[minidan]

Hey all!

We've recently outfitted our Cooper S demo with the JCW 18" wheels and suspension package. Please come on down if you'd like to get a feel for how it handles. My first impressions are positive. You get flatter turns and it doesn't beat you up on city streets.

We will most likely retire this demo in a week or two so please hurry down if you're interested in a drive!

Daniel Tye
MINI Sales Manager
East Bay MINI

[MiniCruzer]

I drove this car yesterday - got to spend about 20 minutes with it. 4th time I've driven an MCS. I keep thinking a MCS is what I want as my next car and then I drive one and I'm disappointed. Right now I drive an E36 M3 so the Mini's don't quite have the same driving appeal. However, this car changed my mind. I didn't place an order, but the JCW suspension, and the new gear ratios of the '05, has moved me from "I'm interested but not convinced" to "what color should I order."
Kudos to East Bay Mini for having a car like this a tester and sending me out without a salesmen talking the whole time (like at the Mt. View Mini dealer). The 18" wheels seem like a waste, though. They require limiters on the steering rack (so they don't rub on the wheel wells) and so the turning circle is increased by a fair bit.
I think the next step is to rent one for a day and see what it's like on my favorite two lane roads through the Santa Cruz mountains. Are there any places in the NorCal bay area that rent MCS?

David in Santa Cruz
E36 M3 <--- to be replaced by a MCS??
former: E30 325i, 73, 75 and 76 2002's, etc.