Quote:
Originally Posted by nks_bb
Now is that because of the car or the roads? If you were to take the IS in those same mountain roads??!?!?
Didn't know about ED when I purchased mine, but I keep dreaming, what could've been.
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Think it was just a case of the right car for the right road. The 'is' would have been tremendous for sure with the exhaust bouncing off the cliff face, but with it's power on those tight roads, I would have likely spent more time on/off those brakes than enjoying the driving. In the case of the low powered but torquey Mini D, I was able to just let the car flow with the momentum and simply focus on the turns...well, atleast until the point when my wife started feeling nauseous and threatened to throw up inside the car if I didn't slow down.
That was my first time driving a Mini Cooper and I was struck by how awesome a driver's car it is. It is amazingly well handling...and appeared to have a quicker steering ratio and a much tighter turning circle than an E92. Best way to describe it would be like when you want to turn in the E92 you apply the steering movement and there is a transitionary phase and you feel the car following through an instant later...in the case of the Mini, you make the steering movement and the car has already turned..there was no delay between steering input and turn-in. It really is like a go-kart. So great fun in tight, twisty stuff, but maybe not for high speed turns at a track. Nonetheless, great job, BMW.
While we've enjoyed some great mountain runs in NC, I've felt that with the is's limits being so high, you need to get into dangerously illegal speeds for public roads before it starts being fun. There is something to be said about being able to have more fun when going fast in a slow car than going slow in a fast car.
I regret missing out on the ED for the 335is as well. But my wife and I have promised ourselves that our next Bimmer...likely an X3 for her in a couple of years will be an ED for sure.