..... Thank you Scotthall MINI in Chandlers
Ford (will they ever talk to us again)
MINI
ONE... If you like the handling of a mid range Escort or Fiesta, this
is your car ... this may seem a bit rough but it is from the perspective
of a hardened Mini Driver....
The thing you most miss about the MINI ONE in comparison to even the
lowliest Mini is "feeling the road", everyone has driven Mondeos
and Escorts and you know when you feel more part of a video game than
part of the traffic, the brakes are exceptionally good BUT they are
so sudden!... the words "gradual" "braking on approach"
and "MINI" are not synonymous .. I think this has been pointed
out by quite a lot people, if I ever got used to it I would end up being
the foot painter equivalent of a neurosurgeon.. You have to be very
careful you don't upset the passengers!
MINI COOPER (above)... Now this is more like the feel a Mini owner
would be accustomed to in a modern car BUT like the ONE it give you
the feeling of driving something a lot larger and I was averse to gap
squeeze especially as I couldn't see the front edge despite being a
6'4" tall driver .....
Brakes are what you expect from your later Mini and some....(and progressive...
so you only stop on a sixpence [dunno how many Pfs that is] when you
want to).....
On
both cars the quality of the interior trim is what you would expect
of a Beemer BUT the dash switches are more difficult to reach compared
say to a 328i and are cowled to separate them ....problems especially
when I tried to get the Aircon working to demist the screen.. and the
thing is a load more obviously plastic sadly..... a real change is the
wiper stalk fast slow and intermittent with the rear wiper on the end
BUT the single sweep is preserved!
PHOTO LEFT: illustrates a quirky result of fate that will endear the
hardened drink-driver to this car... knobby pint glasses are a no-no
though.. STEINS... forget it!
Driving position is OK, the wheel tilts and the seats move every which
way.... the pedal layout seemed cramped to me and the clutch pedal movement
was not what I expected at all.. Despite aggressive acceleration the
clutch stayed smooth though....
Useful tyre pressure sensor linked to the ABS but it won't warn you
if your tyres are under pressure with gradual time ONLY if there is
a significant leak.. enough
NO SPARE TYRE mates... the 15" alloys on the Cooper I drove are
"run flat and don't f**k up tyres or rims" type BUT the other
tyre options rely on a rebadged son of Tyreweld to get you home OR buy
a space-saver wheel
MINI ONE was no slouch but the difference in feel and trim for the
extra reflects why 45 out of 60 MINIs sold in the Southampton area are
COOPERS (dealer told me)
BUY ONE after Christmas : until then you HAVE to buy MINI with
a NO OPTION-OPTION pack*.. wait if you don't want them... November 2001
Delivery for Coopers anyway (correct on 08 08 01 according to BMW Dealer)
*..and there was me thinking the Salt Pack was an extra charge for
a special underseal... The Demonstrators in best BMW tradition were
fully loaded models putting £2-3k on to the base prices... there
is a list like Inspector Gadgets wardrobe in the plush leaflet cum Magna
Carta I got given.
Modifications
according to my friendly BMW person...
... If you decide to fit an aftermarket (non BMW or non Cooper) gubbins
to your car, so long as it doesn't cause any problems and you don't
expect IT to be warranted you are ok, so if you change the exhaust it
is not guaranteed by BMW and if it stuffs your ECU you are up sh*t creek
they won't fix it for nowt.. Fair I suppose!For shots of what is probably
going to be the even pokier COOPER click here
(as seen at Beaulieu)
I will add comments from BMW Dealers regarding this (in response to
questions asked by potential owners) soon.... initial feedback looks
promising
I would think twice about interfering with the "kabelsalat"
under that bonnet though!!!!
"The interior looks plastic, and why have they mounted the rev
counter in such a prominent place over the steering wheel? It's too
flash. The speedometer is too big; it looks like a kitchen clock." He
added: "It will undoubtedly sell but it won't define an era like the
original did." Read another
review (cached)
What do the old school think?:
Alex Moulton designed the supension for the REAL Mini: "....
It's enormous... and weights the same as an Austin Maxi" ( Editors
Comments... with nearly half the style)
Doug Milliken - American Suspension Engineer: He "....Would not
want to drive it on anything other than smooth tarmac"
These quotes from a VERY interesting article in Miniworld April 2002
order
a copy
MINI
ONE... If you like the handling of a mid range Escort or Fiesta, this
is your car ... this may seem a bit rough but it is from the perspective
of a hardened Mini Driver....
On
both cars the quality of the interior trim is what you would expect
of a Beemer BUT the dash switches are more difficult to reach compared
say to a 328i and are cowled to separate them ....problems especially
when I tried to get the Aircon working to demist the screen.. and the
thing is a load more obviously plastic sadly..... a real change is the
wiper stalk fast slow and intermittent with the rear wiper on the end
BUT the single sweep is preserved! 
Modifications
according to my friendly BMW person...