New MINI

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Mon 1 Oct 2001 16:30
New MINI - Piers
Picked up the girlfriends new MINI Cooper on Saturday.

It's fab!

Even worth paying a months tax for just 2 days use.......

Its a very nice piece of kit and everyone is stopping outside our house to have a look! Lovely to drive - feels like a much bigger car on the motorway and yet like a Caterham on the country roads! What more can you want?

Sold the old Cinquecento for a grand today as well so motoring wise pretty damn chuffed.

Piers
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Mon 1 Oct 2001 16:38
Re: New MINI - spencer the artist
a friend has just bought one, waiting for delivery, loaded with extras sothe cost has gone through the roof. Am I right in thinking that while they are fashionable they will command a premium but then they will sink lick a lead brick?

and what is the "overs" market?
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Mon 1 Oct 2001 16:41
Re: New MINI - Charles
It's just a crying shame the new car is not a continued BRITISH success in all aspects like the old one was.
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Mon 1 Oct 2001 18:00
Re: New MINI - Tomo
The old one was fun, especially a 998 with inch and a half carbs, special head, crank balanced at Brabham etc. etc. (not really a lineshoot, it was rather special and blew away 1275s); but oh, clearing out the mud and freeing up the hand brake cables, finding the right run for the replacement nylon lined throttle cable, repositioning the driver's seat, again etc. etc......

And the rust after about a year!
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Mon 1 Oct 2001 19:22
Re: New MINI - Phil Oliver
One month's tax for two days use? Have they stopped the 12 months plus one week arrangement that was available when I took delivery of my car in The last week of May 2000?
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Mon 1 Oct 2001 19:26
Re: New MINI - honest john
If a rich bloke's girlfriend or mistress wants a MINI Cooper then he'll pay an over for it. I don't think MINIs are going to drop like stones because, unlike Beetles (before the V5) they are sports cars that just happen to look cute like MINIs. That's the secret of creating a desirable car that stays desirable. The PT Cruiser may have a problem in a year or so because they are planning to build half a million a year which kind of takes the edge off.

HJ
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Mon 1 Oct 2001 20:12
Re: New MINI - Andrew Moorey
I'd rather have the PT personally.....
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Tue 2 Oct 2001 21:26
Re: New MINI - Kev
I'd rather have a Focus, can somebody explain the point of either the mini [ I know, I know, I just dont like it, so aint capitalising] or the pt cruiser? The minis suposed to be a small town runaround, or so I though, yet it only has 2 doors, and its huge! And [sorry again] the Cruiser? it looks like a bus, or bread van or funeral car. If its supposed to be practical it cant be, its only got 5 seats! For 15 grand!
Im sorry, but they are absolute rubbish. Please can someone inform me to their advantages.
Thanks in advance
Kev
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Wed 3 Oct 2001 00:26
Re: New MINI - Wight Van Manne
The advantage is that they aren't built by Ford!

WVM
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Wed 3 Oct 2001 09:20
Re: New MINI - Piers
Kev,

The new MINI looks, to my mind, very nice. I think the Focus looks good, especially in silver and with 3 doors. The MINI looks bigger than it is due to the tapered top and stocky stance, and the styling brings back the original Mini to mind, and anything looks big in comparison. I believe a good town car doesn't comform to any diamension or door layout restrictions, but requires the driver to be confident in being able to observe hazards, take opportunities and be easy to park. If you were to use the MINI as a town car I think you would be missing the point somewhat. It is, as HJ says, a sports car. Maybe not by configuration (open top, two seats) but by feel, responsivness and entertainment factor.

To sum up my defence: the MINI is a great little car that makes you happy when you sit in it and happier when you drive it. As for number of doors, well there are only the two of us so no kids to put in the back. My car is a two door and worth quite a bit more because of it (Mk I Escort - 4 doors are unloved as they look crap) and my other car hasn't got any real doors.

If I were you I'd take a spirited drive in a MINI, I think it would change your mind.

Piers
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Wed 3 Oct 2001 22:54
Re: New mini - Kev
I would love to, unfortunatly I cannot drive [shocked mutters of disgust by the regulars]. Maybe somebody could teach me to drive in one, then I would love it, you always seem to love the car you lear to drive in dont you?
Funny how you get preconceptions of what people are like, o well.
Back to the mini, [stupid name now, what does it mean?] I will admit I like how the roof fits onto the body, the back could be almost nice, but the front is hideous, awful from any angle. Anyway, thats the fun of opinions.
Kev
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Tue 2 Oct 2001 21:37
Re: New MINI - honest john
I just saw a custard yellow MINI One in M&S carpark. It looks hideous. The colour simply doesn't work with the shape of the panels.

HJ
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