morning and I have it till Mon or Tues. It is a blast to drive. I can't see any daily driving situation that this car is not quick enough to enjoy. The R56 MC probably has a bit more go in the torque department to boot.

I'm not wanting to trade my s, but I'd love to have an MC too!

 

Unfortunately, thats why it's necessary for folks to start new threads to ascertain information that has already been diseminated (sp?) in numerous other threads. I've found that the most useful responses to an original post usually occur within the first dozen responses. Then the thead will denerate into conversations such as ours. Occassionally you'll find a pearl of wisdom on the 11th page, but not in this case.

 

I just purchased a use Mini last week. It is a 2003 Cooper with 53k on it. I shopped all over the USA on AutoTrader.com and was able to go anyware to get the one I wanted. I wound up going with the MC vs. the MCS because of what I was going to use it for. I am actually using it for work as well as on the weekends. I am in sales and drive about 35k / year on Vermont roads. (Can't wait to see how we do with mudseason next year). The reason I went with the MC was in my mind the supercharger is something that I did not need and that I could have a service issue with. I have been taking the bakroads one my way home from work. The car is a blast to drive! It's not a HEMI but I live in Vermont, not Kansas or Indiana where stearingwheels are optional equipment.

 

maybe i can kill it.....

come on it's like comparing a protien drink to an hgh/igf-1/mgf stack

bhaaaaaaaaa

 

Is the hgh/igf-1/mgf stack the MCS or the 997?

 

lhoboy, seems you are right!!

 

well i again refering to the mcs vs the mc. i know nutt'in about the 997 cause i never drove one.

 

Nor do I...and I'm happy w/ a Cooper!!!

 

What part of Vermont? I'm up in the Burlington area, and travel around the northern half of the state a bit...

 

Sigh ... and I though it was dead

And I thought the Yaris discussion was cool because I'm probably the only one on NAM who likes Toyotas

Seriously, MC or MCS ... its all good by me. I am waiting to see about the upcoming R56 convertables and ... this is kinda scary ... a MC would be fine (although a JCW better).

But what ppl might forget is that each and every car has a purpose. If I get a MC convertable, I can use it to commute (better mileage) and the wife can use it for "shopping" Or maybe a smart car ... who knows, gotta wait and see. I want high mileage in the future. If I want to work the gears, the croc does just fine (well a bit better than fine).

Comparing MINIs to P-cars is, IMO, a bit silly. Until you own (like Emtry) or just drive one for a week, you just can't appreciate where the difference in money comes from. Its not just power, its "everything", the entire package. Then again, the maintenaince is not exactly cheap

 

I'm a Toyota fan so theres two of us.

 

Kicking the dead horse...

115,000 dangerously underpowered miles so far.

 

We're going test drive one for the wife when the SmartCar demos come through DC in a few weeks. I'll post a report to you on what we find. If the marketing hype is correct, though, the '08 MC actually gets better fuel economy than the SmartCar. Will have to wait for the actual EPA estimates to make certain I'm not comparing apples to oranges (highway vs. city)

As you say, different cars for different purposes. Wish I could afford a whole stable of cars.

 

I felt the need to dredge this thread back up for this from http://www.motoringfile.com/2007/07/...-ask-stracco/:

 

My beater is very underpowered as well. I shift and shift and shift and shift in to the 5th gear and I am going 40 mph...... I am trying to sell it now... My love for MCS is too great that I can't give my other car enough love. If I can't get the price I am asking, I am keeping it though. But it would be nice if I can sell it and buy a road bicycle with the money.

 

I have driven my wife's MCS(manual) for about 5 times since we got it two weeks now and I can tell you that the handling is great but I still feel that the engine can use additional HP. I think at about 210-220 HP, this will be an awesome thing to drive. Our MCS got sports and LSD to boot.

You really need the additional HP, so the upgrade is well worth it for the driving experience.

 

Yes, I caught that, too, snid!! Mr. Stracco's comment seems to reflect a lot of the logic that Cooper owners around here have been articulating for years. I am glad the Cooper continues to get it's proper due...we used to battle this much more harshly, but I think the court-of-experts has weighed in sufficiently to make the issue purely a matter of preference/choice.

 

I still find it interesting that worldwide, sales are split about evenly between the Cooper and and MCS. In the U.S., it's something like 75 percent MCS.

Even with a Mini, our nation's mantra about bigger being better seems to fit. People who have a choice for more power will usually opt for it.

 

People who have a choice for more power will usally opt for it...Well I know I did. My mother would never forgive me for passing up the turbo BTW MA stands for "Mothers Approval" not Motoring Advisor. THIS THREAD WILL NEVER DIE!

 

I thought it was interesting how Stracco mentioned the MC having lots of torque. 114 ft-lbs max @ 4250 rpm seems rather anemic to me….even less than a Civic EX (128 @ 4300). (Source: Edmunds) And before we get into a flame war about Mini being a totally different experience than a “boring Honda”, I just mentioned it for reference.

I do agree that no matter which Mini, they're both fun through the twisties and rowing through the gears. The MCS just has more oopmh on demand.