Hey All,

Drove and fell in love with an 06 JCW at a local dealership just a few days ago. That's all it took, I'm sold!



Now, I won't be driving away with this particular one, but my current car is now for sale and next stop...a JCW!

Will be sad moving away from my current ride, this turbo'd 01 MR-S. But, such is life.




Anyhow, I am a moderator for Spyderchat.com, so no stranger to forums. Look to be seeing you all around frequently and hopefully I can become as involved, and have as good a time, here as I did there.

 

Welcome to NAM and great looking mrS! Always wished Toyota had sold those in Canada but they denied it to affordable roadster lovers north of the border so we all stayed with our miatas.

The JCW R53 is a very rewarding car to drive and own too, as you witnessed in your test drive. Consider also a GP, the ultimate factory JCW.

Dedicated R53 JCW sub-forum here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...cw-garage-230/

 

Hello and welcome!

Very happy to hear that you loved the 06 JCW...

...but the very first thing you need to be aware of is that the one you drove is a 1st Gen MINI. The 1st Gen MINIs went from the 2002-2006 model years for hardtops, and 2005-2008 for convertibles.

The reason I make sure you understand that distinction, is because 2nd Gen MINIs feel very different than 1st Gen MINIs. Some people strongly prefer the 2nd Gen MINIs (quieter, more "refined", BMW-like, much more fuel efficient, newer technology options), and some people strongly prefer the 1st Gen MINIs (more "raw", rougher ride (i.e. feel the road more), more "go-kartish"), not to mention a large number of other appearance differences, both inside and out.

The whole "debate" between the two generations rages on... but the bottom line is, different people want different things. Neither one is "better" in every single way, they both have their pluses and minuses. I'll admit up front that I strongly prefer my 1st Gen MINI, but there are definitely a few features available in the 2nd Gen MINIs that I wish I had.

In short, all I'm saying is... if you're going to order a new JCW (i.e. 2nd Gen), just make sure you drive one first, to make sure you know what you're getting. You might love it more than the 06 JCW you test drove, you might not... but I'm positive you'll agree that it feels "different".

 

Wow, thanks for the welcome and good info! If that is the case, it sounds like the 1st gen is for me. I do like the BMW-ness of the Mini I drove in terms of technology and build quality, but what really sold me was how raw the driving experience still was. Trying to find a car that was more practical than the MR-S but still provided a similar purity was starting to seem impossible.