It is certainly a momentum car, not unlike the s2000. I recently bought one for commuting and couldnt be happier, it really is a joy to drive, and very rewarding.
Damm right, what are these people thinking for their USED cars ?? I'm betting in '03 and '04 Mini's were still backordered and they paid some kind of non refundable markup deposit charge and they figured that into the price. Haven't rode in a new Mini yet, but my friend has an old '74 or '72 Mini and all I can remember is it's so freaking low to the ground.
Just got my second one. (Sold my first one for just about what I paid for it (MSRP) after putting around 24K miles on it -- not bad! That's the one good thing dealer gouging gets you as long as you buy right...). Haven't gotten bored with it yet. It's lots of fun -- in some ways, more so than a 360, strange as that might sound. It's the perfect daily driver.
If you get one, watch out when driving through water puddles. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62412
