You're never going to get the feeling of something like a Westfield in a front wheel drive car with five seats. Throw in all the safety systems of modern cars and the associated weight, and they'll never be like a track type car. Cars are much, much safer, which is a good thing but they're also easier to drive. Haven't driven anything rear wheel drive in a long time, but suspect they're a lot calmer these days as well.
When I had the 595, I pulled up alongside a proper old Mini and couldn't believe how small it looked in comparison. My first car was a MK2 Escort (no power steering, no assisted brakes let alone cruise control, traction control or airbags), which you can now buy brand new versions of, but saw it mentioned that it was shorter than the current Fiesta. Had to check, as didn't believe it, but it's true, a Fiesta is bigger on the outside at least than an Escort was, despite the three box design that had.
Did a track day recently and got a few laps in a Nissan GTR. Unbelievable machine, blisteringly quick, but felt like I was on a Playstation. I suspect an old MX5 would feel quicker on the road because it would be much closer to the limit, whereas I don't think I'd have the talent to find the limit of the GTR even on a track.
