Really crap mid-life crisis.....

[andy400]

There's a guy lives round the corner from me, older than me (I'm mid 30s), who appears to be having a mid-life crisis, but not doing it very well.

He has a nice house, and he and his missus each have a diesel Golf - presumably company cars, because nobody spends their own money on brand-new diesel Golfs, surely - and he has gone out and bought a Mini Cooper S.

He drives it like a real maniac/tt around the estate, has stuck 'totallymini' stickers and other decals on it, and stands around on the driveway with a couple of his friends, looking at it, and occasionally tinkering with it.

To each their own and all that, but it really seems like a rubbish MLC. Why a Mini!? IF you're going to drive like a bloody teenager, at least do it in something we can admire whilst calling you a prick. Even the late-40s guy around the corner with his over-stickered pretend rally car Subaru, and the OAP down the road with the Harley who insists on wearing a flourescent suit whilst riding are doing it better than you.

Dunno why it bothers me - maybe it's the tosser driving through an area with many young children, maybe it's something else.

[Snoop Bagg]

Nothing wrong with a Cooper S, cracking little car I've had two. I suppose they do take you back to the hot hatch GTI days. I'm not slow but am where I need to be, schools estates etc just isn't worth causing a problem for yourself and getting a name for being a knob!

Edit for typo

Edited by Snoop Bagg on Tuesday 19th October 09:39

[hombrepaulo]

Time of the month?

[kambites]

Does seem an odd choice of car for someone who already has a Golf, but I guess as long as he likes it...

[5potTurbo]

hombrepaulo said:

Time of the month?

For the OP? Probably.

[loftylad]

Cooper envy ?

[ShadownINja]

Maybe he has a Mini as a 17 year old and was hoping to relive that experience. Sadly, for me, I'd end up getting a Nissan Micra 1.1 or something equivalent if I had that way of thinking.

[andy400]

loftylad said:

Cooper envy ?

Dammit. Busted.

[andy400]

ShadownINja said:

Maybe he has a Mini as a 17 year old and was hoping to relive that experience. Sadly, for me, I'd end up getting a Nissan Micra 1.1 or something equivalent if I had that way of thinking.

You know, I never thought of that

I just thought of all the cars you could have for the same money, but if you had a 'proper' mini in youth and loved it.....

Could be.

(Maybe I should get the modern equivalent of a Vauxhall Astra Belmont Merit to relive my late teens!!)

[Stoatman]

Is it a convertible ?? Sounds a bit over the top sticking stickers on surely. He'll have a playboy one stuck on the back soon.

[kambites]

loftylad said:

Cooper envy ?

Is that even possible for a man?

[Arese]

Put a note under his windscreen along the lines of:

"I know none of us are getting any younger, and I understand you may want to relive your youth, but can you stop driving dangerously?"

[zakelwe]

He should have got an Aygo, fitted a loud exhaust, EBC disks and pads, removed air con, put battery in the boot, fitted 205/40 Yoko's, Koni sport shocks, rear seats removed and then

smash it to bits

http://www.zen141854.zen.co.uk/bash2.jpg
http://www.zen141854.zen.co.uk/bash1.jpg

These middle aged guys who buy mini's and stare at them lovingly.. pah.

Andy (age 42, going on 17)

[Cactussed]

Nothing wrong with a mini.
Driving like a cretin through a busy estate is a different topic and needs to be knocked on the head ASAP.

Perhaps pointing out (politely) that nobody wants to see a kid get hit, least of all him as that will be the end of his driving for the forseeable future.

[NoelWatson]

Snoop Bagg said:

I suppose they do take you back to the hot hatch GTI days.

Edited by Snoop Bagg on Tuesday 19th October 09:39

Do they? I drove a Cooper and found it nothing like hot hatches of old. Maybe the S is a lot better.

[kambites]

NoelWatson said:

Do they? I drove a Cooper and found it nothing like hot hatches of old. Maybe the S is a lot better.

No they aren't. The wheels are too big, suspension is too hard, controls are over-assisted and lacking in feel,...

Of course on the other hand it wont fall to bits, rust away to nothing, and kill you if you crash into a blade of grass.

[ceriw]

aye - it's the mid life crises give and take:
his willy has gone limp and so to compensate he needs to behave like one.

[y2blade]

5potTurbo said:

hombrepaulo said:

Time of the month?

For the OP? Probably.

[ShadownINja]

andy400 said:

ShadownINja said:

Maybe he has a Mini as a 17 year old and was hoping to relive that experience. Sadly, for me, I'd end up getting a Nissan Micra 1.1 or something equivalent if I had that way of thinking.

You know, I never thought of that

I just thought of all the cars you could have for the same money, but if you had a 'proper' mini in youth and loved it.....

Could be.

(Maybe I should get the modern equivalent of a Vauxhall Astra Belmont Merit to relive my late teens!!)

I present the car of your dreams:

[Hartge210]

I must be over my mid life crisis at 52, my Cooper S is tuned & running 196whp, great little cars.

I do occasionally go to MINI meets & runs, it's a great community feel with MINI ownership these days.

Doesn't excuse driving like a tt on an estate though...