Having a Mini dilemma!! Help
Discussion
A few years back I was the proud owner of a brand new mini cooper s
Unfortunatly my circumstance changed, new job, rather large VAT bill ect...
I then was left with no other road out but to sell the little Mini, which I did back to BMW and with the little change I recieved in return, I bought a E36 323 se coupe.
I then spent the next few years telling everyone that I didnt really like the Mini, that it was terrible on fuel and my golf clubs didnt fit in the boot..
I thought I managed to convince myself that the mini was no good, untill just yesterday one of my best friends phoned to ask if I was working and would I like to see the Mini Cooper S works he had just swapped his M3 for?
Well after the usual 10 mins of tyre kicking and looking over everyhting with him, he handed me the keys and said lets go for a spin?
I had only covered a few yards and already the green monster was taking over?
I had to have one, that was it the C36 was being put up for sale!
Which leeds me to my dilemma,
Am I making a mistake? will I regrete selling a car I travelled through the night from Edinburgh to London to buy?
The C36 is a truely fantastic car, and one I thought I would keep longer than my usual two years.
Please give me your thoughts as I cant sleep, the car is up for sale in the classified's, am I making a mistake....
Unfortunatly my circumstance changed, new job, rather large VAT bill ect...
I then was left with no other road out but to sell the little Mini, which I did back to BMW and with the little change I recieved in return, I bought a E36 323 se coupe.
I then spent the next few years telling everyone that I didnt really like the Mini, that it was terrible on fuel and my golf clubs didnt fit in the boot..
I thought I managed to convince myself that the mini was no good, untill just yesterday one of my best friends phoned to ask if I was working and would I like to see the Mini Cooper S works he had just swapped his M3 for?
Well after the usual 10 mins of tyre kicking and looking over everyhting with him, he handed me the keys and said lets go for a spin?
I had only covered a few yards and already the green monster was taking over?
I had to have one, that was it the C36 was being put up for sale!
Which leeds me to my dilemma,
Am I making a mistake? will I regrete selling a car I travelled through the night from Edinburgh to London to buy?
The C36 is a truely fantastic car, and one I thought I would keep longer than my usual two years.
Please give me your thoughts as I cant sleep, the car is up for sale in the classified's, am I making a mistake....
Not to sure if I agree with you there..
A normal cooper, maybe but not the JCW..
The legend that the mini is is captured in spectactular amounts in the JCW...
A proper tuners convertion on a very well sorted hot hatch to start with, making it the bench mark that all hot hatches have been measured against for almost 10 years...
A normal cooper, maybe but not the JCW..
The legend that the mini is is captured in spectactular amounts in the JCW...
A proper tuners convertion on a very well sorted hot hatch to start with, making it the bench mark that all hot hatches have been measured against for almost 10 years...
Stu , I`ve dropped you an e-mail anyway about this !!
I can`t understand the Cooper S being an object of such great desire - the last time I saw a windscreen that perpendicular it was on a Cosy Coupe . I`ve driven the Mini (not the works version ) adn found it very ho hum . Front wheel drive stuff is , in my experience , compromised to some extent with the exception of a Strada Abarth and the original Integra R . My only advice would be to try something like the mark 5 GTi Golf etc before you buy the BMW option .
As usual , R129 speaks wisely , the C36 is coming into it`s own now . It`s a real sleeper which is at the bottom of the depreciation curve and will be appreciated more as the years go on for the historical significance of the AMG Mercedes first production model , as well as it`s cost effective running costs .
PS , Try a C55 too !
M
I can`t understand the Cooper S being an object of such great desire - the last time I saw a windscreen that perpendicular it was on a Cosy Coupe . I`ve driven the Mini (not the works version ) adn found it very ho hum . Front wheel drive stuff is , in my experience , compromised to some extent with the exception of a Strada Abarth and the original Integra R . My only advice would be to try something like the mark 5 GTi Golf etc before you buy the BMW option .
As usual , R129 speaks wisely , the C36 is coming into it`s own now . It`s a real sleeper which is at the bottom of the depreciation curve and will be appreciated more as the years go on for the historical significance of the AMG Mercedes first production model , as well as it`s cost effective running costs .
PS , Try a C55 too !
M
Hello Mickey
I think your right about selling, the merc value can only realy go up for all the reasons you have mentioned.
I am having big douts about my decission and after having just washed polished and hoovered the car its looking a million dollars.
I am away for the weekend on a stagg doo up in Inverness, the weather up north is ment to be fantastic this weekend and I am driving up in the 36
I am going to fully decide what I am going to do after that
I would hate to sell the 36 and impulse buy something that 5 minutes later I hated.
Cheers for your help
I think your right about selling, the merc value can only realy go up for all the reasons you have mentioned.
I am having big douts about my decission and after having just washed polished and hoovered the car its looking a million dollars.
I am away for the weekend on a stagg doo up in Inverness, the weather up north is ment to be fantastic this weekend and I am driving up in the 36
I am going to fully decide what I am going to do after that
I would hate to sell the 36 and impulse buy something that 5 minutes later I hated.
Cheers for your help
I was being facetious.
However, I can't really see the comparison. What is the C36 worth? Even a minter is only worth £5k. An average or high mileage car half that. A JCW costs £22k. It's not like it is a straight swap. If you really want the Mini then buy it but I don't see why you have to sell the C36.
I had a duel with a JCW in Germany. It was a very fast car although it didn't look very stable on its square wheelbase and track. Still, I didn't get past it until I had more than 145mph on the clock and I can't say I felt particularly stable at those speeds.
My problem with the Mini is two fold. First, it is not very mini. In fact it is more maxi. It is a cynical triumph of styling without an ounce of originality about it. It will never be a classic or an icon like the original precisely because it is not original. It is a hackneyed marketing gimmick. Second, all the wrong people have them. Posh students. Ditzy women. Estate agents. In other words, people who mistake (or perhaps equate) hackneyed marketing gimmicks for substance and originality. The Mini for me is everything that is wrong about modern cars in a single vehicle.
However, I can't really see the comparison. What is the C36 worth? Even a minter is only worth £5k. An average or high mileage car half that. A JCW costs £22k. It's not like it is a straight swap. If you really want the Mini then buy it but I don't see why you have to sell the C36.
I had a duel with a JCW in Germany. It was a very fast car although it didn't look very stable on its square wheelbase and track. Still, I didn't get past it until I had more than 145mph on the clock and I can't say I felt particularly stable at those speeds.
My problem with the Mini is two fold. First, it is not very mini. In fact it is more maxi. It is a cynical triumph of styling without an ounce of originality about it. It will never be a classic or an icon like the original precisely because it is not original. It is a hackneyed marketing gimmick. Second, all the wrong people have them. Posh students. Ditzy women. Estate agents. In other words, people who mistake (or perhaps equate) hackneyed marketing gimmicks for substance and originality. The Mini for me is everything that is wrong about modern cars in a single vehicle.
Hello R126SL
Point taken, but I was looking at a early 02 cooper S works and the price is very simular!
I have been having serious douts about my decission to put the car up for sale, which can only mean that I am not ready to sell it.
My budget for a second fun car are capped at £7k as the wife makes sure we have a nice new safe family car for the daily grind!!
Anyway what were you chasing a Mini JCW in in Germany? was it a C36
As I said earlier I am away on a break your neck stagg weekend this weekend and will probibly remove the car from the classifieds on my return
Cheers for your help..
I am starting to feel it would be a dicission I would regret?
Point taken, but I was looking at a early 02 cooper S works and the price is very simular!
I have been having serious douts about my decission to put the car up for sale, which can only mean that I am not ready to sell it.
My budget for a second fun car are capped at £7k as the wife makes sure we have a nice new safe family car for the daily grind!!
Anyway what were you chasing a Mini JCW in in Germany? was it a C36
As I said earlier I am away on a break your neck stagg weekend this weekend and will probibly remove the car from the classifieds on my return
Cheers for your help..
I am starting to feel it would be a dicission I would regret?
As someone who changes cars frequently, I can see your dilemma. If I were you, the reason you are having some thoughts about the Mini is because your C36 is a bit too similar to the "nice safe car for the daily grind". I have a BMW 550, which is a nice safe car for the daily grind - but I have a GT3 which is nothing whatsoever like the 550 (obviously). My other half has recently been saying that a DB9 would be great to replace the GT3, but to me the DB9 is half way between the 550 and the GT3 and whats the point of having several cars if they do not offer a different (enough) experience?
Having said that, I am not sure I would go for a Mini of any sort. What kind of experience are you looking for? Do you need 2 cars or could you combine your wife's and yours requirements and get a CLS55AMG or M5 or something?
(sorry for all the presumptions - but I had to make some to make my point
)
Having said that, I am not sure I would go for a Mini of any sort. What kind of experience are you looking for? Do you need 2 cars or could you combine your wife's and yours requirements and get a CLS55AMG or M5 or something?
(sorry for all the presumptions - but I had to make some to make my point
)I can see how a Porsche GT3 makes a very satisfying companion for the BMW 550i, whereas the Aston Martin DB9 would not. I suspect that after the initial honeymoon, you would never driver the DB9 because everything it can do the BMW can do better. I suspect also that the DB9 is the kind of car Mini drivers have in their wet dreams.
) but at this stage in my life this is how I feel. Hopefully these points make the OP think - he has come here for opinions right?Gassing Station | Mercedes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff