The following is a direct quote from
www.RC-Mini.net
Originally Posted by nikkiesteban
which is better?? M03L, M03, M03M??? what is the differences??
OK, THE question that seems to get asked 10 times a week on every forum and Message Board is "Which car is better?" and "What are the differences?" We get a little tired of typing the same info all the time, so here it is...
The drivetrain and basic chassis are EXACTLY the same on M03 SWB, M03M and M03L. Front to back, identical apart from colour. The difference is only in length. SWB is 210, MWB is 225, LWB is 240, and any of the chassis can be made into another with the addition of the appropriate chassis spacer.
Some people will tell you that they handle differently, they don't really. Its purely personal preference, nothing more. Any handling differences are no more than you can alter yourself through set-up. There is NO significant difference.
Which car to buy? Unless you have a serious Mini Cooper fetish (not a bad thing in our eyes) go for the 58368 Swift M03M kit. Why? It has important upgrades in the suspension area. New front knuckles and C hubs (stronger so you don't need to buy the optional alloy knuckles that you need on the other cars) and the 2 degree toe-in rear hubs are also standard. AND...it includes wheel bearings too so you only need to buy a few for the transmission.
That's it, as simple as that.