Soooo..... pretty straight forward question... Why did you get a MINI?

My name has been on the waiting list since 1997.

I got mine because I'm a classic Mini Connoisseur. Owned like 4.5 of them, met JC, Paddy, all those guys, stayed up till the early hours of the morning prepping cars the night before races with buddies, attended the weeklong 40th anniversary in the UK, IMM, Gaydon, MITP, Silverstone - where they gave us a sneak peek at a new MINI before world release. (Was an IB Cooper).

Mr. Cooper swore by this new MINI car, and he absolutely loved it. Some of you may not know this but there was big animosity from the Classic Mini owners over this new car that BMW/Rover wanted to call a Mini, but I had faith in the ol man, Mr. Cooper, and saw exactly what he did, an amazing piece of machinery, awesome value for money, exceptional engineering, with the handling to back it all up.

Tis a shame though, that lots of MINI owners take that name on their car for granted. (The one that starts with a C)

 

I very much agree. So fantastic you knew the man and fascinating that he liked MINIs so. I'm sure there's lots to this story that has never been told...maybe someday. Thanks for sharing.:smile: I for one would love to learn more.

Me? I was a member of the Mini Owners of Texas club and was in the process of getting a classic right when the MINIs first arrived here. I hadn't considered a new MINI, but the more I learned about the car, the more fascinated I became. Got mine in January '03 and love it.

My two buddies who actually each have several classic Minis now also drive MINIs as their daily drivers...one an MCS, one a CVT Cooper. It's amazing that these guys, who are so familiar with the classic, also love the new MINI.

 

My wife attended school in London in 1989. While there she got to ride in a classic Mini. For the past 4 years, it's all I heard about! I started investigating the new MINI, and after looking into the safety factors, performance and options, I felt that the MINI was the car for us. We plunked down a down payment, and have never looked back!

 

Many reasons! A mini was my fathers first car (a mid seventees BMC Mini 1.3 almond green). I loved the performance, the looks, and most of all the understatement. Everything about it. Road and tracks slalom record was previously held by the 911 GT2 at 68.2 I believe, and the Cooper S comes and blows it out of the water with 69.5 Everything about the car I love. Now since the car is in the garage for repairs-I can only reflect on good motoring adventures, to prove it. Lets just say the time I was pulling .94g in a wet highschool parking lot (beltronics Accelerometer) and then a cop pulled up. "did you spill the drink?" "no, but I about sh#% my pants" I wonder how many adventures the complete JCW works will add....

 

Camelpilot,

Well, it was sort of a last minute decision; we almost opted for a Jaguar X-Type. My wife was a prior Mini owner (her first car was a 1982 Mini City 1.0 litre in Champage, a.k.a beige, with a slipping clutch ) and a big Mini fan to-boot ( we attended the 30th Mini anniversary at Silverstone) but since our relocation to the US she has become (too) accustomed to driving slush-box equipped cars and trucks .

The MINI wasn't even on our radar screen, since we were contemplating mainly AWD-equipped cars (we live in Upstate NY with notorious lake-effect snow). Plus, I've always driven performance-oriented cars and an auto trans is an anathema to me, coupled with the fact that the CVT Cooper seemed a little "boring" (no flames please, I'm paying for the car afterall and, yes, we both test drove the CVT).

Anyway, after hearing about the forthcoming MCS auto, I persuaded my wife to try out the manual MCS.....just to get a feel for the suspension/ride comfort side of things, you understand. Anyway, that one test drive was enough (I rode shot-gun throughout) and 15 minutes later we were securing our place on the waiting list for a manual MCS with absolutely no cajoling from me (JCW kit to follow soon !!).

I think this is going to be a keeper. If MINI bring out a turbo AWD version down the road, then we will definitely be a two MINI family .

 

Gotta admit when I saw the MINI commercial with the US driver getting pulled over by the UK officer I couldn't stop laughing. That got my attention!

Last July I was baby sitting a display for my office at a local new products show and fortunately (unfortunately for my wallet!) I spent 3-great days right accross from the MINI of Hawai'i display. Once I sat in the Chili Red Monaco and realized how roomy it was I was sold.

Three days later and zero down I had my 2004 Indi Blue MCS Works! I have owned quite a few vehicles since I first started driving in 1978. I've had my share of Oldsmobiles, MOPARs, Fords, a Mercury Capri, a Triumph Spitfire, and a couple of SUVs and 4x4s. The MINI has been the best of the best I have owned. Miles of smiles and I am saving up for the '05 works upgrade.

Aloha!

JCW04

 

Anybody know the wheresabouts of the John Cooper narrated Mini history video that played at many MINI dealers once upon a time? I coulda swore it was on the CD that came with my car...but apparently not. I know I've seen it somewhere....

 

The history, uniqueness, BMW backing, engineering, safety, looks, handling, features, etc (among many others) is what attracted me to the MINI and haven't been dissapointed at all.

I love these cars!!!! I have been a fan of the classic Mini since I have memory and always longed to own one and here we are I am the poroud owners of 2 MINIs that have been absolutely fantastic in every possible way.

We don't see ourselves driving anything different than a MINI and in a car market as fierce and competitive as this one is, that is indeed a great accomplishment in the hands of BMW.

Thanks to BMW, the Mini legend continues for a new generation of motorers who can readily appreciate one of the finest machines on the road today.

The MINI has "personality" and cool factor that few, if any, other cars can't match.

We should be proud to own such jewels. Let the herds drive their souped up Golfs, Lancers... Fine cars are not all about brutal horsepower and torque....

 

Amen, brothers and sisters!

I have always had a soft spot in my heart (now relocated to my head) for the Mini. I also remember the giant-slaying adventures of the 60s. So I was excited when I first heard about the new Mini.
This time last year I mentioned to the first MA I talked to that I had been interested in the MINI for about 3 years. "Oh really?" was his reply, implying that I was full of b.s., as it had only been here for 2 years. I told him that when I first heard that BMW was building it, I had called the dealership (before he even worked there) to see if they were going to carry it. He snickered. I later found a different MA.
I, too, have owned many "different" cars over the years. And this one is more fun than should be legal. Of course, sometimes the way I drive it may not be legal....
Camelpilot - quite green with envy over here. How neat that you had those experiences.
Hope you all enjoy yours!

 

I believe I saw it in the internet. I think it was at the MINI.com international website, if I am not mistaken.

 

My first car was a 1959 Morris Mini Minor 850. It was used and I got it in 1961 [with my Dad's help] for $500. The previous owner had drilled a hole in the roof and had mounted an AM radio there with a spring antenna. It was putty white, with a cloth interior and sliding windows in the front and flipout windows in the back, and it had a 5 gallon gas tank. You had to push an impulse button on the floor to start the car after turning the key to "on" and pulling on the choke. It had a 4-speed, and a 36 HP engine, with 520 x 10" wheels and Dunlop tires. It averaged about 36 mpg or so, and took me a long way for 12c/gallon....lolol. The heater/defroster didn't work well, so I had to tape sheet plastic to the insides of the windows in order to insulate the car and keep it from frosting during the winter months. Still, I never got stuck in deep snow...the trick was to put the car in first gear, get out, and, with the engine at idle, steer the car to a safer area...or just MINImally give it a shove. OMG...what a fun car!!! I owned it til my junior year in college and foolishly traded it for a sunroofed Bug, since they were all the rage in the mid-60's.

I ALWAYS wanted another Mini...when the new MINI came out, I knew it was just a matter of time until I found what I wanted. HA! I had wanted an "S"...but saw this one and bought it for my wife since she doesn't drive a stick. She is NOT one of us...she will ride in it, but will NOT even sit behind the wheel. Her loss...this baby is now mine...alllll miiinnnnneeeeeeeee...and I couldn't be happier!

 

Wanted to recapture the fun I had with my long lost 1966 S. :smile:


regards,
Red

 

1) as soon as i found out it was coming out i wanted one,even though i was only 16
2)wanted a nice hadling car for occasional auto-x/track days
3)i just love the way they look(ed)

:smile:

 

My first ride in a Mini was back in 1968, in a Mini Cooper S going down Lombard Street in San Francisco - at what felt to be about 100 mph! Yee-ow!

Started having dreams about driving a new MINI 6 to 9 months ago. (I have a very vivid dream life.) Was a little bit nervous about how my aging body would do getting in, sitting in, and getting out of such a low, little bugger, so I took one for a test drive. The dealer let me take out a used 03 MCS for half an hour. Most fun half hour I've ever had behind the wheel of a car.* Ordered one two days later.

* and that includes 2 Triumph Spitfires, an Alfa GTV, a Healey 3000, an MGA Coupe, a Jag sedan, a couple of XKEs, a couple of MGTDs (close, at least for the friendly looks and waves) and a TransAm sedan with mufflers that was waaaaaay too scary!

 

on my list of cars, the mini is the closest i can get to performance stock that i want to attain, it's a very strict process i did... even the wrx, celica, miata (the only other car that made the top), SVT focus, SRT4, and GTI VR6 all didnt make it after i drove them.. even the mini and miata i had complaints on both, in the mini's case, my big complain was it's a front driver, but in the end i went with the mini for winter (as ironic as that sounds) for safety...

however, overtime i started to reason as well, mini's as good as it comes for corners, and to me that was the big issue i had when deciding the car, that's why i went for it

also is cuze the ladies love it!

 

Because it makes me smile! :smile:

 

I found MINI2 before I found NAM. This is my first post on MINI2 - kinda explains it all!

---

Hi! Just found and joined this forum, and since it's 2 in the morning and I'm slightly drunk, I figured I'd introduce myself. I'm seriously considering selling my fairly-new-to-me car and purchasing a MINI.

A bit about myself is in order first.

I'm currently enlisted in the US Navy and was stationed in England for two years. I absolutely LOVED it! Eventually, I'd like to move there permenantly. Anyway, while there, I needed a car. Being back in 2000, the MINI of today didn't exist yet. But I did settle on a '93 K-reg Nissan Micra. About all of my US friends (and most of my British ones, too) laughed at me. Didn't care though. I loved the silly little car. It was just so much fun to drive! In a year and a half, I managed to put 35,000 miles on it (the looks I got from the shop where I got it serviced every 10,000 miles were priceless). And it didn't fail me once. Heck, I was in tears when I sold it. Even now I still have a picture of it next to my computer. But, all good things must come to an end, and I started a tour in the states (DC). Now being back in the US, I figured I might as well get a nice big car with a nice big engine (or so everyone told me), so I settled on a 2000 Nissan Maxima GLE. I still have it now. It's a nice car. It's a big car. It takes 35 frickin' dollars to fill its tank. And even though I had it for just a year, I'm tired of it. Although it practically flies down a highway, it's like driving a tank. It never really brought a smile to my face like the Micra did. I missed the go-kart feel and fun of the Micra. Big cars just are not for me.

So, on a whim, I test drove a MINI just for grins. It was love at first push of the pedal. It brought back so many fond memories of me careening down Snake Pass (between Manchester and Sheffield) with anyone brave enough to sit in my passanger seat clawing at the dash shrieking like a banshee. I instantly decided I gotta have one!

So here I am now. I've looked into selling my Maxima, which is easy enough to do, but I'm going to lose about $4,500 on the sale (from my buying price). The sale price covers my current loan though, and leaves a bit left over for a down payment on a new MINI. *Everyone* I know though thinks that I'm crazy. Crazy to get rid of a good car that I had for just about a year, crazier to take a $4,500 loss on it, and downright certifiable for wanting a MINI in the first place. In fact, I think my father is going to disown me if I go through with it! Still though, I simply love the car, and that's really all there is to it. Why settle for something that doesn't make me grin like a five year old on Christmas morning if I don't have to?

Anyway, (good lord, is anyone still reading this?!) here's the question part. How do I convice family and friends of the greatness of the MINI? Is it even possible to convince people of it? Or is it something you just feel and understand? I tried explaining all of what I have written above to folks, but I usually just get a dead stare followed by their walking off while shaking their head. My brother wants me to test drive about every other car in the country before I get a MINI. I'm just not interested though. In my eyes, no other car compares.

Well, my Jameson buzz is wearing thin, so I'll stop typing already and post the massage. Just wanted to give a (not-so) quick hello!

-Paul!

 

As one of the new generation of owners, I had never heard of the Mini until my wife mentioned that BMW was planning to reintroduce the Mini. I thought they were funny looking. The more I looked at them the less "funny" looking they became, but the "fun" part remained in my mind. The safety, engineering, and handling was just icing.

I saved 3 grand and learned to drive a stick before I test drove one just in case it was as fun as it looked. It was...

I've now been smilin' and drivin' for 11 trouble-free months. When people ask how I like it, I tell them that it's as fun as it looks.

 

I always liked boxy small hatches (civic hb's, Rabbit, etc) so had to have the ULTIMATE hatch to play around in. :smile:

 

I had a 69 Mini,got it used,and loved that car.When the new ones came out I had to have one again.I like small cars,FWD,decent MPG,and great handling,this new MINI has that and more.
Plus the fun factor can not be beat:smile:

 

I don't like small cars. I don't want a small car. I can't get comfortable in a small car

At least that's what I said before I even looked at a MINI. Patricia has wanted a Mini for years (long before I met her) and was thrilled when she heard that the MINI was coming.

On a whim I took her over to the dealership, I didn't even make it out of the lot before I was grinning and said "Oh this is fun!"

And Paul a Micra! God those are goofy looking little cars!

 

Wanted a small, light, car with pep.
The wife said no to a super 7, no creature comforts.
For the price the MCS was a good choice for me, it is small, light with pep, so though I never participated or fully appreciate the linage I do like and appreciate the new Mini.

 

I had both a ’64 and ’67 years ago and loved them. Fun fun fun, but my needs changed and they were sold as I moved on to other cars. When I heard of the MINI being re-released in ’02 my driving needs had come full circle and knew I would have to have one. I’ve been motoring over 2 years in my MCS now and have not one mental regret or mechanical problem.

 

When I first looked at the MINI, I saw a reflection of myself.

I cannot imagine a better match... right car... right time.

Godspeed.

 

BECAUSE I LOVE IT!!!

EARL