For some definitive comparison source directly from R&T Data Panels (and I bet I got some numbers messed up cause I'm human).

First column is 0 - 60 in seconds
Second column is Gs pulled around the Skidpad
Third column is speed in 700' slalom

Its hard to line things up in columns. Feel free to dig up other cars from R&T data panels, others I saw were mostly family cars or 4wd

Considering the price of many of these cars, JCW does well ... (except maybe the Saturn Sky ... The Saturn REDline (turbo) might be STIFF competition for new MINIs). Maybe $32K for an 06 JCW? Except for the Enzo, your talking mostly cars 40K+

I have to view these numbers as far better data points than somebody driving down the block and tell me how he blew by ... whatever).

987S ........5.0 1.00 73.9
Enzo.........3.3 1.01 73.0
Elise .........4.1 1.03 72.6
997S ........3.9 .98 71.7
Exige ........4.8 .96 71.2
C6 ............4.5 .98 70.2
S2000 .. ...5.4 .91 69.7
Z06 ..........3.9 .99 69.6
Crossfire...6.7 .86 69.6
BMW M6...4.1 .88 69.5
BMW M5...4.1 .87 68.9
BMW Z4M 4.7 .89 68.7
Audi S4.....5.7 .85 68.7
Saturn Sky 7.2 .91 67.8
Miata ........7.0 .86 67.7
BMW Z4 .. 5.5 .92 67.4
350Z.........5.6 .89 67.3
VW GTI.... 6.3 .87 67.2
Civic Si..... 6.6 .87 66.8
BMW 330i 6.2 .83 66.6
Audi TT ....6.7 .84 66.4
06 JCW ... 6.3 .86 66.2
Cady STV. 4.7 .83 65.8
Scion TC.. 7.4 .82 64.0

 

Those numbers are also probably with the Mini on the RunCraps. Get all those cars on equal rubber and the Mini would be in the top 10 easily in the slalom, at least with me driving. lol Not sure about acceleration, but, skidpad the Mini would suffer with no front camber and runcraps too.

bottom line is, those numbers are only real if every car is tested on the same or similar compound tires. I wish someone would do a test with all those cars on legit rubber. :-)

 

But that is not the point and I do not know if that is true because I see no emperical data. These are OEM cars ...

You know that the same is true for any car ... any car can be turned into a racing car. However, 99% or better of owners will not do that ...

I attibute the following quote to acidcitydweller which I believe to be very profound.

A great car shouldnt need mods to be what you'd like it to be.

That is about as profound as it gets.

 

I must concur with OasisT, but still wouldn't be sure if that change would put the JCW in the top 10.

 

R&T
07 mini cooper S....... 6.2, 0.87g, 68.6

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/d...pockets_dp.pdf

 

It’s not strange that car designers make changes in models for the reason of better handling and performance.

In 2002 the MCS was actually number one on this list in R&T, except for acceleration for 3 months.

 

maybe they just got different drivers.

 

Yeah, the problem with that is that this rules out about 85% of the cars on the road. Why do people mod cars then? Because its cheaper to buy a lower level car and mod it then it is to go out and buy a more expensive car that will perform at the same level. And, don't get me started on individuality in those modifications and the satisfaction of having your car be your own car. Not just a stock car. Remember, like the bumber sticker from the 60's and 70's said, "Stock is Boring!"