Lanny, do you actually think a 475 HP Mustang is less responsive than a 200ish HP Mini Cooper? The Ford will pin you back in your seat. You may think the Cooper can do that, but until you take a ride in a car with over twice the power you really have no idea what your talking about.
My friend has a Mini Cooper. In my opinion they are fun to drive in but the styling (an important factor in the cars I like) is not for me, especially the convertable.
Here are some cars to consider before deciding to hate all american vehicles:
Saleen S7
Dodge Viper SRT-10 (love the new coup)
Ford GT40 (the Ferrari Slayer)
Corvette C6 Z06
Cadillac CTS-V
Dodge Charger - alot of people hate the four doors, but I love it because of the lesser insurance.
Dodge Magnum
Heres the Charger:
I love the seats in this car.