MattOz

My Mini Cooper was only 1 sec slower around the old Ringwood circuit than an STI7. So the Mini must be crap and evidently doesn't handle. Give me a Cooper S over a WRX anyday

Matt

PaulMc

I had a P1 for 2 years and a MY97 for 3.5 years prior to that. So I'd like to think I can make a fair judgement

I have been running a Mini Cooper S for 3 months now. It has the BBR 220 conversion and Eibach springs.
I would say that outright grip is far less than the P1, but handling and feel is far greater from the seat of the Cooper S. The P1's absolute grunt is something the MCS will never get near, but on a dry twisty B road the MCS will be very close from point A to B and the driver will be having just as much fun.

I reckon in most dry situations and any road my MCS will be close to a standard WRX.

Alan C

This is the type of post that winds me up...

Two utterly different cars.. you simply cannot make a choice on one single arguable fact.. So the Mini is slightly better/worse in handling? What about the hundreds of other plus/negative points in favour of each?

The WR1 / FQ argument that raged after Top Gear falls into the same category. How can you say that the Evo is better from a Pro driver driving it to such extremes? That was ONE aspect.. 1 second quicker.. around a track.. Real life, day to day driving then..

Childish, pointless arguments that simply cannot be settled in one or a thousand pointless posts...

PaulMc

Alan, I couldn't agree more.

Faire D'Income

The original post said nothing about making a choice, it merely quoted the MINI salesman and invited comment about the respective merits of both cars handling. If it winds you up, either don't read the comments or get a better understanding of what the original post was about.

What does this have to do with the MINI? From memory it was nearer three seconds which is a hell of difference.

Then why contribute if it's so childish?

scooby L

3 seconds not 1 Alan.....

But I agree with you also...Pointless.

On a thread in the insurance section a guy is paying 300 odd quid for a Ren 5 Turbo and £1300 for his scoob.

He recons he gets just a much (if not more) fun with his 5... but you cannot compare the two, because they are totally different cars.

2p worth

wall

Don't confuse grip and power for handling. Of the cars I've owned this is the dry handling order IMO (developed over road and track driving):

1 - Elise 111S
2 - Cooper S JCW
3 - Sti5 and 330i even
4 - WRX and Evo III even
5 - Civic Si
6 - Alfa 33

So, IMO Cooper S handles better than Sti and much better than WRX. On the same dry track (quite twisty, not a real powr track) I match my Sti times in the Cooper S and that's with an 80hp deficit at about the same weight!

Remember, this is a same-driver same-roads same-conditions comparison.

Alan C

Point taken about the 3 seconds.. Still irrelevant in the wider context of things..

Point also taken about the slightly off topic change to the Evo / Scoob run . However, the discussion was about handling. Mini or otherwise, it is a direct comparison to the TG run that only focussed on one aspect. The salesman was as bad as Jeremy & Mark in hinging their whole pitch on this one aspect. I can understand the salesman’s need to feed his family, but TG were wrong or winding people up from the cheeky smirk on Mark’s face! I could widen it to the clapping & cheering that followed the Carerra GT’s second or so quicker around the track than the SLR. Good to watch but pointless in the grand scheme I’m arguing against.

As for being childish? I made no direct comment about anyone here (especially as comments were invited) but against arguments/debates like this that have no wider point or relevance to them. My post was just highlighting that fact.

Bobby Peru

My god, Scooby's slighted in "car drives better than Scoob shocker", lots do, get over it!!

PROBLEMCHILD75

sorry guys but having owned a cooper s for 4 months and a JDM my03 for 6 which I love in my EXPERIENCE the scooby is faster and has more grip but the cooper s handles a night and day better than the scoob.

Chins

Maybe in the dry. Owned a Cooper S at the same time as an STI 7. When I wanted fun the Cooper S stayed at home. Most overated cars Ive ever owned - also the shortest. In the wet its ESP cut in so easily it was a joke. The ride was also very poor - yes I had run flats. Was very happy to see the back of it. Running a 182 at the moment - thats what the Mini should aspire to be. The Clio even has better build quality and thats saying something.

Will give the works version a try at some point - maybe that elevates it from Saxo VTR oponent to a hot hatch.

Jonathan

Bobby Peru

So why not just turn it off then.

Just goes to show how opinions differ, I love the CS and find any excuse for my GF to drive my current car to work (330ci Clubsport) so I get the Cooper S for the day.