mowog
Aug 14th, 2009, 09:08 AM
The Mini and I share a birth year I don't know if that is why I have always enjoyed my Mini's over the years I have owned a few.
Mini K 1100 Panel Van (Crashed).
Mini Cooper with the Mini K drive train.
Mini 1275 LS First New Mini
Mini S a parts donor for a Moke (Very Rusty)
Moke a parts donor for a Moke (Very Rusty)
Moke built as a hil climb car and later registered for road use. This was wild little ride.
MKI Cooper S a great car I had to sell when I was poor
Moke (Tweetie)
Moke 1980 1275 Californian
The last Moke went about 3 years ago since then I have been a Ford driver my current love is my 2007 XR6 Turbo Ute.
I have admired the new Mini but never really felt compelled to buy one. Friends let me have a drive of their new Cooper S a few years ago and I enjoyed the drive but didn't feel the need to buy one.
So recently this thing the Mini Cooper Diesel is released I find my self curious about this variant of the Mini. I don't know why... Fuel economy isn't an issue for me I drive my XR6 Turbo everyday and I dont think it uses to much fuel. There is also a Territory in the family fleet so really the cost of fuel is not a factor when I look at cars.
The Mini Cooper D I just cant really explain why I wanted one over a Cooper S but a week ago I ordered a Pepper White Black roof Chili pack with enough options to push the price above the age of the Mini.
I had a demo car for 24hrs my initial impression on pulling out of the dealer was not good. The first 8 klm I didn't get out of second gear with break downs on the Story Bridge and Bowen Bridge Rd. If those first 8 were the only distance covered in the demo I wouldn't have brought one.
Over the next 24hrs I learned to respect this very capable little car. My daily driver the XR6 Turbo has explosive acceleration compared to the Mini but what it does have in common is the effortless ease of every day driving. The Mini will never slam me into the seat under acceleration but thats what I have the XR6 for.
What did impress me was the refinement of the Mini, one other member of the family fleet is a 2008 Fiesta XR4 another car that would eat the Mini in performance and handling but not in driving enjoyment. The XR4 is going to help fund the Mini.
So here I am this old fat man buying a Mini Cooper D I still don't fully understand why. The color and interior trim are very close to the MK1 Cooper S I use to own and the Cooper D was defiantly inspired this car, but again the logical choice for this mid life crisis would have been a Cooper S.
The new Mini will arrive in November and it will become one of the cars I use to travel to do one of my favorite things... Photography...
Some of my work can be found here...
Flickr: mowog's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mowog/)
and
Ian Fraser Photography (http://www.ianfraserphotography.com/)
I look forward to being part of some of the Mini drives if you allow old farts to take part.
But mostly I look forward to being a Mini owner again.
I hope I haven't bored anyone with this long rant but hey old people can be like that.... :-P
Ian
Mini K 1100 Panel Van (Crashed).
Mini Cooper with the Mini K drive train.
Mini 1275 LS First New Mini
Mini S a parts donor for a Moke (Very Rusty)
Moke a parts donor for a Moke (Very Rusty)
Moke built as a hil climb car and later registered for road use. This was wild little ride.
MKI Cooper S a great car I had to sell when I was poor
Moke (Tweetie)
Moke 1980 1275 Californian
The last Moke went about 3 years ago since then I have been a Ford driver my current love is my 2007 XR6 Turbo Ute.
I have admired the new Mini but never really felt compelled to buy one. Friends let me have a drive of their new Cooper S a few years ago and I enjoyed the drive but didn't feel the need to buy one.
So recently this thing the Mini Cooper Diesel is released I find my self curious about this variant of the Mini. I don't know why... Fuel economy isn't an issue for me I drive my XR6 Turbo everyday and I dont think it uses to much fuel. There is also a Territory in the family fleet so really the cost of fuel is not a factor when I look at cars.
The Mini Cooper D I just cant really explain why I wanted one over a Cooper S but a week ago I ordered a Pepper White Black roof Chili pack with enough options to push the price above the age of the Mini.
I had a demo car for 24hrs my initial impression on pulling out of the dealer was not good. The first 8 klm I didn't get out of second gear with break downs on the Story Bridge and Bowen Bridge Rd. If those first 8 were the only distance covered in the demo I wouldn't have brought one.
Over the next 24hrs I learned to respect this very capable little car. My daily driver the XR6 Turbo has explosive acceleration compared to the Mini but what it does have in common is the effortless ease of every day driving. The Mini will never slam me into the seat under acceleration but thats what I have the XR6 for.
What did impress me was the refinement of the Mini, one other member of the family fleet is a 2008 Fiesta XR4 another car that would eat the Mini in performance and handling but not in driving enjoyment. The XR4 is going to help fund the Mini.
So here I am this old fat man buying a Mini Cooper D I still don't fully understand why. The color and interior trim are very close to the MK1 Cooper S I use to own and the Cooper D was defiantly inspired this car, but again the logical choice for this mid life crisis would have been a Cooper S.
The new Mini will arrive in November and it will become one of the cars I use to travel to do one of my favorite things... Photography...
Some of my work can be found here...
Flickr: mowog's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mowog/)
and
Ian Fraser Photography (http://www.ianfraserphotography.com/)
I look forward to being part of some of the Mini drives if you allow old farts to take part.
But mostly I look forward to being a Mini owner again.
I hope I haven't bored anyone with this long rant but hey old people can be like that.... :-P
Ian