the one just a hair under $40k that I demo'd had the steptronic auto, sports seats, upgraded stereo, and usb/Ipod integration. it was Alpine White, so no extra $$ for that color. Man did that f***ker move....

 

The MINI and the 135 are very different cars, and the 135 will cost a lot more. In that price range (upwards of 40K), there are several other excellent performance cars (STI, Evo), and tons of good sport/luxury type cars (G35, etc).

The 135 should be brilliant, no doubt, just depends on what you want.

Good luck, it's a no-lose decision IMO

 

hi, I used to own 05 MCS then jumped ship to an 04 M3 after a year. I test drove the 135i yesterday and it did not impress me. the torque was good but that was about it. The car was too soft and it felt just like a 335i in suspension feel. My used M3 was similar in price to the brand new 135i and after the test drive, I do not regret it one bit. M3 is hard act to follow even from its own maker. Don't bother with the looks department either.

Now, my point is that I'm STILL lurking around in MINI forum. When I picked up the M3 after my MCS, the initial feelings btwn these two cars were similar. Hard, raw but yet refined to a certain level. Of course M3 is much faster but I really dont' care about it. M3 gets horrible MPG!!! and it's too nice to drive around daily for me. God I miss my MCS. my next car will be a MINI.

just my 2 cents....

 

BMW did not want another M (nor track car) when they designed and built the 135i. They wanted to design and build something fast and supple, a prototypical highway crusier/everyday driver that could also do well in the twisties if needed, and in this aspect they succeeded. The one I demo'd did both very well, and my 53 year old bones are tired of stiff and unforgiving suspensions. A "sport" mode might be nice for those occasional track or sport events, but I find the 135i a nice balance between everyday driver, highway cruiser, and twisty freakazoid. Can't say that about my 2005 MCS.

 

MCS and 1 series BMW are two totally different creatures in my opinion. Both of them are great cars but it all comes down to what you ultimately want. In my case... both would be lovely haha but since i already have my MCS, no complainin on my end :D

 

I was in the area so I test drove a 135i today and much to the consternation of my wife, I really didn't like it. The bottom line was that I felt that the 135i didn't involve me in the driving as much as I would like....the inputs were blunted and there was an odd disconnect between what I wanted the car to do and what it did.
For $44K I wanted to have a smile on my face and instead I walked away shaking my head with my better half looking at me as if I had just thrown out the baby with the bath water.
It was fast, the brakes were OK, the finish was quite nice (had optional sport seats, M wheel, etc) and it was sort of decent looking if you could get past the contrived Bangle exterior. But, as another poster noted, it is not a baby M car.
It looks enticing, but IMO it really is more of a luxury car with sporty intents, rather than a sports car. To each his own...

 

I had almost exactly the same experience. On the positive side, the engine note was very, very nice, and I thought the brakes were pretty darned good. As for looks, it's a good looking car in white or black--not great, but good. Sedona red, however, makes it look like any ol' Hyundai out there...

I really, really wanted to like this car--I had my eyes on it as the perfect daily driver/track beast--but it didn't give me that same rush I got when I test drove an R53 for the first time. The R56 didn't either, but that being said, the R56 gave me more of a thrill than the 135i. I've been debating my next car, and now I'm back to the R56--but I'll wait until they spruce up the JCW a bit more (I'm thinking there will have to be a GP like variant of the R56 at some point). I have a perfectly good JCW R53, so no hurry.

On the other hand, if a tii like 135i variant ever makes its way into production, its back to square one. A nice problem to have...

 

Very good points. Personally I've decided to go with the R56 JCW but living in NYC it's the only logical choice as far as parking and gas mileage goes. When I eventually move out of the city then car choices get a whole lot more complicated.

 

I'm sure at that point you'd be talking a price range where it just wouldn't be that competitive anymore.

From the sounds of the cars feel I don't think ill be interested. That is why I bought the mini in the first place. Maybe there is hope in a triumph revival! I heard some rumors.

 

You're right, there will be a significant price difference, but price isn't the issue. Earlier this year, I drove a Cayman S, thinking that would be my next car--and make no mistake, its a great car (best brakes on a stock car I've ever experienced), but I knew I'd regret exchanging my MINI for it. The MINI is my toy--but I drive it whenever I can, its pretty much become my daily driver, rain or shine (and occasionally snow). If I bought the Porsche, I know it would sit in the garage much, much more--kind of defeats the purpose of getting it in the first place. But more importantly, the Porsche isn't the wolf in sheep's clothing the MINI represents; I thought the 135i MIGHT be--but it felt ordinary, which was disappointing after all I'd read about it. The MINI has a certain aura about it, wether it be an R53 or R56, that no other car duplicates. Its an either "you get it or you don't" type of feeling that many on this board are in tune with; no other car has as of yet done that for me.

But yeah, I'd consider a tii type 135i, if it gave me a kick in the pants, and that car--if it dropped enough weight--just might. But I suspect I'll be sticking with the MINI brand.

 

It's interesting that I'm not the only one that was underwhelmed with the 135i (it is good, just it doesn't make me smile) and I also looked at the Cayman but had issues with it...
Drove a Lotus Elise and that really made me smile, but it would probably spend too much time in the garage.
Time to wait for the factory JCW and then decide.

 

My wife and I will strongly consider the 1 series vert in a couple years when her 4Runner gets passed down to our daughter.

 

I totally forgot about the Lotus--if the nearest dealer wasn't three hours away, that'd be my next car. I'd have to find a way to make it my daily driver, but I think I'd be up to the challenge...It would still worry me though that it would spend too much time in the garage, like you said, but its much more tempting than a Cayman S or a 135i.

 

If you guys are in cayman S territory, just buy a low optioned mini this time and get a GT3 the next . For a mini at 25k a caymans is 35k more. then next time its just another 50k more than a cayman S. Okay maybe a MINI your next two cars, but I seriously doubt the GT3 wouldn't be a huge kick in the pants.

 

Ever since I passed a GT3 at a track event last summer (in my MINI), I've totally lost all respect for that car . Ok, it was more a problem with the driver than the car, but still...

A GT3 would hardly ever see the light of day--I would be too worried about it all the time. Plus I'd be hard pressed to justify the expense--I could do it, but it would be a stretch (One of the nice things about the MINI is I can get it set up and waste money on it to my heart's content, and it's not an issue. Not so with a GT3. Plus I enjoy working on the MINI; the Porsche's and even Lotus's aren't exactly DIY friendly, unless you're very, very good with cars--I'm not that good where I'd want to tackle a mid-engined Elise or Cayman, or even a rear engined Carrera). I'd get a Elise--either with or without the SC--before I'd get a GT3. On the other hand, if I was getting a track only car, I still wouldn't get a GT3--I'd go for an Exige S.

 

Just to say it...

The mini felt more like my old boxster, that great go-cart feeling, the 1 series felt like a 3 series only a bit faster.... So what do you think I bought... A Mini... The mini test drive put a great smile on my face, where the 1 series seems like just a car, a fast car, but just a car. In fact I think my wife's Cayenne drives better and even though it's a V8, I bet get's better mileage than the 1 series.

Now the porsche is a different animal and if you don't know how to drive it correctly (it's rear engine remember) then a kia could pass it ;D on the track.
and to those people who didn't buy a cayman because it would sit in the garage, shame on you. You make the Cayman your daily driver and the mini you weekend fun car :D


Did I mention, my mini's on the Boat.... Woopie.... Havn't been this excited about a car since I orderd the blue beast above...

 

Cayman as an everyday driver.... Sounds like a great idea--but wait a minute, I live in Wisconsin. Cayman would be spending way too much time in the garage, unless there is a snowplow attachment for the the front--I checked Porsche dealer accessories, and couldn't find one. Maybe I'll try aftermarket...

Beautiful car in your post--that'll be a nice combo in the garage; maybe someday--years--down the road I'll consider that, once the kids are gone.