All the time the Mini Clubvan has been on the PH Fleet and I think I've driven it all of ... once. I quite fancied getting it on track for a laugh at the Silverstone Sunday Service but then got
a bit carried away
in the Eunos so the Mini remained a static exhibit.
Spreading the word, with help from PopBangColour
Would taking a 112hp diesel van on track have been any more sensible than an old shed of a Mazda with similar power but half the torque? I'm a bloody minded type and enjoy the challenge of driving slow cars quickly, the Mazda's ability to carry speed in the corners one of the great joys.
The Mini isn't exactly rapid but I reckon it'd do OK in a similar situation, perhaps minus the sideways fun. I hope to put the theory to the test before it goes back.
Oh yes, about that. We had a slightly surprising phone call to say there was a chap on his way to pick it up a few weeks back. This was as unexpected as it was unwelcome and we quickly rang BMW to beg for a stay of execution. You'll see it's still here!
Euro Car Parts latest stop on ads team tour
This is a good thing because the ads team have been keeping the Mini busy with trips to clients, where the
PopBangColoured Mini
is always a talking point. Now with over 12,000 miles on the clock the little van has been racking it up too. But would you really want to use a Mini van for long distance hacks up and down the nation's motorways?
Yes, actually. Garlick looked at me like I was mad (but didn't hesitate) when I chucked him the keys to the C63 so I could take the Mini home the other night, wondering who in their right mind would eschew a 6.2 V8 AMG for a 1.6 diesel Mini. And while it's not exactly the height of luxury and the fabric seats aren't the most supportive (I've become a bit spoiled) in every other respect the Mini is no hardship. The £1,700 Media Pack we specced is pretty much 10 per cent of the VAT inclusive OTR price but money well spent in my book. Having praised the infotainment system in my recently departed 4 Series long-termer it's nice to see even the pared back version that goes into the Mini is pretty much as user friendly and efficient to operate as you flit between phone, nav, DAB and iPhone music. A significant investment on a working vehicle but one everyone who's driven it has made use of.
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I love the low-slung seats and general air of chunkiness to the controls too. The binary power delivery takes a bit of getting used to and the powerband is very narrow but it's got enough to go with the flow and that sense of go-kartness about the handling to encourage you to maintain that speed wherever possible. The ride is a little brittle and the start-stop has stranded me in compromising positions a couple of times with a keenness for the latter but not the former but there's an infectious sense of fun at the wheel that had me grinning the whole time.
I've not driven the third-gen Mini yet but I hope they continue with the van; it's got a pretty limited scope as a load carrier and commercial vehicle in the regular sense but as the basis for an eye-catching business vehicle for those with light loads to haul. And the 'loss' of the central speedo? No sacrifice as far as I'm concerned. Makes a nice design focal point for the cabin but as an instrument I've used it precisely never, the digital readout in the rev counter much more intuitive.
Fact sheet:
Car: Mini Cooper D Clubvan
Run by: Everyone!
On fleet since: June 2013
Mileage: 12,352
List price new: £19,575.50 (Basic list of £14,275 +VAT plus £400 for Midnight Black paint, £1,700 for Media Pack, £55 for Storage Pack, £50 for space saver spare, £105 for leather two-spoke steering wheel, £60 for velour floor mats, £45 for warning triangle and first aid kit and £30 for front passenger airbag deactivation switch. All options prices inclusive of VAT.)
Last month at a glance: Dan gives up the keys to his V8 AMG to drive a diesel van