Henry Paulson: everyone needs horse power bailout (700 Billion hp).

 

HA HA
Mr. and Mrs. America better change name to
Mr./Mrs. Ben Dover!

 

Stan, you do realize that dealer loaner Minis have in them a detuned ECU chip that makes them less responsive than the cars you buy. They do that to protect the loaners from people hotrodding them and damaging the engine. You have to drive a test drive car to get the real deal.

 

Wouldn't mind at all. I bought a mini, my ego is not that big. I'm coming from an E39 5 series.

 

Really... I was looking forward to hotrodding, darn it. That would explain the sluggishness.

 

Or maybe you were just feeling a little sluggish yourself.

 

It's not about ego. Although your original post sounds like you have plenty of it. That's the point.

 

I couldn't have said it any better. I agree completely with every word from RandomGemini. Now maybe it's astrological thing. I'm a Gemini, too.

 

Auto is actually faster.

 

I prefer the S, but there are plenty of reasons to consider the justacooper. Don't believe me? Have a look at this.

 

Well, everybody is entitled to their opinion (aren't they? sometimes I wonder around here). So here's mine.

I knew I was going to get an automatic no matter what else - had a manual for 30 years and I was just plain tired of the constant shifting in traffic. I test drove both the S and non-S (although they only had a manual non-S). During the test drive both my husband and the MA were holding on for dear life (love those curves). Hey it's a test drive, right? Gotta test it. Anyway, I actually ordered the non-S but I just kept thinking it just didn't have the accelleration factor necessary (for me - Ms. Leadfoot) in changing lanes, merging, passing, etc. Maybe it's this crazy SoCal traffic (my parents won't even drive on the highway when they visit) but I just had to have that extra power. So I called and changed my order a few days later and I'm really glad - this morning on the way to work ... well, it came in real handy.

As for the sunroof - had a bad, bad experience last time I had one and decided not to 'risk' it with my oh, so sweet Minnie. She is the best car I have ever driven.

 

Hey Stan, I think the only thing slow here may be the driver- not the car...

 

hehe, good one

 

i get 400+ miles to one tank. (+/- 50 miles or so.)
my R50 can go top speed of 130 (well tahts how fast ive gone in it so far)

at low rpms, the car may seem slow.
but when you shift at high rpms,(5000+) even if it is a justa, it's pretty damn quick.

and the S is about 2 seconds faster anyways.
wahts 2 seconds gonna do? nothing really.
dont matter.

and plus, with a non-s, you can customize it even more to your uniqueness since there's no obvious and noticeable hood scoop or aero kit or nothing (well, on the outside.) ive seen some R50's and R56 non s and i swear i thought they were S's. but i was wrong. they were the sickest looking MINI's ive ever seen. wow.

not that im bagging on the S, i mean of course id love to have a turbo or a super in my R50, but even without that extra boost, the justa is fast. also with its handling, driving fast on the MINI makes it even more fun.

 

A Mini is a Mini no matter if it has a turbo, a supercharger, N/A, or even a VTEC...and guess what? They all rule!

 

VTEC: It just kicked in yo.

 

 

I seriously chuckle when people bring out the "I need an S to merge onto the highway" routine... Rrrrrrreally? Are these the same people that come to a complete stop on on-ramps? Must be...

 

Funny, I took in my base Clubman for service and the loaner was your model MINI, a Cooper S with no sunroof and black headliner (I'm not making this up). Car felt very claustrophobic without a sunroof, and the ride was stiff and choppy, with very pronounced road noise from those low profile run-flat tires. The black headliner only added to the cave-like feel. Boy, was I happy to get back into my Clubman! You absolutely made the WRONG choice, as did anyone else who doesn't own a base Clubman optioned EXACTLY like mine. You know who you are!

 

I was thinking of putting a jet engine in the trunk of my justa, But then realized how happy I am with the speed that it does. Maybe it's something Jay Leno will do.

 

I was thinking the exact thought, my friend! Except that I would substitute a 2008 BRG MC. Everything else is wrong. I don't even believe it's a true MINI unless it's BRG. ...and turbos are the work of the devil... How else does all that power develop from the same engine? Out of thin air? Impossible!

 

I got my 2008 MCS JCW because I wanted a super-Cooper, not because I thought it was better than the other Coopers. I just wanted to get everything I could get into what was to be my very first dream car purchase.

I love my sunroof (And the glare that comes down onto me from the sun), and the grey headliner. I do not think they look cheap at all, but I have never seen this other one you are talking about, so maybe you are right there.

The truth is that we all like MINI's because they are MINI's, NOT because one is faster than the other. I mean, would you take the engine out of the MINI and put it into some other car type you liked better? I think not. I think you, and everyone else here, would rather take an engine from another car and stick it in the MINI, if these were your only choices. I can not speak for all of you, but I know that I would rather be driving a MINI no matter what power train it had in it... Even if it's top speed was only 65mph!

 

Alright, 2 seconds is a big difference. 6.5s Cooper S, 8.5 Cooper... 4.5 New BMW M3? Come on...

Anyway, I did test drive both before getting into this new Cooper S, and the Justacooper felt plenty speedy, but I come from a range of slow cars and decided I wanted just a bit more to spice things up.

The Justacooper is still a MINI, as is the John Cooper Works and the S. In a straight line, there is simply no contest between the Justacooper and the S, but in the curves (where I have the most fun), it is truly up to the driver.

Some people like dark interiors (Mine: Anthracite, Brushed Aluminum, Carbon Leather), but some like the big open interiors (Checkered, Grey Headliner, Outrageously Huge Sunroof). But my difference of opinion is not going to convince me to conjure a post on a this public forum, a place notorious for overly friendly people, about how horrible someone else's car is. Jeez. I may think my Cooper S is so awesome (it is why I bought it) but I still appreciate the Justacooper and wave to as many as I can, even when half don't wave back.

Calm it down, and just keep it to yourself, aight?

 

No, just the person unfortunate enough to be BEHIND the ding-dong who nearly stops while merging on the highway (and it seems that 80% of the population gets on highways like this ).

I'm happy that MINI makes both and happy for those that are enjoying their just-a-coopers but I agree with the OP that the S is for me!

 

There's no question that a justacooper has less acceleration than an S, but if you think a justacooper is slow, you're not driving it right. You probably just got lazy being used to the torque in the S.