Mini Cooper: How Can We Slow US Sales?

Aside from having a speedometer big enough to embarass Flavor Flav, the Mini Cooper S is one of our favorite contemporary cars. By the looks of the streets, others like it as well. Now media reports say the company is thinking about selling a diesel Mini to US drivers. Let us be the first to ridicule this move. As we related in an earlier post, unlike in the 1980s, diesel's popularity abroad means it costs way more than premium here, even if you get a bunch more miles per gallon. So if it's the green market you're after, Mini folk, make it french fry greasel, a hybrid, or better yet an electric.
But if it were up to us, we'd offer from the factory one of those 265hp versions they are making over at Mini Madness. Better yet, give one to Carroll Shelby and let him play with it.