I have had numerous sports cars, Z06 Vette, Cobra, Supercharged NSX, to name a few. The one car I always miss and wish I would have never sold was mhy Evo 8, best handling unmodified car I have ever owned with breaks and power up the ying yang to boot. It deservers #1, but I do love my MCS

 

I miss my 390 whp 04 STI and my 450 whp 07 STI Limited.

 

And yet you are driving a Mini Must be something to like

 

As mentioned in an earlier post, I gave up on C&D as a regular read some time ago. i do remember when they had a 'best handling' comparo so many years ago. The Audi GT (if anyone remembers the 2-dr coupe w/front drive?) beat out the Corvette. ??? Their argument was that the understeer of the Audi was easier to control than the rwd of the Corvette. That, even though the Corvette was a quicker car under most conditions, esp at the race track. I thought the comparison was best handling, not easiest to drive. The driver definitely has to be taken into account, and if he/she can't do the job, don't blame the car!
That said, I'm on me 2nd Mini (my wife is on her 1st) and we wouldn't trade them in on anything else at this time.