Anybody roll in a MINI Cooper?

[Rgoodwin]

I drive an 08 hardtop base model. Corners like a go cart and gets me 33 to 37 mpg. I really like my Durango too but this thing is a hoot.

 

[mkk41]

At 6ft and a tad over 300lbs , I don't think I'd fit in a Mini Cooper.

 

[DeathGrip]

I think it's the only small car that's cool. But I wouldn't want to roll one.

 

[labworm]

My niece had a Mini Cooper (plain) not S for the last 5 years.
Two years ago on a Sunday I went with her on a Mini Rally, it was really cool, all these different color Mini's going down the highway, probably 30 or so, like a swam of bumble bees.

Handling, well you know.

In 1973 I use to motor around in a BMW 2002, the Mini reminds me of that car.

She is 6 feet tall and just bought a new Mini Countryman 3 weeks ago and sent me a few photos, soon I shall go for a ride.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy one. Used to drive, rallye and autocross the originals: several 850s, one 1098, and one 1275 Cooper S. I embarrassed many Corvettes in the 1275. The new ones bear only a superficial resemblance to the originals, but of course, they are much, much better cars.

I feel a lot safer in a car that is light and nimble with good road manners and brakes. If you are relying on seven thousand pounds of steel to protect you in a crash, you are doing something wrong. SUVs and pickups are some of the deadliest vehicles to crash in.

 

[USAF385]

But where would I put all my tools?!

 

[Alnamvet68]

I think they are probably the coolest and most roadworthy small cars on the road. Now, I'm all about putting as much tonnage around my body when it comes to vehicle size (LR Defender weighs in at 3200+ lbs), but I can see myself in one of those if I lived in an area where there was little, if any, truck traffic, or any kind of traffic.

 

[labworm]

I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy one. Used to drive, rallye and autocross the originals: several 850s, one 1098, and one 1275 Cooper S. I embarrassed many Corvettes in the 1275. The new ones bear only a superficial resemblance to the originals, but of course, they are much, much better cars.

I feel a lot safer in a car that is light and nimble with good road manners and brakes. If you are relying on seven thousand pounds of steel to protect you in a crash, you are doing something wrong. SUVs and pickups are some of the deadliest vehicles to crash in.

Check out the Mini John Cooper Works, don't go to a dealership and test drive one.

 

[Alnamvet68]

I'll tell ya' what seems to be hot around here, the Fiat 500, and at half the price of a Mini. Oh, and the new Beetle has really taken a turn for the worst insofar as retro styling.

 

[feralmerril]

MKK41 speaks for me. We are both the same size. Maybe the same age too if your born in 41. I really like the looks of those mini coopers and might own one if I were 5 ft 4"s and 140 pounds. The world and resturant booths werent made for us guys of normal size.

 

[Alnamvet68]

I believe the Mini and the Fiat 500 were designed for a specific gene pool. Unless your body type is what's splattered all over Esquire magazine, you're better off with an F-150 or bigger.

 

[Nframecollector]

Not yet but soon.........I wanted one when I bought my truck. But we needed a truck at the time.

 

[Rgoodwin]

I bought mine from a guy 6'7"! He bought a new one. One of the safest cars on the road! And it's got a secret compartment for my next M&P the 9C.

 

[feralmerril]

My dad was 6ft 5"s. In 1960 he bought his first brand new car, a VW beetle. Not only that, but he now hunted for the cheapest gas stations! The first week he had it ma rolled it right down the highway swerveing to miss a skunk. They got it fixed and then he and ma lost it ice fishing christmass day 1960. He then replaced it with a new 1961 bug. Later he went back to big cars and trucks again.

 

[Sprefix]

At 6ft and a tad over 300lbs , I don't think I'd fit in a Mini Cooper.

I thought for a minute you were talking about the car.......

 

[Cooter Brown]

The first week he had it ma rolled it right down the highway swerveing to miss a skunk. They got it fixed and then he and ma lost it ice fishing christmass day 1960.

Another FM gem, right here.

 

[duppie]

My first car was a 1967 Mini Cooper that was modified for club racing.1350cc with a 3/4 race cam and a 2 barrel Weber.
Didn't start if there was even a cloud in the sky with the Lucas system,ride was a nightmare on 13 inch Minilites with Goodyear semi slicks and you had to torque every bolt once a month because she rattled herself loose..... But gas was .35 cents a gallon and one tank lasts 2 weeks and I could still fit a 25 hp outboard with a 5 gallon tank,fishing and diving gear and a small cooler in her.
Loved that car.
Drove the new one about a year ago but while a great little car I can't see myself in one now...

 

[GRIZZLYBEAR]

Hell, I like them for other people.

I too damn big the drive a mini-anything. At over 6 foot and and weighing in at range of 265 to 280 pounds; I drive around in Land Yachts and full sized trucks.

I attempted to test drive a new vette and found the fit wasn't to my liking so I guess anything sporty is out for me too.

 

[feralmerril]

Christmas day 1960 a cousin of mine wanted to take me ice fishing on lake poygan wisconsin. I had been working in yosemite and had just came home for the winter. It was like a city of cars out there. My folks decided to drive out and see how we were doing. Dad drove out on the lake in a area he shouldnt have. He seen a guy waveing him off and realised he was in a bad area. He went into a skidding turn and the back of the VW fell through. He pulled mom and a dog out. They kept breaking through as they walked away but made it. The VW sunk in 14 feet of water. Although we were on the same lake I didnt see it and found out when I got home. Turned out the guy waveing dad off was a cousin of dads and ran a local garage. Dad had him recover the car. They did that by shoveling off the ice over the car for a week or so until the ice got thicker. It was either new years day or shortly after we decided to recover the bug. They sawed a section of ice out over the car, then ran a couple of timbers down a angle like a ramp to the rear end. Hooked the back bumper with poles holding a chain. The cousin had a wrecker and winched it out useing a A frame. When it was on the ice dad drained the oil. The brakes froze up. The wrecker tried pulling it to shore with me steering but he couldnt get traction. Pa`s old cousin, kind of senile, tried getting me going by hitting the vw like a cue ball with his heavy old oldsmobile. I got out mad to try and stop him and thats the last I remembered. My feet were wet and people who seen it said my feet were at least 8 feet up in the air and I come down head first. Luckly I was wearing one of those large fur russian trooper type caps and that probley saved my gourd. As it was it laid me out about 45 minutes from what I was told. My folks said I wasnt even breathing for awhile. They held a quick prayer meeting over me and drove me to a hospital about 20 miles away. I came to as they pulled into the hospital or doctors office. Funny. When I came to I was as mad as I was when I stepped out of the vw to stop the old relative from ruining the vw.
Maybe 3 or 4 days later I was getting a haircut and the guys started talking about a guy getting killed on lake poygan getting a vw out the other day!

 

[Rgoodwin]

Great story did the vdub run again?