Ok, for the regular readers of The Garage, I know you are thinking “What is Tom doing? Gary Grant already gave a Mini Cooper S convertible a whole review last month!” I know he did, and Gary loved it, as he loves all Minis. But today, we’re doing something new here at The Garage: a Counterpoint.
You see, this was my first stint behind the wheel of a Mini. Any Mini, for that matter. I knew The Garage had extensively reviewed the Mini, but as an enthusiast, I could not keep away from this car. I HAD to drive it. I owed it to myself. And it so happened the Ultimate Mini was on hand for me to enjoy, the King of the Hill JCW model. I knew I was in for a treat. Wasn’t I?
On the twisting roads surrounding Bear Mountain State Park, the Mini was definitely in its element-the brakes, steering and handling are as great as everyone says they are. The sun was shining through the trees, acceleration was brisk…but….why wasn’t I smiling? I’d waited years to drive a Mini, what the heck was wrong with me?
The cockpit of the car made me miserable. I wanted out. The over-sized shift knob of the six-speed manual had unusual sunken bevels surrounding the knob that made the normal tactile pleasure of shifting unpleasant. The dash layout and ergonomics are a nightmare (and this is coming from a guy who has owned British, Italian and French cars!). The speedo is the size of a small pizza and looks positively ridiculous. Although the tach is right in front of you, I thought it was too small and difficult to read, but that may have been due to the retina-searing Interchange Yellow dash and door panel accents that were a huge distraction.
Nearly inconsolable as I parked a car I swore I would love and want to beg, borrow or steal to buy one of my own after having finally driven one, I was nearly at a loss for words. As I climbed out, I kept telling myself:
“No, no….if she was British Racing Green, a plain black interior, it would change the whole character of the car…I know I’d love it then…wouldn’t I?”
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh man, there is no accounting for some people’s taste
Seriously though, the interior styling is a bit over the top and can be a love it or hate it deal for some people. Obviously it works for me, but I’m not exactly your average consumer.
Now here’s a thought… Wasn’t it supposed to be about the driving of the car?
I to feel the styling of the “Next Gen” interior a bit goofy as is some of the exterior styling.. tilted headlamps, goofy side lights… all you did was slam the interior and the safety yellow colour? This all is supposed going to be corrected with the 20010/11 MINI, I hope.
Why, as an auto guy / journalist, would you not want to drive a MINI? I’ve owned 3 of the 1st Gen.. not Classic … MINIs and have loved them. My ‘02 MCS was a nitemare, build wise, but the driving experience lead me to move to and ‘03 MC, too slow, and now a ‘04 MCS. I was going to buy a ‘06 GP version but as of last October my income has been smashed by 1/2!
I drove a MCS/JCW’s at the Rose Bowl here in Pasadena at the MINI Takes The States event in 2008. I found the steering and clutch not as crisp as my ‘04 but it’s still hands and feet above most “Sports Cars” that I can afford.
Here’s an idea… go back and drive the car and tell us what you felt about the cars handling and get past the “Shift Nob” and the “Safety Yellow” brain fart you had.
RB, I’m going to stand behind Tom on this one. The MINI is all about passion and passion goes both ways. Sometimes something small affects your outlook so much that it prevents you from enjoying the good stuff.