[Silverstone]

Just got back from the drive of my life!!

My Cooper Chili has just showed me the depth of its chassis capbilities - I am blown away!!

Had to get to a meeting and left work too late - main roads were clogged with commuters and was forced to dive across country in the pitch black and wet coutry back roads.

I had to really push it to make-up for lost time and I was not familiar with the roads. The roads were damp, slippery twisty, often muddy, often viciously undulating and I was in a Big Hurry. My driving was not ideal since I had to react to unfamiliar corners and blind bends. I hope you are getting the picture of frantic driving, boughts of blind panic as the road suddenly does something unexpected and unrelenting rapid progress.

The MINI was just AWSOME - it coped with the horrendous roads without any fuss and just kept gripping ang gripping. It inspired me with such confidence and I could just feel exactly what was going on all the time at each wheel. The brakes were great and remained fade free and progressive. Never much sign of understeer and when I unexpectedly had to lift-off sharply mid bend - No Problemo.

My average speed was fantastic - in the brief moments I did get a chance to look at the Speedo it gave me quite a shock! So I decided not to look at it any more. Needless to say I made the meeting unscathed and only 3 minutes late. Hah!

As you can probably tell, I'm still on the high now.

YEE-HAA

[R1]

That's my boy! Good 'aint they these MINI's.

[Cape Cod MINI]

Uh,Oh! Silverstone may be the first to appear on World's Scariest Police Chases in a MINI!
Wish I had been there.

[pbraun]

OK, Silverstone!
I just wish I had my car now and was in a hurry to get somewhere! Can't wait!
It is a mini, after all!
That fantastic handling is one of the things that made the first minis so popular, and like it or not, it seems to be one of the things making the newest minis so popular also!

Ya just gotta love 'em!

MINI ON!

[Silverstone]

My "classic" Mini was great too - but only on smooth roads. The roads I drove tonight would have probably had my old Mini bucking like a tormented Bronco (the horse not the Ford 4x4)

[smartbomb]

The only thing that concerns me with my MINI when it arrives is it's width. With my current the tiniest of gaps can be squeezed through, so speed ain't always the key, size can be everything ! I was stuck behind a TVR a while back and crept through a gap and got round him, needless to say 20 secs later he was right up my rear in a fit of annoyance ! Just concerned that the MINI has too much girth for my famed 'you'll never get through there' specialities. Speed gets you there in a hurry, while being small gets you there safely whilst leaving most traffic behind you with a blank expression !

[smartbomb]

Nice one Martyn,
Those 17s sure look tempting, and I guessed they'd have great grip due to the width ! My Cooper has the Sportspack fitted which means stupidly wide tyres that allow you to defy physics around bends !
What colour was the demo by the way ?

[smartbomb]

Ah I was hoping for yellow ! Still have seen the gallery pics of that combo and it looks quite tasty. My dealer should have his indi blue with 17s by now, will hopefully take a look real soon. While I'm there I really ought to decide what I want ! HK system, 17s, colour....I'll gor for the lot if I could but need to 'compromise' somewhere !

[gonnandgotone]

smartbomb get yellow and 17's - you know you want to !

[smartbomb]

Oi gago !
That avatar is far too flashy ! I love it !
I think that yellow is gonna be the winner, I just have to decide on the 17s. Yes I'd have them, but they cost ! For the same money I could opt for multi cd and boost or even 1/2 of an HK system. I could however fit my old system and go for those wheels. Or I could.....or maybe....black ?....nah...that instead.....

[Silverstone]

My car has the Chili pack and I was surprised how well it coped with some very rough roads - the tyres always seemed stuck to the road.

The 16" and 195/55 tyres did not cause any significant steering kick-back or squirm. Sounds like this is more a problem on the 17" wheels.

I did notice a lack of mid-range torque when I got caught in the wrong gear, BUT this car carries speed through bends so well that once you are on a roll, you don't notice a lack of power.

[Garry]

My Cooper with 17" wheels looks the biz!

But in my opinion the tyres are too narrow and the 45 aspect ratio means that there is not much tyre between rim and road. Kerbing could be a problem too.

I mainly drive my car in town and on motorways, but if you were doing any country lanes they may be a bit vulnerable.

Should BMW have fitted wider tyres?

[Johnboy]

Anyone else noticed they get tailgated a lot more in their Minis? I put it down to people just trying to get a closer look at the equally cool dash

Had someone tailgating me the other day on a nice country stretch in Gloucester - so dumped the gas pedal when we hit the first bend - and by the time we came out the other side, they'd mysteriously disappeared into the distance

[belfastcooper]

Quote:

Originally posted by Silverstone
Just got back from the drive of my life!!

My driving was not ideal since I had to react to unfamiliar corners and blind bends.

YEE-HAA

What you need is an advanced driving course. They will teach you how to go round corners you have never seen before QUICKLY and SAFELY. I did one through work. It is all about watching where the near and off side kerbs meet in your line of sight as you drive round the corner. Too difficult to explain on paper. If you are keen to learn:
a) go on an advanced course,
b) read the police advanced driver's manual (available in all good bookshops )
c) take a drive out with an advanced driver and get them to show you.

Enjoy!

[Silverstone]

Sounds interesting - wonder how well the system works in the pitch black where the roads don't have kerbs, just grass and mud!

Part of the reason my driving got more ragged was that as I got the feel for the car and the chassis I guess I found that it didn't matter if I misjudged a blind corner 'cos the fantastic chassis would cope and I just piled-on the speed. Poor excuse really but a testament to the cars abilities.

[R1]

Quote:

Originally posted by belfastcooper


What you need is an advanced driving course. They will teach you how to go round corners you have never seen before QUICKLY and SAFELY. I did one through work. It is all about watching where the near and off side kerbs meet in your line of sight as you drive round the corner. Too difficult to explain on paper. If you are keen to learn:
a) go on an advanced course,
b) read the police advanced driver's manual (available in all good bookshops )
c) take a drive out with an advanced driver and get them to show you.

d) learn to ride a motorcycle. If you can't do the above ... your either dead or it bloody hurts!!

[belfastcooper]

I agree. Learnt the hard way during motorcycle training in 1991. Known as hedgerow for the duration of the course. Now have a 600 Fazer. New car, new bike, mid life crisis? Maybe.