Clete It's good to see I'm not alone in reliving my teenage and years.
put 400 miles on it. It's been getting 40-50 mpg and will out
accelerate most anything on 4 wheels. There is the occasional problem
with the weather but that just makes riding on the good days more fun.
been going on rides about once a week.
That's a Beemer in disguise, isn't it?
Sooooo... What's the specs on that thing?
Well, it sure has noticeable teutonic influence, but for now it still
has the "feel" of a British sports car. BMW bought BMP in mid-design of
the Mini remake, and the direction it was already headed was clearly to
capture the look and feel of the original Mini while satisfying modern
ideals of safety and comfort. That's what drew me to it real strongly.
I'm no longer interested spartan environments like I was when I was a
kid. They succeeded in spades with maintaining the little car's panache
while adding all the creature comforts a boomer could want. What really
sold me was that it's among the one or two cars that I don't have to
have the seat racked ALL the way back in order to keep my knees out from
under my chin.
Specwise, it's got a Brazilian-built Mopar engine (imagine ... BMW and
Daimler-Chrysler in bed together producing this power plant ... talk
about unlikelihoods!) of 1300cc. I believe it's the same engine used in
the Neon. Supercharged it nets 163bhp. Not killer, but more than
adequate to move the little beast 0 through 60 in less than 7 seconds
(fastest thing I've ever owned). The "S" version (supercharged) is only
available with a 6-speed gearbox. The standard Cooper has either a
5-speed or a constant-velocity automatic. But without the supercharger
the standard Cooper loses about 40 horses, and coupled with an automatic
it's not going to be particularly peppy. One of my employees was
sufficiently smitten to buy a standard Cooper and I've driven it; the
difference in power is noticeable, but the non-S definitely doesn't feel
like a dog, it's just a little more tame. According to my car's
computer (I haven't kept records) I've averaged 27.3mpg over 8500 miles,
which is primarily commuting mileage.
In that case, I'd just toss the Mini Cooper out of the back and drive off.
It would be MUCH more efficient than changing one of those HUGE tires in any
case! <grin>
Dang! Wish I could find the URL to a great animation I saw for a big
ol' "land yacht" touting their MID-engine, instead of rear-engine
design. With the rear vacant, they're able to put a set of ramps and a
door on the ass end of the thing to create a garage! The animation
shows 'em driving a new MINI in and parking it in the bowels of this
motor home.
Admittedly, there are times when I miss my Geo Metro. Those times are, most
notably, when I'm at a gas pump or writing a check to the Douglas County
Treasurer.
See now, I couldn't fit into a Geo. Had to rent one once while my car
was under the knife and it was the most agonizing week of driving I've
ever experienced. I can't even comfortably fit into the drivers seat of
Nina's Forester, and it's not a tiny vehicle. The shock for me was that
the MINI is the smallest car on the US highways, and I can get in and
out and drive with perfect ease and comfort. As a bonus, it's the
closest thing I can think of to driving a go-kart on the streets.
I still need the Yukkun to haul gear out on remotes from time to time,
but most of its drayage was my sorry butt. So when it was paid off I
decided it was time to go small, and in the bargain I got a second shot
at bein' a teenager! What could be better'n that?