MINI dimensions vs. others

[sjbartnik]

Hello all,
I'm relatively new to the forum, and I'm here because I'm considering getting a Cooper S. I really like the car and I'm going to make my way down to the dealer as soon as I can for a test drive.

Anyway, in another thread I saw this picture:



Which got me to thinking, how does the size of the new MINI compare with vehicles I'm familiar with? So in my boredom, here we are

Since I have this information, below are some dimensions of the new MINI compared with a 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (which I used to own), a 1979 Volkswagen Westfalia camper (which I do own now) and a 2001 (pre-facelift) Volkswagen Passat V6 (which would be the car to be traded if I decide to go MINI. Unfortunately I don't have any dimensions on the original Mini, but perhaps someone else can supply those

MINI specs come from the miniusa.com web site and are Cooper S specs, and the other specs come from the vehicle owner's manuals. All converted to feet from inches.

Wheelbase:
MINI: 8.09 ft.
Ghia: 7.88 ft.
Bus: 7.88 ft.
Passat: 8.87 ft.

Width
MINI: 5.54 ft.
Ghia: 5.36 ft.
Bus: 5.64 ft.
Passat: 5.71 ft.

Height
MINI: 4.68 ft.
Ghia: 4.33 ft.
Bus: 6.67 ft.
Passat: 4.80 ft.

Length
MINI: 11.99 ft.
Ghia: 13.81 ft.
Bus: 14.78 ft.
Passat: 15.34 ft.

Weight
MINI: 2678 lbs.
Ghia: 2094 lbs.
Bus: 3296 lbs.
Passat: 3291 lbs.

Horsepower (SAE net)
MINI: 163 hp @ 6000 rpm (supercharged 1.6L inline-4)
Ghia: 46 hp @ 4000 rpm (1.6L flat-4)
Bus: 67 hp @ 4200 rpm (2.0L flat-4)
Passat: 190 hp @ 5800 rpm (2.8L V6)

Torque (SAE net)
MINI: 155 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Ghia: 72 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm
Bus: 101 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
Passat: 206 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm

Thought it might be interesting to compare. At least makes it a little easier to get a size reference

[BruceK]

Here you go:

(from a late model 1998 Mini Cooper brochure)

Wheelbase:
Classic Mini: 6.66 ft.

Width
Classic Mini: 4.625 ft. (body width excluding mirrors)
Classic Mini: 5.11 ft. (including mirrors)

Height
Classic Mini: 4.35 ft.

Length
Classic Mini: 10.02 ft.

Weight
Classic Mini: 1425 lbs.

Horsepower (SAE net)
Classic Mini: 75 hp @ 5500 rpm

Torque (SAE net)
Classic Mini: 72 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

[sjbartnik]

Thanks
Wow, 1400 lbs. I can see where the Classic Mini got its go-kart reputation.

[mr.bill]

A friend of mine had one, 1200 pounds with a 125HP engine. He used to blow off Porsches with it, but the engine had a three main bearing crank and the gearbox couldn't handle the power, so it was constantly falling apart. He loved the car, but got tired of having to fix it, so he sold it.

[RickB]

I've forgotten all of the numbers that I've heard over the last couple of years, but some that I remember: The MINI is a foot shorter than a Miata. It is 17" shorter than an Audi TT, even though it has a longer wheelbase. Compared to my current car, a Honda CRX, the MINI is 6" shorter, 4 inches taller and 4" wider. Having seen a few MINIs on the road, the impression is one of a short car, not a small car. The MINI actually appears quite tall. Of course, when you are driving it, you can't tell how short it is, untill you go to parallel park it!