I already posted this in the MINI forum but I figured there would be a more knowledgable crowd here...

Ok, heres the question..... would a MINI Cooper with minimal mods (h&r springs is probably it) be able to take an NSX on a short, technical auto x course?

Before you guys laugh your asses off, my friend who has an NSX is saying YES, I would beat him, and I'm the one who's a little skeptical. He claims that the MINI is the perfect auto x car... small, tossable, great handling. Is this true? My issue is that he paid 40k for his car when it was 10 years old, and its a sports car to the bone, my car cost 20k brand new and is by no means a sports car (sporty yes... sports car... not a chance). I'm all for the MINI kicking some serious ass, but I'm also one to pick my battles :confused: Anyway, what do you guys think?

I've always wondered why not many NSXs appear at auto-xs. Some people have told me it's not a very competative car compared to 911s and Corvettes. Too long, too tall gears, too much wheelbase, too much understeer and not enough low end torque to get the car changing directions quickly and squirting down the next section.

I guess some of the things that make the NSX such a good road car makes it not so good an auto-x car.

Autocross is all about changing directions quickly and getting torque to the ground early. I think the NSX is much more a momentum, high-speed carving car rather than a point-and-squirt car.

But given that its a driver's sport, I'd say which ever one of you is the better auto-xer will take it.


-Apex

PS- My local venue has an odd shape, so the course layouts tend to be very technical. Due to this, the low hp cars have plenty of opportunity to beat up on high-hp cars. Well driven Golfs, Civics and Beatles often out run average driven Mustangs, S4s and Vettes.

It will depend on the drivers and tires on each car. Here locally we run a variety of courses. Even on our fastest course of the year a stock miata turned a faster time than any of the Corvettes.

Given equal driver skill and prep the NSX will kick the crap out of the mini. Hoever, if the NSX is stock and still running on street tires and you have a prepped car with good 'r' tires I think it will be a good battle.

Don't let people fool you into thinking torque is needed for an autoX. If that was the case then an s2000 wouldn't be turning the FTD here locally.

MINIs are doing extremely well right now in national level autocross competition. Slap a set of R compound tires on the stock 15" rims, and you've got a great autocross car.

It's got all the potential needed. It's just driver after that.

Hell yeah! The mini was made for Autox.... Haven't you ever seen the clowns at the circus? The make a full race track out of a 50' circle. :)