RE: PH Blog: don't fancy yours much
Discussion
dtrump said:
IMO you can't go wrong with a used hatch jcw version
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3767038.htm
A brilliant brilliant car often not liked because of BMW
Oof. That's the spec of what I want next. Shame it's not a Clubman. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3767038.htm
A brilliant brilliant car often not liked because of BMW
Garlik how was the ride? I hate to sound old but the newer MINIs I have been in with the (mandatory it seems) big wheels have been pretty nasty in this regard.
I have no doubt it will go around a track well, but at the expense of you wincing when you drive down a real road isn't a great compromise in my opinion.
Looks wise I can't personally get on with it - far too much jewellery for my eyes, like they got carried away with the extras catalogue. Looks are personal, however.
I have no doubt it will go around a track well, but at the expense of you wincing when you drive down a real road isn't a great compromise in my opinion.
Looks wise I can't personally get on with it - far too much jewellery for my eyes, like they got carried away with the extras catalogue. Looks are personal, however.
0a said:
I hate to sound old but the newer MINIs I have been in with the (mandatory it seems) big wheels have been pretty nasty in this regard.
I have no doubt it will go around a track well, but at the expense of you wincing when you drive down a real road isn't a great compromise in my opinion.
Looks wise I can't personally get on with it - far too much jewellery for my eyes, like they got carried away with the extras catalogue. Looks are personal, however.
Haven't spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel of my mates Cooper, I don't think it's that bad. The newer models are definitely better than the older cars.I have no doubt it will go around a track well, but at the expense of you wincing when you drive down a real road isn't a great compromise in my opinion.
Looks wise I can't personally get on with it - far too much jewellery for my eyes, like they got carried away with the extras catalogue. Looks are personal, however.
I don't remember the wheel of the OneD being as busy as his Cooper, but the ride was pretty similar, stiff, but not uncomfortably.
The OneD had these narrow little 15" wheels
Whilst his Cooper rides on 17" Pirelli P Zero (Rear) and Euforia (Front) Runflats.
Both rode/ride far, far better than the R50 Cooper he (briefly) had before, which used to crash and jarr all the time, that had 16" Goodyear NCT-5 Runflats.
I think the newer cars ride better than my 207 with it's acres of arch gap, piddly 15" alloys and really tall profile tyres, apparently they actually ride better on 16s.
0a said:
Garlik how was the ride? I hate to sound old but the newer MINIs I have been in with the (mandatory it seems) big wheels have been pretty nasty in this regard.
On my 2008 Cooper S I had the JCW tuning kit added (power not styling) and instead of replacing the 17'' wheels for 18'' I actually went down to 16''.It handled better and rode better too (IMO). The 18's are a bit crashy with runflats.
Mine on 16's
Mr2Mike said:
turbochrisgti said:
Well said Paul. Immensely fast and capable car but overlooked and slagged off yet sold in huge numbers (the hatch at least)
"Immensely fast"? This thread is for the MINI Coupe, did you post in the wrong one?If you don't know, it's a tad faster than the Hatch ie: nat's whisker short of 150 top speed and roughly 6 secs to 60 - for a 1.6 that's good... v good! I think he posted in the right thread.
I just had a new set of tyres fitted (non RFLs) to my factory JCW hatch today... it's surprising how few know about the Works version. Are those Brembos standard or did you fit them? Is it nippy?
I took him out for spin...
'F.... hell!' That's all he said, except that 'warmed up your tyres'.
If I didn't occasionally need 4 seats (and yes, you can get 4 in) I'd have a Coupe JCW. I have had the hatch over 3 years now from new. Gonna get another Factory JCW... in fact, it's ordered. Then get something newer later this year... ssssshhhh, it's supposed to be a secret.
It'll piss the Mini MINI-haters off even more, another MINI, even faster!
MINI - They just keep coming!
Alright, here's a link to it, the new GP.
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03/mini-co...
Edited by dandarez on Friday 30th March 17:56
dandarez said:
How fast do you think the JCW Coupe is then?
If you don't know, it's a tad faster than the Hatch ie: nat's whisker short of 150 top speed and roughly 6 secs to 60 - for a 1.6 that's good... v good! I think he posted in the right thread.
It's not bad, about the same as my 14 year old Fiat actually, but certainly not immensely fast. That expression might be appropriately used to describe a Zonda, McLaren, Veyron etc. but not a small hot hatch/coupe.If you don't know, it's a tad faster than the Hatch ie: nat's whisker short of 150 top speed and roughly 6 secs to 60 - for a 1.6 that's good... v good! I think he posted in the right thread.
redgriff500 said:
How exactly is the Coupe better than a standard Mini ?
That is the issue I have with the Coupe - it looks worse, is less practical and drives the same.
A bit like a Cougar was to a Mondeo.
Both the Cougar and the Mini Coupe Drive better than their hatchback counterparts.That is the issue I have with the Coupe - it looks worse, is less practical and drives the same.
A bit like a Cougar was to a Mondeo.
Although I agree about the styling.
once said:
I just wish it wasn't called a Mini.
So you're letting the marketing prevent you from liking it ? BMW own the name but they never claimed they would be producing replicas of the original.
They are truly amazing to drive but if image is so important to you, then I can see your point.
I am genuinely disgusted by the attitude of a lot of the people on here. The sheer sheep like negativity of the flocks undermines what is genuinely a really engaging car to drive. Any iteration of the Mini is the drivers choice in their class, or at least rates very highly (this includes the countryman as well).
We should be celebrating the fact that a true driver's car exists in the MINI, which could do easily have gone the way of the VW Beetle. What about female driving enthusiasts? Should they be consigned to driving crap like cappuccinos and the like.
One of my best friends passed her driving test and bought a Mk1 new Mini. She's been transformed into a proper little petrol head because of this, having had very little interest in cars beforehand. God forbid if she had taken over her mother's Nissan pixo and become another one of the unenlightened masses. These new Minis are good cars. and a damn sight better than the original which had a crap interior, no space and stupid no travel suspension
We should be celebrating the fact that a true driver's car exists in the MINI, which could do easily have gone the way of the VW Beetle. What about female driving enthusiasts? Should they be consigned to driving crap like cappuccinos and the like.
One of my best friends passed her driving test and bought a Mk1 new Mini. She's been transformed into a proper little petrol head because of this, having had very little interest in cars beforehand. God forbid if she had taken over her mother's Nissan pixo and become another one of the unenlightened masses. These new Minis are good cars. and a damn sight better than the original which had a crap interior, no space and stupid no travel suspension
LuS1fer said:
veevee said:
Willing to bet that if they'd designed it properly, they'd sell so many it would make the slightly smaller profit margin completely insignificant.
Isn't this a case of safety regulations screwing up design again though? gone are the liberties in stylig allowed by something like the CRX and Scirocco Mk II - any MINI Coupe was going to look like some form of blob due to the high bonnet/side impact/crash regs which only a bigger floorpan can remedy.We're all talking about it - perhaps that is mission accomplished. Respect to Mr Garlick for having the cohonies to speak his mind. Perhaps in matt black it might look a bit less like a tracksuit. I don't doubt the fundamentals are there for a good steer. My eldest is just getting to passing age and looking at Ka's. Couldn't help noticing how cheap Streetka's are these days. Great chassis, drop top, but the toy town looks make it a tough steer for a guy - Mini Coupe another one of these?
arkenphel said:
These new Minis are good cars. and a damn sight better than the original which had a crap interior, no space and stupid no travel suspension
Apart from the new ones have no space in them either. Rear legroom is certainly no better and potentially worse than the original and I'm pretty sure the boot space is inferior. The suspension isn't all that great either apparently; a friend bought a new Cooper S about 2 years ago and whilst he said low speed handling was good, he hated the way it tram-lined and how hard, bouncy and nervous it felt and got rid after about 6 months.arkenphel said:
I am genuinely disgusted by the attitude of a lot of the people on here. The sheer sheep like negativity of the flocks undermines what is genuinely a really engaging car to drive. Any iteration of the Mini is the drivers choice in their class, or at least rates very highly (this includes the countryman as well).
We should be celebrating the fact that a true driver's car exists in the MINI, which could do easily have gone the way of the VW Beetle. What about female driving enthusiasts? Should they be consigned to driving crap like cappuccinos and the like.
One of my best friends passed her driving test and bought a Mk1 new Mini. She's been transformed into a proper little petrol head because of this, having had very little interest in cars beforehand. God forbid if she had taken over her mother's Nissan pixo and become another one of the unenlightened masses. These new Minis are good cars. and a damn sight better than the original which had a crap interior, no space and stupid no travel suspension
We should be celebrating the fact that a true driver's car exists in the MINI, which could do easily have gone the way of the VW Beetle. What about female driving enthusiasts? Should they be consigned to driving crap like cappuccinos and the like.
One of my best friends passed her driving test and bought a Mk1 new Mini. She's been transformed into a proper little petrol head because of this, having had very little interest in cars beforehand. God forbid if she had taken over her mother's Nissan pixo and become another one of the unenlightened masses. These new Minis are good cars. and a damn sight better than the original which had a crap interior, no space and stupid no travel suspension
So you choose the mini, it has a unique style, with a very good yet run of the mill fwd econo drivetrain. A certain demographic will certainly be impressed.
Or you can buy an uncompromised rwd drivers car, a car where balance on corner exit is actually possible.
Who will be impressed? Car and driving enthusiasts maybe.
Or you can buy an uncompromised rwd drivers car, a car where balance on corner exit is actually possible.
Who will be impressed? Car and driving enthusiasts maybe.
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