I would pass in 4th especially since I have a pulley. I have driven other slower sticks in my lifetime & I could never imagine downshifting to 2nd while speeding up from 45MPH. If that is needed in an MC then wowsa power is really dangerously nonexistant.

 

You say tomato...

 

Ive noticed that everyone is comparing MC manual against MCS. Nobody is hardly mentioning MCauto. Maybe that would make the difference, maybe that is why I like the performance with or without a load in the car, sports button on or off. To quote Dave Bunting (NAM administrator) and Gabe back in Feb 07 at the R56 press Launch. QUOTE {Automatic Justacooper was much more competative than I was expecting, I was able to shave 1.5 secs off my best time in the manual} This was at their Autocross demo. Yes I would like a MCs, but that would be only for the bragging rights. The only reason I didnt was the Runflats, (no Spare) so I put the extra money into Comfort goodies. As I said before I love this cars performance , it can keep up with the best of then if not beat them , in normal traffic /highway driving.. It would be a waste of money on my part to have more horsepower. The handleing is superb.

 

Right...both cars are fun, but each has a different flavor I think. Some drivers like one thing, others another. I think that this thread was trying only to express an idea about what Cooper drivers actually like about having the less powerful car. To some, like me, there are certain advantages....but that would not be everyone's (or even most people's) cup of tea.

 

Without getting into the pissing match, I am curious: Does anyone have ScanGauge II load readings for various driving on the MC?

 

I've not heard of anyone who had it yet.

 

Is another way to say some the above:

If 0-60 times for a MCS were 7 seconds vs. 9 seconds for a MC, that would mean about 25% more acceleration time, each time you go to 60 mph. Forget the inaccurate numbers, but is the concept of more time accelarating = more fun the general point? Either way you could use a high % of the cars power in some situations, that's just choice and driving style, but certainly in traffic you would tend to use a lower % of the available power of a stronger/faster vehicle just being safe and sane.

 

Most of you are saying the same thing, only different.

The MCS has a higher percentage of power available over a wider RPM range than the MC does. The narrower power band of the MC requires the driver shift more to keep the car in its sweet spot.

I would not call either car a drivers car, per se, as much as I would call both cars drivers cars. Both place demands on the driver. The difference is what demands does the driver want to deal with.

Me, I wanted a daily driver I could count on for the next ten years. The mechanically simpler MC puts the odds of lower costs of long term ownership in my favor.

Both cars are just a hoot to drive.

 

Gotta love the peppy spirit of the MC Auto...and so much easier in nasty stop and go traffic!

 

No doubt!! Using all the modes now on the auto MC (to greatest effect) would require a pretty high level of skill, imo. Or you can just enjoy!!

 

Modes? Where we are going we dunt(tm) need modes!

Really, I just drive Romi. She is fun! I have endured one panic manuever since I have had her and even though it scared me into a new pair of shorts, I would DO IT AGAIN!

 

The '07 Cooper in Sport Mode is a blast, even with the auto. It shifts just like I did in my '03 Cooper 5 speed after 6,000 rpm. Off the line it doesn't pull as hard as my Cooper S, but in a few seconds-- you forget about that as it just keeps going.

I'm very happy with my Cooper S today, but sometimes wish I had the gas mileage of my Cooper now that I'm driving 600 miles a week.

Richard

 

Ok, you youngsters. That first line of my last post is from a movie, modded for the moment by me. It was a joke son, a joke I tell ya!

In many of my verbal excrements you can occasionally find reference to something historical and hopefully hysterical as well. Just like the third sentence in this post.

 

sometimes even pre-historical.

 

and often post-hysterical!!

 

 

see below

I understand what gokart is saying. He has explained this well several times and to each their own ... but I gotta say ... I am not buying it.

This is like saying that if you think you drive like an "enthusiast", then there is never a need to go to a faster car, one that handles better, etc. Using the same logic, why not buy a Yugo? I think some ppl buy MINIs because they handle better than the Yugo but I bet you would really work the gears and at 10/10s be doing maybe 30 mph while the MC would handle much better.

Sorry to disagree but we can agree to disagree. I do understand gokarts explanation but I aint buying into the fun thing.

 

I'm with ya chows4us. When I did my test drive at rusmussen I drove the mc and then the mcs back to back. the test drive route starts going up hill, and while I liked the mc, it just wasn't enough, it only took me about 10 seconds to realize how much more I wanted/needed/liked the mcs.

 

i actually understand the rational of driving the MC harder. ive had both cars. my MC had to always be reved high and driven very hard. if i even tried to drive my MCS that way around town i would end up on the sidewalk. in the MC i would turn a corner on a normal street, drop it down to 2nd and get on it hard. the car had ample power and allowed me to really get on it. if i turned a corner in my MCS and dropped it down to 2nd and got on the gas as hard as the MC, i would either spin the tires or be at 60 MPH almost instantly. dont get me wrong. i prefer the MCS i have now but i do understand what MC owners here are saying. they can drive the car very hard day to day and still maintain reasonable road speeds, the MCS can not be safely driven hard on public roads day to day.

 

Is it the same for an auto?.

 

I test drove an MCS/a for a day before I ordered one. I was impressed enough to trade in a perfect 04 Cooper CVT to get one. Nice power delivery w/ turbo. Getting the most out of the auto will take some practice but I think its much better than the CVT.

 

I can definately appreciate driving a slower car fast. I've always said that. I've driven my '99 Civic for over 2 years now and still occasionally just go driving (motoring soon I hope). I definately know the fun of rowing through years and keeping it in a high RPM.

But after driving the MC and MCS again the other day it's now an easy choice.

Only the MCS gives you that "oh crap that's fast" feeling in your stomach. And that alone is worth the higher expense. It will definately be an exercise in restraint during "normal" driving, but well worth it!

 

I still say ... no way.

I would bet there isnt a single 997 owner out there that would not give their eye teeth to own a new GT3RS and still have fun driving it even if they never got out off first gear. Its all relative

 

I drive a 997S and would love to get my hands on a GT3 or GT3RS.
I really have a hard time buying this "involvement" concept. When the engine fires on the Carrera, I am involved.

 

Because the world isn't that simple. The Cooper has enough oomph to be interesting and not enough to be overpowering.

I got my Cooper yesterday. Oooh boy! So much fun. And exactly the right amount of power FOR ME. You see, fun is relative. For me, and I suspect a lot of the other people in this thread, fun is about control and about getting every last drop you can get. And the MC offers the most opportunities for that. Be it getting off the line, taking a corner just right, or hitting every green light on your way home to nail 40+ mpg.

Let me make an analogy. I'm a gamer at heart (I make 'em, I play 'em, I love 'em) and so this'll be a Chess analogy. Having a Yugo is like playing with all pawns. There's just not that much you can really do and the game is pretty boring. You can still take pieces and you might even win if they're really bad and you're really good but that doesn't make it interesting. Having a big 'ol muscle car is like having all queens on your side of the board. You've got way too much power and you hardly even need to use it to win. You can throw away queens like they're pawns and still walk away with a big win. It's also boring. Winning doesn't mean anything when it takes little strategy or was a forgone conclusion. The MC (for me) is just perfect -- a full line-up of the usual players. The MCS, also a great car, is just a little too much and a little less interesting. Maybe not a board full of queens but on its way there and thereby, less interesting. There's a reason why Chess is played with equal sides full of different pieces. It's most interesting that way.

Ultimately people just fall into different places on the spectrum. If it's all about power then why get a Cooper at all? There are faster cars. It's clear that the control-freak in a guy like me is at least partially expressed by the more power-hungry MCS drivers. Ultimately the need for control that I have is less fun for other people who probably want to feel less control overall, and more whiz-bang, out-of-control, "let's go!". That's cool and you know I enjoy it too. Just not as much. Getting my MC up to "spirited" speeds on the 405 on the way home today was a heady enough experience for me.