Minis are nice cars but when u start adding on stuff to them they cost some cash man i Like the SI and for the amount of what you spend on a Mini you might be able to get that much Hp out of the SI. think about it Now i could be wrong on this but i will give it a Shot. Ok you got a Mini-S which comes SC we all know this. But then you have a SI that is Not SC nor Tubro just stock but you can add a SC or tubro on the SI and i think in the long run it will push better numbers then the Mini i am not sure though. Also i know mini cost some cash to do matinace work on them cuz u have to go to the BMW dealership and they charge a arm and a leg just to look at the car Lol but they are both sweet cars in my eyes. So either one is a Good chose