I always liked the classic minis but would have never considered buying one. When the new mini was introduced a customer of ours showed up with a dark silver/white mcs and parked it right in front of the store. I didn't even know what it was, I hadn't look at a sport car since college 20 or so years ago. My last sport car was a mazda rx7. I had become an suv and pickup guy for practical and recreational reasons, businees and to transport my motorcycles. At that point I drove a dodge dakota that I had specked out, ordered and waited for. I purchased the truck thinking I'd keep it for ever and drive it to the ground. Not to mention it wasn't a year old yet and had a considerable amount of money into it. Here is were the story turns. I'm a ciclyst and motorciclyst, so what to do on a rainy morning? Nothing fun so, I wake up and get this idea to go test drive one of those new mini coopers for fun. Well, I get to test drive one on this cool back roads thru huntington on the north shore of long island. To my surprise I end up having a blast on the mcs test mule. Now I'm thinking hey I can go on the same roads I enjoy riding my sport bike even if its raining. The mcs took to my mind like an infection, couldn't get it out of my head. With the prices of fuel rising and having moved in with my girlfriend who took me 20 miles away from the store I started to think an mcs was right for me. I found and purchased a used van for business and the bikes, went back to the mini dealer. I walked in and there was this jet black/white mcs, all three packages, sunroof, lapis blue leather sitting on the floor all shiny undrer the lights. It just looked amazing. It's worked out great, fuel got even more expensive and the finance rate is much lower on the mini. I'll probably end up braking even in the long run finacialy, it was hard to walk away from the investment I'd made on the dakota but I'm still smiling. Oh yeah, the infection in the head has become a complete obccession with this car. It's crazy, 1 1/2 years of ownership and 29,000 motoring smiles later I'm still grinning. A Bmw rep called a week or so after I purchased the car and asked me to describe the car in one word. My reply was, FUN. Now I'd reply, AWSOME!