Anyway if your critical comment was addressed by the other critical comments please repost so we can all see your criticism.

Judging from the pictures, the problem was not fixed on the 07 so I will not be buying one of those.

Based on first hand evidence it actually looks like MINI has designed the shock towers to provide more reinforcement potentially eliminating the problem. The design is similar to the new Rolls Royce shock towers if I remember right.

The “love the car” statement is really saying something since one of the much discussed, poorly designed shock towers mushroomed on the way home from taking delivery at the dealer. Judging from the pictures, the problem was not fixed on the 07 so I will not be buying one of those.

Call

Friend of mine just sold his E46 330i performance package car (analogous on many fronts to an E36 M3 sedan), and bought instead a new VW Rabbit as daily driver and Lotus Exige as his performance car. Great if you can swing it financially. I spent a lot of time with him checking out Elises and Exiges…not a bad choice for the hardcore performance enthusiast.

He alomost bought a MINI btw as the daily driver — but the Rabbit left him more $$$ to spend on the Exige.

Sure, the E30 and E36 BMWs were lightweight and performance-oriented sport sedans. However, each generation after has become more and more bloated with weight. And yes, at nearly 2700 lbs. the MINI is not exactly Kate Moss, but its keen handling and composure, coupled with its diminutive size make it “feel” light and frisky. Which is why my eye is veering more towards the Lotus Elise than the sedate 3-series.

and to Gabe: Apologies for the misunderstanding. Like I said, I respect you and salute all the work you’ve done on MotoringFile.

Jim

CMMC member since inception Windy City BMWCCA member for for ten years

like Gabe a 3 series touring, and MCS owner! Plus another fun little BMW.

For me part of the lure of the new MINI project in the first place was the knowledge that BMW engineering would underpin the new car. The primary reason I haven’t bought one yet is my lovely wife’s worries about practicality coupled with her love of the BMW as road trip car extraordinaire. But I almost bought two of them, one as recently as two weeks ago. I’m a MINI and MotoringFile “tourist,” clearly, and proud of it.

More than one poster on this thread has mentioned cross-shopping the MINI with the BMW 3-series and I bet you will find it a lot more common than people might care to admit. The bottom line is, whether you drive a 325i or an MCS, you choose one or the other, or perhaps from among a small number of competitors, (STI, Exige, S4 or RS4) because you care about the time behind the wheel from point A to point B, not just about getting there or looking pretty doing it. Because these are all “drivers’ cars” that allow you to aggressively attack the roads and take in all the aural pleasures and adrenaline you can ring out on your 30-minute commute or on a three hour road trip. Or the track for some of you.

If you didn’t care, you’d buy a Toyota instead. Or maybe a Lexus or Mercedes. Or a Buick…

The next year will see another car purchase for me of some sort and the competition will likely not go much beyond new 328i coupe, R56 MCS, or possibly a lightly used R53 — it’s that darn supercharger I like so much!! Either way seems like you can’t go wrong.

–Bill

I test drove a STi when I was shopping for my MINI, but when final decision time came down, I was comparing (cross-shopping) the MCS/JCW, BMW 330Ci (E46), and a lightly used 540i 6 speed Sport (E39). I had already eliminated the IS300 as far too bland and the G35 coupe would have been too difficult to carry a wheelchair bound passenger.

Rawhyde

PS I’m planning for my next car to be the 335i coupe. It’ll be a little while for me because I’m keeping the MINI!

you drove a new Europa?

No – I’ve only driven the original from the early 70’s.

Sadly I was talking aboutUSD. The price for my MCS in Norwegian Krones is 430,000 and 868.000 is the base price for the 335 Coupe.

“Paid” was perhaps a strong adjective to use, but obviously BMW loaning you these cars benefited both them (for exposure and positive press to a potential market), and you (in order to generate more content).

Sorry I wasn’t more clear. These cars weren’t loaned to me by BMW but my very good friend who works at the local BMW/MINI dealership.

I don’t really see how a comparison of the 3-series models versus a MINI is worthy of an article on this MINI-focused blog.

I think it’s very important for this site and MINI owners to step out of their normal world from time to time for a sampling of what else is out there. By the number of comments we’ve seen on MotoringFile expressing interest (or saying they’re moving to or from) the BMW 3 series, I’d say this comparison is quite valid.

Why would anybody want the weight and comlpexity and cost of AWD added to the well balanced MINI chassis ? Count the comments here on the Getrag awd MINI.

And that’s my point. It makes sense for a car like the MINI. A car that is nose heavy and a little nervous at high speed cornering. A car that is compromised by the very nature of FWD. The RWD 335i has none of these issues.

BTW great comment.

However, I don’t really see how a comparison of the 3-series models versus a MINI is worthy of an article on this MINI-focused blog. It’s apples and oranges. If you had compared the Z4 to the MINI, that would be sensible. Which is why I said I considered this more of an advertisement. “Paid” was perhaps a strong adjective to use, but obviously BMW loaning you these cars benefited both them (for exposure and positive press to a potential market), and you (in order to generate more content). And that kind of close relationship with a news subject always makes me uncomfortable. Then again, I have a pretty “old-school” outlook on news journalism.

As to whether the comment was deleted — I know that I saw my comment on the page after I wrote it. If you say you didn’t delete it, then I believe you. But somehow it disappeared. ?? Internet gnomes I guess.

Back in the day, the twin turbos and dozens of valves, not to mention several computers in the 335i would have been considered ‘too complicated’, too.

I’ve gone from e36 to MINI to Subaru STi. Depending on tires and camber, the steady state cornering of all three cars is about the same.

But in real world driving, I can take a slow cautious entry, wait until I see there’s no marbles, obstructions, etc, and really accellerate out of a corner and stay more neutral under accelleration than my e36.

The MINI I would enter too fast for comfort and then hold constant speed through a turn.

The MINI was best for constant speed sharp transitions.

When I test drove the MCS and STi back to back, there is this one 290 degree upward corkscrew onramp with new sealing that is usually damp in parts and very slippy.

Enter slow and accellerate, and the MINI spins its inside wheel something fierce. Enter fast and maintain speed uphill is almost possible, but depending on how wet it is I could be too fast, and too splippery and too late to brake.

Every month I see some RWD spun out on this ramp.

The STi was perfect here.

For many other situations, the lighter RWD 335i would be fine, perhaps better. My main point is I hope BMW is awake to customers cross shopping hoontastic RS4 at one end, and Evos and Subarus with silly long names: Legacy GT Spec B, WRX STi Spec C Rec II … priced just below them, and realizes the appeal of using AWD for sporting advantage, not just soccer mom piece of mind.

Why would anybody want the weight and comlpexity and cost of AWD added to the well balanced MINI chassis ? Count the comments here on the Getrag awd MINI.

I had a new 325i loaner recently and was immediately struck by how sensitive the brakes were. Was I feeling the affects of the “brake assist” (Dynamic Brake Control) technology in merely normal stopping?

Also, any thoughts on the runflats?

Petsounds, probably you are not the only one that thinks that way. While I truly enjoy reading Motoringfile on a daily basis, I can’t help but think, that this is one heck of incredible sales outlet for BMW… And an effective one at that. I would not be surprised if MF has twice the hits of the “official” BMW and MINI webpages in the ‘net.

I agree – MF is incredibly valuable to MINI and BMW. However I doubt that the site has more daily visits (let alone double) than MINIUSA.com sees. But I truly appreciate the suggestion that it may :)

I admire Gabe for the amount of effort and dedication he has put forth on his site in the past few years and I am sure that there is a fairly good (I don’t want to call it “Lucrative” as I am not going to make affirmation to something I don’t know first hand) and mutually beneficial relationship between him and BMWUSA.

MotoringFile has no monetary relationship with MINI USA or BMW. I can’t be more plain than that. Yes we have sponsors and yes, some of those sponsors are MINI dealers. But neither MINI nor BMW pay us for anything we do. We do not receive free cars for a year (like a certain MINI magazine has) or official accessories. I hope that ends any speculation.

BMW and MINI fully recognize the benefits of using MF as their “Off the record” and “rumor” communication channel with their ever expanding clientele.

I can assure you that we (Db, myself and all the normal MF contributors) are the ones dictating and writing the content on the site… not MINI. And I can also tell you that there are plenty of things on this site that a few in the MINI organization wouldn’t mind seeing removed and wish had never been posted. What we have for next Monday is a good example of this.