[baskers]

Hey!


I went to buy a MCS and trade my MINI Cooper in... after loads of test drives, seeing some fantastic MINIs I couldn't bring myself to part with him.

It's mad, I've never felt like this about a car! I thought the extra power; more aggressive exterior, supercharger whine and popping exhaust would be enough... but I can't let him go!


I've had my MINI from new and given him a complete overhaul:

- Driving lights
- Aero kit
- Colour coded
- Clifford Alarm
- JCW Sound Kit

So, as a present to him I've just gone and bought some brand new JCW Seats, inc fitting for £1,534.

Has anyone else had the itch for more power, but hasn't had the heart to let their Cooper go?

I'd be interested to hear!

Jay

[S33BBY]

Well my Cooper is still quite new (May 2006 build) but I do love it and I can't see myself letting it go any time soon! It might not have the power of the S, but it's an extremely fun drive! I've also got the Sound Kit, and will probably get the Aero after Christmas some time.

[ItHurts]

I did trade in my 52 plate MC for a JCW MCSC. During the run-in period I was pleased but a little unsure I'd made the right choice. Post run-in period I couldn't be happier...

[Haggi]

have come close a few times but i love the natural asperation esp with the induction kit on hit 6500 rpm and it flys on the twistes on the way home it still feels like such a good car 3 and a hald years on and its not even relay been modded yet

[Nurton]

Quote: Originally Posted by ItHurts (original)

I did trade in my 52 plate MC for a JCW MCSC. During the run-in period I was pleased but a little unsure I'd made the right choice. Post run-in period I couldn't be happier...

As somebody who is in the process of running in a JCW MCS (776km so far) what can I expect? I have nudged 5000rpm twice but other than that, I've been a good boy. I see from the John Cooper website power/torque curves that until 5000rpm he is pretty much just a standard MCS, only after then does the extra 40bhp kick in. But to be honest he's plenty fast enough for Sydney's silly low speed limits where he lives!

[ScottyBoy]

il be trading in my L/Y MC in march for a MCS got no thought off not doing it at all i cant wait ive only had my MC for nearly 8 month an thats long enough i want an MCS

upgrading is the way forward!

[Benmk]

i have an S but my brother has a park lane with sound kit and we drive each others cars all the time.

He really pushes his and you can tell that it has been run in well. it really pulls especially up to 60 and even a bit after!

People think that a cooper is second best but i really have to disagree - its a reasonably quick car and amazing to drive compared to others in its class.

[Haggi]

should have the best of both worlds in 2 years as my cooper is all paid up now but ive got a few other things i need first then im either gonna buy an older s works 02 spec or a clio cup 182 as second car

[jamesday24]

I've never wanted an S. I did add the JCW Tuning Kit to my Cooper and I'm pleased with it. I couldn't ever part with my MC either.

[baskers]

Thanks for your replies.

The reason I feel unable to part with mine is the amount of work I've put into him; I think that's what a lot of MINI owners who mod their cars feel like!

Plus, I bought this little beaute brand new, and for me - I just couldn't get 'attached' to another MINI that I didn't spec myself...

It's crazy, I thought I'd easily be able to find a Cooper S with the exact same spec as mine, but I was sooooo wrong, there was not one, and I searched loads!

Crazy world of MINIs, eh?

[Haggi]

yeah thats what i feel too as i said above i couldnt simply swap my cooper for another car as its been mine since new and true its not realy modded but i love it too much to part with

[sef]

Can't imagine swapping mine tbh... Done quite a few things to it with much more planned... Having done what I have to it I couldn't bear to see it go...

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Hi,
I know the feeling..
I wondered for quite a while if I had made the right choice in going for a Cooper rather than a Cooper S.
It wasn't a case of money, when I was loooking for a Mini I wanted one fairly quickly and it just so happens I came across Betty MkII (that's her name) at a dealership on a sunny but chilly Sunday morning last December.

It was love at first sight and if I had specc'd the car myself I would have only added the electric folding mirrors - in terms of colours and options it was all there.
In the end I have a gorgeous Cooper with pretty much every available option and I saved aprox £3k off the new price for the 4k miles that a director had driven her.

In the last year I've added the Sound Kit, Cooper S pedals, rubber mats for winter, logo mats for summer etc..
The dealership are great and every single warranty issue is dealt with no matter how small, so a year on and at 13k miles the car still looks and feels new.

What would I get if it was an S?
A little more power off the mark, a 6th gear, higher fuel and insurance bills..

At the end of the day the difference between a base model Cooper and an S is pretty substantial, but a highly specc'd Cooper and an S not so much.

That's the beauty of the Mini really I guess, it's a blank canvas, even the base Cooper is an amazing starting point compared to the competition and as you add more and more options it just gets better..

If in a few years time I really like the idea of an S I would probably keep the Cooper I have now and purchase a 2006 S (no ugly R56 for me thanks), the problem will be finding one that is the same spec as my Cooper

Cheers, Geoff.

[S33BBY]

Very well put, Geoff.

[MiniPetrolHead]

Hi there Cooper owners, One owner here!

I know exactly what you all mean about not being ably get rid of your mini's for another! When i crashed my mini i thought i would get rid of it and buy another of the same year of manufacture, but when it came down to it i just couldnt get rid of it!

Plus the car is running just as well as it did when i drove it out of the show room!

Maybe its the fact that i have put time and effort into the mods that it has, bluefin, airfilter, mini mania maniflod, lowering springs and strutt brace. After christmas im having the areo side skirts and cooperS spoiler put on.

Although having said that, when im in the age group to gain cheep insurance on a cooper S i will with out a dout purchase one, money permitting! It will be a supercharged version not the turbo. I think having driven my mates Hartge cooperS im hungry for the extra grunt, mean looks and sound!

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Hi guys,
Well, have to admit I was very tempted having driven an S recently (supercharged not turbo). That feeling of acceleration was so invigorating, scary and yes......caution or no more licence all in one.

Spent about a fortnight with a bee in my bonnet and looked high and low for an S, but simply can't find one out there that has the same spec as my Cooper and I'm not prepared to lose one single option if I go to a different car.

May even consider a new convertible but still have 14 months of warranty so plenty of time to think about it keep my eye out for the perfect S, it will be no easy task to replace the Cooper that's for sure.

Cheers, Geoff.

[KillerByte]

My 52 plate MINI Cooper was rear-ended before Christmas, and while it has been in for repair after the New Year my insurance company has provided me with a MINI Cooper S (06 so supercharged ) hire car. To be honest, I'd always planned to upgrade to a MINI Cooper S in a few years time so this was the perfect chance for me to test one for a few days.

My initial impressions were good. The extra power you get is great and the sound of the engine, supercharger and exhaust is fantastic. However, the ride is much harder thanks to the stiffer suspension and 17" run-flat tyres (my MC only has Sport Suspension and 15" standard wheels) and this is something I actually dislike. The ride is hard enough in my MC and some of the roads around where I live are a lot less forgiving in the MCS.

Today I took the MCS out for a proper run on a dual carriageway. Once again, the power difference between the two cars is impressive but I did find the MCS a little more skittish than I'd like. It seems at higher speeds I had to make constant corrections to the steering and it made the whole experience a little less fun. I don't know why but my MC seems a lot more stable.

It might be that as a hire car, the MCS I'm currently using has been treated as one (ie. thrashed to death) and therefore isn't truly representative of the model range but at this point in time I wouldn't trade my MC for one. I get my MC back on Monday and to be quite honest I can't wait. It may not be as fast, and it may not make the same sound but in my opinion it's much more fun to drive.

[xtremepsionic]

Although more power is always more fun, I drive too fast as it is on public roads I'm serious, it is way too easy for me to go way past the speed limits just rowing through the first 3 gears. As much fun as the MCS as, I think it is safer for my own sake that I stay with a Cooper.

ps. the gas mileage, lighter weight, tossable yet stable feel, compliant ride, less insurance etc etc is just the icing on the cake

[Parc77]

Have to say, Ive had 2 S's over the last 4 years or so and love them to bits, I had a Cooper with the sound kit on a few weeks ago when mine was in the garage, have to say I was impressed, it only had 15's on which was great after driving mine with 18's and eibachs on, just a shame the governments and councils lack of money put into the roads these days (avoiding pot holes and speed bumps is becoming ridiculous grr! - time for some lightweight 16 or 17's me thinks)

Although a basic spec, the noise of the Cooper kind of made up for the lack of supercharger whine and pop pop popping exhaust not of my S, and it was no slouch either, the extra power and almost unique sound of the S do win me over ...even if it does drink to much juice

[CC07ERS]

i got my cooper on the 7th july spent £14500 on the car ,£2.5 on mods was happy till i had a test drive of a new r56 s & its gone iam waiting on my 07 s took a £4.5 hit in 5 months but thats life i mite add . Ive never actually driven a supercharged s so i cant comment on the whine or poping .On the sound kit there is no performance increase with this only noise £700 for noise i just cant see the point