There's a member on the forum, mvalant , he's a Mini owner. You might shoot him an email or PM (I'm not sure how often he visits).
Sort of gotten the bug about getting a Mini. Anybody know much about the difference of model years? Probably going to use it as a commuter car and daily driver as I am looking to move out towards MSR. And as usual I will want to be able to track it every once in a while. Any thoughts
Mac
LS1 Miata Tiger Race Car (Build in Progress) TOPP Racing / East Street Auto / Saferacer.com / TeamMER
"To hell with you Gen. Sheridan...I 'll take Texas!"
There's a member on the forum, mvalant , he's a Mini owner. You might shoot him an email or PM (I'm not sure how often he visits).
If you're looking to keep it stock, I'd recommend an '05+ Cooper S with the optional limited slip diff. '05+ Coopers Ss got revised (shorter) gear ratios in 1st through 3rd and the optional diff, which wasn't available on '03 & '04 cars.
Either that, or find a used John Cooper Works car with the upgraded supercharger good for 200hp.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Wait for the 2007s, which are all new and should be hitting showrooms shortly. BMW/Peugeot turbo replaces the S/C Brazilian Chrysler lump, updated chassis, interior, exterior, etc.
Or just buy a Civic Si and save a boatload of cash.
S.
The Lone Star Region (Houston) of the Porsche Club of America has banned them from DEs. Here's some details...
There were a number of roll-over accidents at turn 7 at TWS. In the more serious cases, the doors came open. I personally witnessed a case where the Mini rolled three times, landing upright but seriously damaged. The car bounced on the driver's side during each revolution. On the first bounce the driver's door opened. On the second bounce the door was folded in half. The driver had serious injuries to his left hand.
There was also some anecdotal evidence of the door coming open in roll-over incidents in a couple of pro races.
From the lsrpca web page:
The currently prohibited cars include:
Open Wheel Cars
Cars with only one seat in the Green and Blue Run Group
Convertibles without a proper roll bar installed.
Mini Coopers
Any vehicle deemed “unsafe” by the LSR Officials.
Skirt
Silver '99, MP62, TDR Intercooler, Tein Flex, Borla Duals, HDHCDD, Oh and chicks dig the kilt!
I drove one right after I bought my car last year. They realy have quite a bit of stability. My friend also owns a BMW Z3 as well as the 2005 Mini Cooper S. I didn't feel the least bit of any roll over when he whiped it around in a bat mobile manuever and a E-brake turn around in a wide open concrete parking lot. It was one fun ride.
I asked the Mini of Dallas guy when the 2007 models are coming out and he said it would be in February. The Convertibles will still be the 2006 model until later. I did read that there is another mod out there that is done by a reknowned BMW tuner company that is a lot easier to install than the JCW package and costs about $4500 for parts. The power output is the same as JCW package. I think the name of the company is Dinan.
05 MX-5 Mazdaspeed #1024 Titanium Gray Mica
Picture of one of the crashed ones on the Mini Forum.
You would think that a simple roll cage/window net rule would be better than an outright ban.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
I dont think a window net is going to help when there is no door. I bet the reason why they dont want a roll cage rule is that it still looks bad everytime a car wrecks. If you have a type of car that is rolling often even if it has a roll cage it brings the illusion of danger more and more into DEs.