Why does the mini seem so unfavourable with petrol heads?

[PompeyPaul]

A friend of mine has a tuned Mini Cooper S running around 230 BHP which I went out in today as passenger, and had a drive of and was great fun taking it down some B roads.

It got me thinking really, why do you think they seem to be dismissed so quickly as a fun car by so many petrol heads? I bet a massive percentage would not even consider owning one, yet pound for fun they probably work out quite good...

[vescaegg]

It's not a mini

[daemon]

PompeyPaul said:

A friend of mine has a tuned Mini Cooper S running around 230 BHP which I went out in today as passenger, and had a drive of and was great fun taking it down some B roads.

It got me thinking really, why do you think they seem to be dismissed so quickly as a fun car by so many petrol heads? I bet a massive percentage would not even consider owning one, yet pound for fun they probably work out quite good...

I had my first one recently through my motor trading and i was quite impressed.

They do get a rep for being feminine though. Mostly laydees drive them.

[anonymous-user]

Because they look crap, have a image that wouldn't fit in with the average "petrol head" and there are far better cars out there for the money. In my opinion of course.

[spaximus]

My daughter has a cooper and I think it is a very good car. Quick, well built, handles well I cannot find much not to like. Did 300 plus miles in it and it was also comfortable at the end.

[daemon]

bmw535i said:

Because they look crap, have a image that wouldn't fit in with the average "petrol head" and there are far better cars out there for the money. In my opinion of course.

They do cost scandalous money for what they are. Plus they can be a pig of a thing when they get a few years on them. And thats ALL engine types.

[daemon]

"My daughter has a cooper"

^^^^^^^

Therein lies the bulk of the problem

[theironduke]

I learnt to drive in a BMW Mini, was quite cool as an 18 year old ago back in 2003!

[XitUp]

I don't think petrol heads dislike them.

People who are too scared to drive a 'girls car' might slag them off.

I like the normal MINIs, they are over priced though. The Clubman, Countryman, etc are all mingers though.

[kambites]

It's just such a cringe-worthy idea - like the new Beetle and Fiat 500. There's also the fact that it could clearly have been a better car, if they hadn't styled it after the old Mini. I'm sure they could have maintained the handling and given it considerably more interior space if they did away with the styling constraints.

Decent enough car, but could have been so much better without the "Mininess".

[Big Al.]

XitUp said:

The Clubman, Countryman, etc are all mingers though.

Agree with above and add in the coupe thing.

My wife has a JC Works mini, that I also love driving.

[Patrick Bateman]

The Mininess is kind of the point.

A friend (ex-BMW) said the older Coopers (R53?) were brilliant to work with, not so much the newer ones.

[Altrezia]

Cooper S (and other quick ones) are fine. The 4x4 (!) and 'clubman' (countryman) make me feel ill.

[kambites]

Patrick Bateman said:

The Mininess is kind of the point.

Yes, and it's a stupid point.

A brilliant execution of an utterly rubbish idea, IMO. Still, it sells so it's achieved BMW's objective.

[300bhp/ton]

PompeyPaul said:

A friend of mine has a tuned Mini Cooper S running around 230 BHP which I went out in today as passenger, and had a drive of and was great fun taking it down some B roads.

It got me thinking really, why do you think they seem to be dismissed so quickly as a fun car by so many petrol heads? I bet a massive percentage would not even consider owning one, yet pound for fun they probably work out quite good...

I don't think they are dismissed by petrol heads. Petrol heads can normally recognise a good car. It's the "wannabe" petrol heads that dismiss them.

[ajprice]

1. it's a BMW.
2. it's a girls car (there are 3 in the office car park, all female drivers).
3. It's not a Mini.

[Dave^]

I've had mine r53 for a few months now... Granted, most owner aren't enthusiasts such as the Ph massive, but ditch the runflats and hit the b roads...

It gets more smiles per gallon than miles per gallon... Isn't that the Ph way?

[kambites]

300bhp/ton said:

I don't think they are dismissed by petrol heads. Petrol heads can normally recognise a good car. It's the "wannabe" petrol heads that dismiss them.

Yes I think that's a fair assessment. I don't like the things at all, but I recognise that they're decent enough drivers' cars.

The thing is, I can't imagine a situation in which I'd buy one. The rear seats are next to useless except for children, and the boot is far too small for it to be a family car. I briefly looked at them shortly after they came out and decided that they didn't really do anything better than a proper 2-seater sports car.

They aren't even that cheap to insure, so they're hardly ideal for new drivers.

[castex]

300bhp/ton said:

I don't think they are dismissed by petrol heads. Petrol heads can normally recognise a good car. It's the "wannabe" petrol heads that dismiss them.

Sure, "wannabe" petrol heads plus those select few people with taste who don't appreciate this sorry pastiche of a cultural and automotive icon.


/edited to remedy quote fail

Edited by castex on Wednesday 5th October 22:44

[kambites]

castex said:

Sure, "wannabe" petrol heads plus those select few people with taste who don't appreciate this sorry pastiche of a cultural and automotive icon.

The thing is, the fact that it's a sorry pastiche of a cultural and automotive icon, doesn't actually make it a bad car.