http://www.edmunds.com/new/2008/mits...100/specs.html
It has over 260HP but it's so heavy and the 0-60 mph is about the same as MCS. Why do they make cars that are so heavy?

 

You're looking at the "gross weight" (the maximum allowable weight of the car, fuel, passengers, and luggage). The "curb weight" is only a little over 3500 lbs. Still not a lightweight by any stretch, but much better than the ~4300-lb gross weight.

 

Geez, that sounds better.. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess that car had an extra item on that list or something. I was just checking other coupes out and got used to looking at that spot for curb weight like this one http://www.edmunds.com/new/2008/audi...083/specs.html for Audi TT.... BTW, for that price, $32000 I would personally go for a R32. However, after owning my MINI I don't think I will go back to anything that gets poor(?) gas mileage like 25 mpg or below for City driving. I drive my MCS pretty hard and still average above 30 mpg mixed city/highway. Today, I was coming onto a freeway and changed lane while accelerating pretty hard I shifted out of 4th and looked down at the digital speed display and it read 90mph.
Oops.

 

wants to drive a Lotus 7!

And for those that think that older cars are lighter, it depends. My convertable 65 Mutang tips the scales at 3200 lbs. Some of that is frame stiffening and suspension, but not a lot!

Matt

 

Plus, back before the days of crumple zones and finite element analysis during the design stage, the typical engineering approach was just to make everything out of steel and over-engineer the hell out of it.


That's also the reason why so many ancient structures are still standing - when you don't know much about structural analysis, it's easier to just build a bridge with 100 tons of quarry stone and call it good!