Keep both.

 

I have both cars, Cayman S and R56 MCS. The cars really are at opposite ends of the spectrum but both loads of fun in their own way. The Cayman is actually pretty practical as a daily driver as long as you can get by with the 2-seater concept. The MINI will give you an extra dose of luggage and passenger space and definitely better gas mileage. My current plan is to hold onto my Cayman for good. Porsches are so evolutionary that it will still be a great sports car a decade from now despite the inevitable updates the 987 will get. But....if push came to shove and I had to get rid of one car, it would probably have to be the Cayman as the MINI certainly has more general utilility. That said, you will NOT be able to recoup all of your money if you buy the MINI and decide a few weeks later you don't want it. Assuming you pay MSRP plus TT&L, you will be into the car for a few thousand over MSRP right off the bat, and as soon as you leave the dealer you will lose perhaps 10%. MINI's do have great resale but it's a pipedream to think you could buy/sell in such a short time and come out unscathed. I do understand going through cars quickly, heck I had an '06 MINI before getting the Cayman and ended up getting another one two years later.

 

The good thing is they will be making Cayman's and Mini's for a while and there are plenty of them out there if you want to get another. Vehicles come and go. You can always go back to a vehicle if you don't like it, but looking at the responses of owners here, it seems like you will enjoy the Mini for quite a while.

 

I am on the fence myself. I love Minis (can't say anything about the Porsche) but I am a bit worried that the sale of all cars will go downhill very fast in the coming months. See this WSJ article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122402777241134433.html. This would mean that you could lose more than in the past when trying to sell (although granted, still less than other brands).

Personally, I would not buy a used Mini if I can get a new one for pretty much the same price --the discount would have to be at least $1500 or more for me to consider it. Hence, if you don't want to lose money then don't take delivery. They will most likely return your deposit and sell the car quite fast.

Not sure if you have Zipcar where you live but they have a few Mini's in their fleet that you could rent as much as you want to get a feel for the car... won't be the same as the car you ordered but it could help... otherwise maybe a Mini event?

 

MtbScott, I agreed with your assessment.

I currently have 2 Porsches and a Mini. In my opinion, the Cayman S is a much sportier car than the Mini. But the Mini Cooper S is a better daily driver with much better gas consumption. I have driven both on the track and like the way the Cayman handles. Something about Cayman's rwd and mid engine gives it a great balance. On the economic front, the Mini has a much lower cost of ownership which is quite important these days. All cars have positives and negatives which depend on what you want to do with it. Get what fits your lifestyle, needs and economics. Remember it is a longer term capital (and depreciating) asset so it is generally not easy to get rid off without some economic consequences.