The caller wanted a Mini. Her husband wanted an RX8. You thought an RX8 would not work in winter, and than a Mini would not be enough fun for a guy who wanted an RX8. I think you’re wrong on both counts.
No one needs 4wd, or at least hardly anyone does. My brother has been driving an RX8 in Toronto for a couple of winters with no issues. I’ve been driving Miatas in the winter for 12 years. The key to winter driving is to buy real snow tires.
The caller could easily get an RX8 and survive the winter.
Furthermore, the Mini is a fine car for a car enthusiast. I’d cheerfully drive a Mini or an RX8.
Eh, The Mini is FWD, it’s not a true sports car. The RX-8 is a full on sports car, though in ordinary driving it’s gutless, you have to really wind it out to get to where the power is, why Mazda never saw fit to put a low-presure turbo on the RX-8 to shore up low-mid range grunt is beyond me.
The lack of low-end grunt is what makes them very drivable in winter conditions…
Both are for car enthusiasts, each for an enthusiast of different taste. Neither is a great winter car, but both are usable.
The keys to success in winter are good tires and good technique. Although I’ll be the first to admit that there are cars out there that are just plain useless in winter. But they’re all out of my price range anyway.