When I sold my '04 15 years old/98K miles, the young man planned on converting it into a track car. I retired not long after, so I don't know how it went.

When I used to autocross my '73 corvette, most of the cars there were usually smaller sports cars such as MGBs, Triumph, 240Zs, real Mini Coopers back then, and even the Volkswagen that had a Toronado V8 in the back. Since most of the courses were put on by the small sports car clubs in Kansas City, the courses were usually sharp corners and short straights. But since they ran by SCCA rules & classes, it all evened out. Also a lot cheaper than a track day. Was always amazed at how the Mini Coopers would lift their inside rear wheel when going around a sharp turn. I doubt the new ones would do that with today's suspension.
I'm sure the admission cost for autocrossing has gone up a lot today plus I'm not sure I could afford the tires for my C8

Ours is a 2010 with the 6 speed. Prolly the same 2-OD one, but not sure. Drives great. I like my Focus RS better, except the convertible factor.

The sound, and the bark when I shift....'69 jag sounds great going through the gears. But it is a weekend dry weather car, and not really for moving people around - just for me to enjoy by my lonesome with out any of the newer tracking devices... Leave my phone at home, stay out of Flock's way, and it is ... almost like back when I used to get in a car and go. Nobody knows where I am until I tell them.....damn wish I could do that more often!

Seems Wrong . . .??? Correction: IS Wrong.
Invasion of privacy,
unjustified search
assumption of guilt
Guilty until proven innocent....

There's nothing ambiguous about this issue.

I'm a stereo snob, that Harman Kardon was the nicest rig I've had in a new car.
In fact, it was the only stock radio I never ripped out to satisfy my insatiable appetite for good tunes.

LoL.
Back in 2004 and '05, the "S" model was only available with a 6-speed stick. The top two gears were overdrive!
The first three years '02 to 05', the base model offered an automatic. A CVT, a pitiful dog of a thing. The stick was a respectable 5-speed, with 5th gear being overdrive.

Different animal altogether.
Corvettes are supercars: large, bulky purpose built race cars that require a closed track to truly explore it's limits.
Mini Coppers (especially the early models) are are affordable pocket rockets. Toss-able little cars that are just a hoot to push hard.
I owned a 2004 Copper S (all the options).
This was the car with the Supercharger.
Only available for '04 & '05
Fitted with 40 series Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, this handled like a go cart that would do 142.mph. 75 mph on a 25 mph off-ramp without drama (except for the poor passengers)
The later models got bloated, heavy and cramped inside. The turbo model drove nothing like the Supercharger.
Almost bought a new one after 15 years, but one test drive and the wife and I were totally put-off.

It's floor pan is a BMW X1.
We bought the X1 instead because of it's interior was more suited to how the car actually drove: confident, but sedated. Comfortable without the pretense of performance. Hint: very little.
Don't get me wrong, it can get out of it's own way. 230 hp and a top speed of 132mph it is not slug.
Unlike the early Coopers, it doesn't beg you to run it through the gears and trash it hard.

As a 32rd Scottish Rite and York Rite Mason, I think I can shed a little light for the uninitiated.

Besides the benefit of like-minded brothers who want comradely, people they could trust implicitly, most especially in bad times, Masonry was, and is, a rock solid standard by which men lived up to.
Today it functions much like a networking system.

"Masonry makes good men better"

Before the days of life & health insurance, pensions and such, if the man of the house passed away way too soon, the widow and orphans often suffered greatly.

In a tradition that stills live today, widows and orphans are taken care of like the members of family that they are.

As in all of life in this world, there will always be deceitful, greedy, unbrotherly and downright nasty people within the Brotherhood. Ask me how I know.

An issue has sullied the image of Freemasonry over the centuries is the very real existence of the Illuminate founded in Bavaria, 1776 by Adam Weishaupt and more than a few Masonic Brethren.

This was, by all honest examination, one of the first real attempt at establishing a one world government/new world order control.

Once it's true nature and purpose started becoming clear, the Bavarian government outlawed it, followed by most of the western nations.
In a little known fact, the Grand Master of Freemasonry in the newly formed united states, George Washington, quite the Fraternity in protest, never to return.

The Illuminate did not go away. It went underground.

When JFK spoke of his abhorrence of "Secret Societies" he was not talking about your local Masonic lodge doing Red Cross Blood blood drives and Saturday breakfasts, he was referring to such groups as Scull and Bones, Club of Rome, CFR, Trilateral Commission, the City of London, and yes, the present incarnation of the Illuminate (or what ever they refer to themselves today)

There is true evil that is ever-present in our world today. Forces that work tirelessly to destroy the American Middle Class, Christianity, our national Sovereignty and enslave us both physically and financially through inflation, debt and endless wars.
Not just here in America, but the world over.

These same forces lie, officiate, indoctrinate, and propagandize the masses through false narratives of racial, social and economic division.

Your fellow man (and women) has much more in common with you than the main stream media, hollywierd, tv, liberal academics, or our so-called "leaders" in Washington.

Take a deep breath. Trust your gut.
If it doesn't sound right, it most likely isn't.

As Mark Twain said: "Don't trust anything you read, and only half of what you see"

I have a Ranger too! 2004. Automatic because I just didn’t find a good manual one, and I may plow with it.

Electric make financial sense for us. Our power is cheap for the area, and the rate is much lower anytime but 4pm-8pm, when it is 5x. If we just charge outside this, we drive for ridiculously low cost, and I never drive more than 150 miles.

I live for the sound, it guides my driving, always been a back roads man and never met a corner I didn't like and standard shift is a big part of that.
The only reason my Ranger is automatic is because with DeWALT, I was always on the highway in traffic.
But in completing my reaction, I'll never be an electric guy, quick? yea, but no fun.

Cool names. We have three labs. Two fox red labs and one black lab service dog. Most of my cars are manuals, but they are getting hard to find now. Soon will be gone.
I think my next car will be electric anyway. My son has a Tesla Model 3, and that thing will smoke any of my cars, but my Lotus 7 would probably take it on the track with enough curves. The self driving is amazing. Elon has this done way better than the others. No comparison

Excelent, I'm having so much fun just shiftin the thing.
Here's somethin funny, we have a little Maltese we named Mini and today a couple that bought one of our pups some years ago brought him back home to say goodby to me, they are moving to Vegas; his name is Cooper, he's Mini's brother

They also wanted to see my new Mini Cooper and hadn't thought of the connection between it and the dogs . . . .

Standard! Putting an automatic transmission on a little thing like that is like putting a muzzle on a hamster.

Speed and Handling reminds me of my first early Datsun 240Zs from 72 on.
It drives quiet (until you step on it) and comfortable, quests are quite impressed with it. Everybody loves the double sun roof, the 4 bucket seats and the Stereo (Harman Kardon)

Standard or automatic?

My wife has a Mini S convertible. Great little car, but she never drives it anymore. I take it out sometimes.

A Mini's no compromise - you done moved up. 😄

We did have a town that sternly rejected the flocks and voted NO in a big way . . . have not heard anymore beyond that.
Towns are revenue hungry due to the state taking most of our town taxes.
Seems Wrong . . .

Checked my area out on a website that shows where the Flocks are. They're like fleas on a dog around here.

Appears we both have things we've shrugged off for past refuse so to speak.

Not exactly Oogah boogah, there is some science there, however, the degree of harm or benefit is up for grabs. Granted: they are strange creatures.

See my response to mccannon.

It's just a vibration and when we build in tune, it might be a good thing, however, they were not tuning to the schuman resonance which, that resonance is a good thing but it has changed due to the weakening magnetic field; we don't even recognize our own planet anymore.
Masons were mistics and superstitious but were on to something that maybe no longer exists.

Putting all the info in front of me and I could definitely say the it was a smart move if only to piss them off and make them doubt themselves.

Understand your concern OGC - I got one way out of town where I will not be flagged, and I "think" i got a way out of state that is somewhat circuitous, but once out of the area I know, I figure I will be only 30 minutes before I pass one somewhere. The information is kept forever and is available to anyone that wants it...even if you have never done anything wrong you do not want that intrusion on your privacy. Which is pretty much gone, and is a complete shame.

Not turning but violently spinning and all the while screaming, "Oogah boogah! Oogah boogah!"
In other words, I don't think much of things oogah boogah.
This coming from someone steeped into the occult when I was much younger and way before I ever heard of Ayn Rand.
Now I do what The Bible says to do about things occult. Stay the hell away from it.
This from an ex-Catholic nondenominational Protestant who save for funerals hasn't set foot in a church for at least a decade.
I'm hardly perfect but I do pray a lot. Anyone don't like that? See if I care.
Hey, see if I care if you don't like this personal theory. Exiled Cain went to that "Land Of Nod" place an took a Neanderthal for a wife.
Such is why scientists now say it is found that we all have a smidgeon of Neanderthal DNA.
Neanderthals evolved. What is the rest of us didn't. Well, at least that works for me the dino.