performance 
urban-commuter Mini vs. Lamborghini
Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 and Mini Cooper S are stylish are fun. That's where the similarities end .
Automotive performance comes in many shapes, sizes, colours and price ranges. This was recently illustrated when I had the chance to test a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Coupe and a 2014 Mini Cooper S back to back.
Could two cars be more different?
Okay, so they are both designed to bring a smile to the driver’s face. But the similarities stop there.
Or do they?
We are examining the extreme ends of the performance spectrum here.
Frisky versus ferocious.
Quick vs. “Hello-officer-here’s-my-license-and-here’s-a-lighter-shall-I-help-you-with-those-handcuffs?”
British whimsy vs. Italian passione cranked up to eleven on the dial.
Affordable vs. Not.
Ah! The pricing. The all-new 2014 Mini Cooper S starts at very reasonable $25,490, and as tested here with a number of options, it rings in at $31,610 before tax and delivery. Base price for a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Coupe is $440,500. This one had $64,830 in options.
So for the price of this Lambo, you could have, hmm, er . . . 16 Minis, or one Mini and a fixer-upper semi in the Beach.
What of the fun factor? The funky little Mini had me smiling for almost every kilometre I drove in it. In the Lambo, I laughed, yelled, soiled myself and wept (at the gas pump). I will say the Mini was the most fun in the classic sense of day-to-day driving pleasure. The Aventador experience was thrilling, exhausting and one I wouldn’t have given up for the world.
Odd, then, that the Mini was painted in a Volcanic Orange hue while the LP 400 tried to trick us by robing itself in virtuous white.
Bottom line, I feel like I “had” the Mini whereas the pale Italian surely had me. Which is the better performance experience? Not sure. Pass me a cocktail and I’ll think about it!
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