I also have not loved the R56 (though I have to say the Clubman is actually growing on me a little).

I just plead with MINI, if you do this car, DO IT RIGHT! If the purpose is to have a performance oriented car to offset some of the stuff going the other way like the R60, then do not allow any model of this car to be sold that tones it down.

You have to make the JCW suspension(or some type of performance suspension) and Aero Kit standard. Not to encite a massive debate, but this car also cries out to be stick only (unless you can find a way to stuff a DCT in there ;) ).

It must be available in COLORS! No, four differet shades of Grey do not count as colors. Open your color wheel up and stay out of the middle.

No half measures.

It has lost one of the last typical point = its friendly cubic form

For the price, some 2005 Boxster (that are not MINI as well) may serious be considered

Personally I think the MINI is the antiposeur car. The coopster does look a bit more pretentious, but it’s still a MINI…

What do you think? Option packages seem to be popular. Why not a “Road Performance Package” slightly stiffer suspension, better shocks, a little more power, some stickier tires.

Or a “Track Performance Package” fully adjustable coil-over suspension, lighter weight brake rotors, larger calipers, lighter & wider wheels, and lots more power, larger & adjustable anti-sway bars, camber adjustable front & rear suspension, weight saving options to delete various items.

Or a “Stop light Performance Package” a reedy, obnoxious, exhaust system, lots of chrome inside and out, tires that make colored smoke, some 20″ chrome rims.

My Mini’s have already embarrassed more than one much higher performance car during track days. A poser would be somebody that buys a much more expensive sports car that gets spanked by a 30k Mini.

Yes, sorry, that was out of line. My apologies to the ladies.

However, no apologies to the poseurs of any gender who would pay over $30k for an FWD, 2-seat “performance” car.

However, as much as I like the JCW or even a nicely loaded and customized MCS, my buget is more of a base MC or Clubman with some essentials (AC, Auto) added in.

If MINI wants to get lots of sales, then they need to keep/offer models that more people can afford. Sure it dilutes it a bit as you will see more and more on the road but since MINI seems to still be trying to recoup some R&D costs….

As much as I like the Coupe and would strongly consider one, the fact that it appears to be a premium model and probably will start around 30K (my guess based on comments here) and go up from there, well that pretty much eliminates it from my consideration.

I’m planning my purchase next year so the timing doesn’t fit either however if the expected price were to be in line with what I can afford (I’d be happy without the base (or even a diesel) engine) then I would consider waiting for it.

So long as one is saying the coupay is a characterful car, and at 200 pounds lighter a better performance car than other Minis, I get it and if they made a Cooper version EPA rated at over 40mpg highway I might even want to buy one. It’s when people say its a sports car for enthusiasts that I stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

(Oh, and I do think S2000s have character in much the same way a Z3 M Coupe did. When I see an S2000 or an old M Coupe I feel like I’m seeing someone who gets it, someone who appreciates the engineering or audacity, respectively, that went into that car’s creation. Those cars’ capabilities give them presence whether their styling does or does not.)