Seems a strange review, not just because it's about 5 years late.
To be honest you have to query the "go-kart" ride claim when, as is obvious, a go kart is a shell free rear wheel drive little thing, a MINI is a FWD car that that sits four and meets all modern road safety legislation.
It seems he didn't "get on with it", which is fine. Comparing it to a MazdaSpeed 3 seems a stretch at best. Saying it's not for the track, especially in the US, seems naive when you hear of it's achievements, especially in autox and slalom tests etc where handling is the key.
Seems he was pretty much forced behind the wheel and, as expected, hated most of the experience.
Each to their own. Besides, its much easier to to write a good, emotive review pulling something apart than it is if you "quite like it", or even love the experience.
TTAC generally thrives on controversy, hence their review.
I don't know if the MINI handles like a go-kart. I've never karted. I do know it's probably the finest FWD chassis available today, and saying it's not a track car is patently absurd (given that it finished 1st and 3rd in its SCCA class this year - not bad for a 5 year old model).
I drove karts for 3 years when younger (Hertfordshire Schools Champion (50cc) two years running!!) & all I can remember is bone-shaking ride, sitting in a puddle in the seat when it was wet, fantastic opposite lock steering on all corners & left-foot braking.
So 1 out of 4 (ride!!) doesn't really qualify as a kart-like ride.
(Bloody good fun; proper kart-racing - would have loved to continue, but was 6'3" by age of 14 - I looked particularly stupid)
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