[bd394]

I just brought my '03 MCS to the dealer for service and they gave me a brand new cooper convertible!! I have listed some notable differences between the two.

1. Right away i noticed the softness of the convertible standard suspension. Much softer than expected. But I wouldn't say it affected handling in any way.

2. Lots of shaking from the lack of a solid roof. Any sort of bump was softened by the suspension, but caused the car to shake, much more than with a solid roof.

3. Clutch was very light. A little too light for my tastes, and by far much lighter than the MCS.

4. The 5 speed was very nice trans with light throws, and they seemed to be shorter throws than the 6 speed. My only complaint about the trans is shifting into reverse which requires the car to be almost stopped. I ground the gears a couple times because the car was still rolling a bit. Also in reverse the trans whines allot. There is no whine in the 6 speed.

5. The engine itself is much more free revving than the S engine. Throttle blips are much easier. Because of this it is much easier to launch the car in first gear. The engine also idles much quieter than the S.

I have had a lot of fun with this car so far and I am glad they didn't finish my MCS so I can keep it another day. (Especially when it is a sunny spring day!!)