[R1]

Have to get this off my chest!
I have decided that it’s good being one of the first owners of a MINI. I don’t think there is a better time to own one than now. Yes we have / are having niggles with our cars but there are a lot of plus sides also. Like reading very good reviews in nearly every motoring magazine about this fantastic car and looking out of the window and seeing ours parked outside (warm glow feeling). Like watching rave reviews on the cars driving experience and handling and then taking ours out on the road and finding their right!
Like being on a motorway or a car park or …… ANYWHERE and attracting more attention than a Porsche or Ferrari!
In a year or two’s time, when there are loads of MINI’s on the roads (and believe me, there will be!), owners will not get quite the same experience as we who own them now.
I have never owned a car that gives me so much pleasure all of the time. I am a hardened motorcyclist and I am used to the pleasure a large sports bike can give, but I never believed a car could match it!
Rant over.

 

[BruceK]

WOW! Very nice to hear that! It helps make the long waiting in this country a little easier.

 

[zoooooom]

well done R1 give yourself a pat on the back,then go for a lie down you deserve it.

 

[LMB]

yeh I agree R1; when I phoned my insurance company today to get a quote for my Mini which is due next week, as soon as they lady heard I was getting a Mini, she kept on going on how nice the car was

I can't wait

LMB

 

[Basil]

R1, thanks to you and zoooooom, LMB, Jakx, rich, and many others on this site, the order for my S will stay in place. I have threatened to cancel here, and threatened BMW with the same thing, but it comes back to the same thing every time. Those of you who have got one, absolutely love it. And even those who have got a problem car(s) and end up rejecting it; nearly all have replaced it with another MINI.

My Cooper S i'm sure will be great, and if it pulls to the left, and all the windows/sunroof keep opening BMW have got two years to fix it. No other car I have sat in before has the ambience a MINI does. It feels so special, and thats before I even get to drive one.

Thanks again, and i'm glad you got that off your chest.

keep up the good work !!

 

[eltel]

Basil, I sat in the MINI in March 2000 at the Melbourne Motor Show, and knew straight away that we had a very special car being developed by BMW. At that time there were only rumours about the development details of an 'S', and of course no hint that there may be faults. But looking around at all of the other cars at the Motor Show it was obvious that MINI was unique and desirable.

I felt that the interior was risky, but it certainly lets you know that this car means business.

Even though the delivery dates were 24 months away I decided that this was going to be a car that would change my life, and it has already, even though I have yet to drive it.

The 'S' is going to be a 'tour de force' that will have your mates and enemies drooling (salivating).

 

[R1]

Glad to here your "S" order is in place Basil. You won't regret it!
(Must have been in touch with my emotional side yesterday! Feel better after a nights sleep )

 

[Basil]

Glad to here your "S" order is in place Basil. You won't regret it!
(Must have been in touch with my emotional side yesterday! Feel better after a nights sleep )

Thanks R1, I doubt i'll regret it either.......just got to decide on the colour.....sheesh!!!

 

[Silverstone]

I agree!

I was parking my MINI yesterday in town and a woman, complete stranger came up to me as I got out and said;

"Ooh I love your MINI, it looks fantastic. I just had to come over and have a look. I used to have one of the old ones a few years ago. It's a lot bigger than I expected!"

I was tickled-pink. I have never had this happen to me before in 20 years of car ownership.

 

[pbraun]

I bet that sort of occurance will happen all the time!and even after a while, get to be ho-hum, dont bother me...sort of thing. Even take up your free time thinking up snappy come backs to those cute things people will say, but anyway, that will remain to be seen!

 

[blade929]

R1,

What more can I add. You have summed it up perfectly.

I must admit to driving the 'long' way home just to go through the town high street. The attention is unreal.

 

[Garry]

F U N !

Picked up my new Cooper and it sure is a lot of FUN!

I went for a long drive on the weekend up through the Cotswolds and on some of the M4.

My initial observations are:

1. It doesn't pull to the left (Week 50 build in 2001)
2. The 17" wheels and SS+ give the car very direct steering and absolutely flat corning with no body roll.
3. The ride is firm but absolutely in keeping with the MINI concept.
4. The exhaust has a nice throaty burble.
5. The car is quiet at speed (90mph)
6. The ventilation is superb with the combination of sunroof and climate control.

The MINI makes driving a completely different experience!

 

[LMB]

Re: F U N !

Picked up my new Cooper and it sure is a lot of FUN!

I went for a long drive on the weekend up through the Cotswolds and on some of the M4.

My initial observations are:

1. It doesn't pull to the left (Week 50 build in 2001)
2. The 17" wheels and SS+ give the car very direct steering and absolutely flat corning with no body roll.
3. The ride is firm but absolutely in keeping with the MINI concept.
4. The exhaust has a nice throaty burble.
5. The car is quiet at speed (90mph)
6. The ventilation is superb with the combination of sunroof and climate control.

The MINI makes driving a completely different experience!

Sounds good to me

LMB

 

[Garry]

By the way, the MINI cost less to insure than my R reg Peugeot 106 1.1 litre!!

 

[LMB]

By the way, the MINI cost less to insure than my R reg Peugeot 106 1.1 litre!!

I was amazed that my Mini is going to cost the same as my G reg Volvo 440 Turbo (GRRRRR ) to insure.

Bargain!!

LMB

 

[skip]

Re: F U N !

Picked up my new Cooper and it sure is a lot of FUN!

I went for a long drive on the weekend up through the Cotswolds and on some of the M4.

My initial observations are:

1. It doesn't pull to the left (Week 50 build in 2001)
2. The 17" wheels and SS+ give the car very direct steering and absolutely flat corning with no body roll.
3. The ride is firm but absolutely in keeping with the MINI concept.
4. The exhaust has a nice throaty burble.
5. The car is quiet at speed (90mph)
6. The ventilation is superb with the combination of sunroof and climate control.

The MINI makes driving a completely different experience!

Excellent. I have a week 51 build right now at the dealers, for pick up on thursday. Similar spec to yours. I have some friends coming over from the states this wednesday and we're planning on going skiing at St. Mortiz this weekend.
We'll see how she does the trip from Zurich, I expect no problems as it *seems* that build issues have been declining. My friend is dying to see the new Cooper and after an an accident two weeks ago where his VM Passat was totaled, he's thinking Cooper S. I told him it will probably take most of 02' to get the car, and he was surprised it had become popular.

I'll try put up some pics of the car on my private site next week.

Skip

 

[Basil]

ALL GOOD NEWS !!!

Seems, all good news on recent builds.

This bodes very well, very well indeed.

cheers

 

[ELISEBOY]

Re: I agree!

I was parking my MINI yesterday in town and a woman, complete stranger came up to me as I got out and said;

"Ooh I love your MINI, it looks fantastic. I just had to come over and have a look. I used to have one of the old ones a few years ago. It's a lot bigger than I expected!"

I was tickled-pink. I have never had this happen to me before in 20 years of car ownership.

SILVERSTONE - so the question is are you going to give her a closer inspection again ? nudge nudge wink wink!!!!!

 

[Garry]

Re: ALL GOOD NEWS !!!

Seems, all good news on recent builds.

This bodes very well, very well indeed.

cheers

Basil

The MINI is the most fun on 4 wheels!!

The chassis definitely will be up to more power and the Cooper S will be the ultimate!

The 17" wheels have quite a low profile tyre. Be careful if you take the car out of town as some of those country roads could damage the rims/tyres.

Cheers

 

[Basil]

Re: Re: ALL GOOD NEWS !!!

Basil

The MINI is the most fun on 4 wheels!!

The chassis definitely will be up to more power and the Cooper S will be the ultimate!

The 17" wheels have quite a low profile tyre. Be careful if you take the car out of town as some of those country roads could damage the rims/tyres.

Cheers

You must be having an absolute ball Garry. Yes 45 profile is not much tyre wall, but the S-spokes look pretty tough. I have had rim damage before on 45 series tyres, but this was due to the wheel design.....much too light for ozzie roads. It's definately a consideration though. But worth it. Those wheels look sensational.

I Can hardly wait........sigh.

cheers mate