[minimienymo]

Dear Fellow Cooper S Enthusiasts:

After almost a year of research looking at pictures and reading articles - I finally sat in one and went over the whole car inch by inch. I'm very impressed and completely overjoyed with almost every detail of the car. I will definitely order the Cooper S even though I have never driven one. After all, it has to be an improvement on my VW GTI! I'm sure for some people the car will feel small - depends on what your used to driving. The overall fit and finish looked great. The seats and driver position felt very nice. The clutch and 6 speed felt tight with a short throw. The sunroof's) are excellent. The instruments are fun to look at. Even the mock gas cap was kind of cool - didn't bother me one bit. The rear cargo area makes my GTI's look like a blimp hanger - but that's ok, you can still get your golf shoes and a 12 pack in there without putting one of the seats down. The only thing that I don't like is the 17 in. wheels - I might even go with the standard 16 in. because they look so ugly. Besides that, the only thing I haven't made up my mind on is the color.
I'm thinking Indi Blue with black roof and standard interior (the leather interior pricing might be a little too expensive) but I have to say that even though I'm into having cars that are low profile or "Sleepers", the Yellow and Black with the racing stripes looked really cool.
The MINI reps all had the rehearsed response that pricing would be available at the Detroit show and that the MINI was "around $18,000 nicely equipped".
Sorry that I don't have any pictures -our digital camera blows, but there are some really nice ones already posted.
Looking forward to buying this car - simple as that.

Take Care,
Dave

[Spoolin']

Very cool! I agree with your sentiment about the GTI. I could be driving a 2002 GTI 1.8T right now, instead of my 1985 Audi 4000 Quattro, with the broken sunroof and the two position heating system (melt your face off and freeze to death) if I wanted to. I just want the Cooper S! The GTI is no longer the super hatch!

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by minimienymo
The only thing that I don't like is the 17 in. wheels - I might even go with the standard 16 in. because they look so ugly.

I am amazed you don't like them

But then again I am biased;I have them on my Cooper

I am SO jealous of everyone having got to see the Cooper S. It is typical of Britain to be the last to show off the car considering it is built in this country

Glad you liked it!!

LMB

[minimienymo]

LMB

Sorry to bag on your 17 in. wheels - I may even end up with them myself if I can't work out something with the dealer.
I'd like to swap them for some 17 in. BBS wheels.

Spoolin

I can relate - did I forget to mention my GTI has 136,000 miles on it? It's getting close to being called a GTWHY.
Fortunately I've lived in Southern California for the last 20 years - but in Detroit I did have a 68' Bug that I used to take skiing and it had similar heating options as yours, one of which was the interior plastic ice scrapper combined with a BIC lighter option!

Take care guys

[pbraun]

There ya go ----- I really like the BBS 17" wheels!

[Spoolin']

Great! You know exactly what I'm talking about! Old VW products are the best beaters there are!

[pbraun]

Hey ! What about old Mini products? I once had an old 1071 S ,. ex- race car that had been rolled on a very high speed downhill turn, and looked it!.... great beater!...everyone kept well away from me!

[Spoolin']

Quote:

Originally posted by pbraun
Hey ! What about old Mini products? I once had an old 1071 S ,. ex- race car that had been rolled on a very high speed downhill turn, and looked it!.... great beater!...everyone kept well away from me!

Yeah, but the VW products are easy to find parts for. I once bent the rear axle in my Rabbit GTI, and got one from a Scirocco! I also survived 2 major accidents in Rabbit GTI's. Beaters, Beaters, Beaters!!!

[rich]

Quote:

Originally posted by minimienymo
Dear Fellow Cooper S Enthusiasts:

etc.

Great report Dave! You lucky guy

(P.S. Agree with your opinions on wheels & colour)

[TimR]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spoolin'
Very cool! I agree with your sentiment about the GTI. I could be driving a 2002 GTI 1.8T right now, instead of my 1985 Audi 4000 Quattro, with the broken sunroof and the two position heating system (melt your face off and freeze to death) if I wanted to. I just want the Cooper S! The GTI is no longer the super hatch!

I had a bug like that, rear seat heater melted my ski boots on the ride home while I had to wipe the inside window with a towel.

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spoolin'


Yeah, but the VW products are easy to find parts for. I once bent the rear axle in my Rabbit GTI, and got one from a Scirocco! I also survived 2 major accidents in Rabbit GTI's. Beaters, Beaters, Beaters!!!

I had a VW golf for 11 years; had 220,000 miles on it when I sold it and is still going strong. The guy I sold it too works at my local garage. A tear comes to my eye everytime I see that car, love it.

LMB

[blue-cook]

I went to the show on Sunday, and (of course) went to the MINI exhibit first thing. I was well-pleased; seeing the car in the flesh for the first time, it was everything I'd hoped for and more ! BMW/MINI/Rover have obviously put a lot of time in with this design, and it shows. Lots of great details, and the fit and finish and quality of materials are all really nice. Really like that metallic-look dashboard, and those toggle-switches !!! The Cooper and Cooper S are going to make a tremendous splash in the US when they finally hits the streets, based upon crowd reaction. All of the models and configurations that were on hand looked great. I was surprised how cool the yellow S with black top and hood stripes looked. And, if I was 25 again, I'd have to go for the red S with white top, white hood stripes and white wheels. However since I'm now a "grown up" - whatever that means - I think it'll have to be the dark silver with black top and mirrors for me. Very sharp looking but understated. Okay, gotta have the S-spoke wheels, so to heck with understatement !

Hats off to Mini2 for all of the info that we've all been benefitting from so far, and here's to an exciting (good exciting) MINI 2002.

[Spoolin']

Quote:

Originally posted by LMB


I had a VW golf for 11 years; had 220,000 miles on it when I sold it and is still going strong. The guy I sold it too works at my local garage. A tear comes to my eye everytime I see that car, love it.

LMB

Beaters, Beaters, Beaters!

VW products take a beating and keep on goin' Their Blessing of reliability is their curse. Alot of people can't justify getting rid of them because they still run, so they overlook the fact that the windows don't roll up and down! Wait a minute,..erm, too close to home.