Autocross - Classic Mini Cooper or Classic Beetle?
Assuming both cars are making the same power (around 100hp, let’s say), which do you guys think would be better for autocross? It’s a bit of FWD vs. RWD, unintentionally, but my dad and I are close to buying one or the other and setting it up for some local autocross events, and we can’t agree.
Comments
I should note - it’s a Super Beetle, so it has the Macpherson Strut instead of a torsion beam in the front.
The beetle would be nice! To fix the weight distribution, you could go against all race car rules and add weight to the front. To somewhat counter the weight gain you could completely strip the interior.
Well, both have a huge aftermarket, and are cult classics, depends on availability, and it comes down to the cost of modifying the car.
For pure performance I’d say the mini, shorter wheelbase, lower center of gravity and no snap oversteer.
For convenience, I say beetle, the aftermarket is huge, the engine can be swapped easily, or rebuilt in a day or two, and the only drawback is the lack of front tyre grip. since the weight is biased towards the back.
Long story short, The mini will handle better, be more of a cult classic, and it’s fancier, on the other hand, the beetle is easy to work on, cheaper, and a tad heavier.
Yeah, that’s about the conclusion we came to. We would both prefer to drive the Mini but especially living on an island and in Canada parts availability and cost are huge problems. On the other hand, you can find Beetles everywhere for donor cars, and the engine is ridiculously simple. Leaning towards Beetle at the moment.
mini’s are cheaper and you could swap a bigger engine in and shoot for 200bhp easy
Minis, at least where I am (Canada, not their native UK), are significantly more expensive most of the time (four to five times the price of a Beetle) and extremely hard to find compared to Beetles. The one we could get is a bit of an inside deal.
But I think the Beetle would be an easier engine swap option, actually. There’s just so much support and community experience for it, whereas it’s much less popular for classic Minis.