MINI (19 Posts)
I've been told numerous times that my tastes in cars straddle the fringe of fantasy and reality. Associate Editor Mike Magrath insists that my Lotus Elise is not a "real" car and is wholly irrelevant. Jerk. So, for this week's Dream Car Corner, I'm going to spotlight a real car that I'm quite familiar with.
My girlfriend is looking to buy a car. Her current mode of transportation consists of a Honda 750 Shadow with saddlebags and whatever car I have to drive her around in. The bike is cool, but when she has to transport something like, say, an avocado tree, it becomes problematic. Her budget is limited (let's say in the $15,000 neighborhood) but she's got sporting intentions.
The current car that's got her attention is a used Mini Cooper S, with a manual transmission. I think it's a safe bet to assume any of her choices should be offered with a stick-shift. Looking at Edmunds TMV, even a Cooper S that's only three years old is in the target price range. Other concerns are insurance (no super sporty cars) and maintenance (it'll have to be reliable or at least something I can work on).
It's going to be tough to beat the Mini, but here are my top three.
Compact, useful, fun-to-drive, tons of personality and relatively affordable. Yup, we're talking hot hatches for this Face-Off. In one corner, from the land of the midnight sun, we have that spicy Swedish meatball, the Volvo C30. In the other corner, from the land of hope and glory, we have the cool-as-a-cucumber Mini Cooper S.
Inside Line compared these two cars a few years ago, but we figured it was time for a Face-Off rematch. Defending the Volvo is Malin Ackerman's future squeeze, Associate Editor Mark Takahashi. Fending him off will be former Elizabeth Hurley stalker, Senior Automotive Editor (and Takahashi's boss) Brent Romans. Not since 1801 have such hostilities been seen between Britain and Sweden, so without further ado...
I'm sure Mini will say that this leashed Mini Cooper Clubman is to further convey its "bulldog" face and stance. But I'm just saying ... black paint ... studded leather collar ... a leash.
I'm about to hit up the Mini press conference, so I'll make sure to report if there's a stand girl named Mistress Bianca fielding questions.
(UPDATE: Actually,the head of Mini marketing referred to it as a "naughty Mini." Well, there you go, I say whilst raising an eyebrow)
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
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The buzz around electric cars reached a Norelco pitch last week after Nissan started showing off its new Leaf and Carlos Ghosn claimed 10 percent of global automotive sales will be electric by 2020.
That's 10 years from now, and when one considers the technological potential of the next decade it doesn't sound so far fetched, right?
Wrong! I think this prediction (like most automotive predictions involving more than 5 years) is more sound-bite than sound reasoning. And if you don't believe me, ask Bob Lutz. I did last week on the same day the Leaf made it's splash-down in Los Angeles.
Lutz was in Los Angeles as part of the 2011 Buick Regal reveal at the Hollywood Palladium, but several senior Edmunds.com folks spent some quality time with him at the Roosevelt Hotel. We discussed multiple topics, including the future of the electric car.
A flurry of questions streamed through my head as I drove our new Mini E home from Nick Alexander Imports:
But I think the most important question I had after spending a weekend with the Mini E is this: How far have we come since the GM EV1 debacle of 10 years ago?
Auto shows are supposed to be filled with fantasy cars. After all, for decades the glitzy show cars at these flashy gatherings were referred to as "dream cars," so expecting nothing but down-to-earth reality vehicles to appear on the show floor would be unrealistic (and, honestly, boring).
But at this year's Detroit Auto Show I found myself increasingly annoyed by the unending parade of pure fiction being shown off. This aggrevation came not as much from the show cars' embodiment as metallic vaporware as it did from the messages surrounding them. Basically, the automakers were claiming these vehicles would be available in the next 12-24 months when, of course, they probably won't represent viable transportation for upwards of 12-24 years.
By now you've probably identified which cars I'm referring to -- electric cars.
Once upon a time I owned a Mini. It was a 2002 Cooper with 115 horsepower and a weak (in every sense of the word) CVT automatic. But it looked cool, was relatively fun to drive and would carry my entire family.
But that's when my family was younger and smaller. The kids were 4 and 2, so the miniature rear seat worked fine. But after a couple years the kids were bigger, and the rear seat wasn't. I sold the Mini for a couple reasons (not the least of which was the mediocre 24 mpg...), and replaced it with a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. Not as fun, but far more functional (and better gas mileage!).
I spent about three-hundred miles in a new 2008 Mini Clubman yesterday. The good news is that it's bigger and better than the regular Mini Cooper. The bad news? It's only a little bigger and better. That's okay from the "better" standpoint, as the Mini was already quite good in most areas, so it really doesn't need to be much better. But in terms of "bigger" I would have liked to see it grow in a more meaningful way.
Oh, those three inches in the wheelbase provide additional rear legroom. But that's sort of like saying the Toyota Prius reduces our dependence on foreign oil. Technically it does...but if you think it's making a difference that actually matters in the larger picture you're kidding yourself. I'm sure in some circumstances three inches make for quite a change, but rear-seat functionality in the Mini Clubman isn't one of them.
I'm in Monterey, California for the next three days driving the all-new BMW 1 Series, M3 and Mini Clubman. The trip will include track time at Laguna Seca as well as plenty of public road driving around this picturesque local. Not a bad way to burn through a week.
However, while all three of these cars have piqued my interest, I'm not sure which one offers the greatest potential benefit to BMW. So I'm asking you: Which of these models is the most exciting new BMW product?
The Mini Cooper remains one of the most compelling vehicles offered in the U.S. market. It's combination of retro-cool looks, slot-car handling, efficient space utilization and value pricing keep it in high demand -- despite rising gas prices and a stumbling economy. Don't believe me? Check the model's history of sales incentives and residual values. 'Nuff said.
I just put 100 miles on a base Mini Cooper with a five-speed manual transmission and a gaggle of options that pushed its price to $25,650. Yee-up, that ain't chump change for a 118-horsepower economy car -- even if it does get 32/40 mpg. But Coopers start at $18,600 and I could do without most of the options. I'd probably add the $1,400 Sport Package (16-inch alloys, sport seats, stability control, rear spoiler and fog lamps) and call it a day at $20K even. I also wouldn't balk at $21,400 to throw in the Convenience Package (keyless entry, universal garage door opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, center arm rest, rain sensor, automatic headlights and Bluetooth phone).
Well, just had my day in court to fight my July speeding ticket in the long-term Mini Cooper S. To dispense with the suspense: I lost.
But I must admit it was one of my more rewarding trips to traffic court for two reasons.
First, before the trial started Officer Williams appeared and asked me if I "really wanted to go through with this." Then he handed me a -- BUMM-BUMM-BUMM -- copy of my blog post related to this ticket. He exuded this "I have you now!" attitude, but I told him I was of course going through with it. He had highlighted various comments in the blog that, at least in his opinion, bolstered his case against me. Comments like, "I didn't intend to do 72, but I was playing with the radio..." Of course he didn't highlight other statements, like, "This is assuming that it was really me doing 72 mph. There were three cars in front of me..."
So reason number one I enjoyed my court date? I know Officer Williams read the original blog post regarding this traffic stop, and I made some great points in it regarding public safety and revenue generation that all police officers should hear.
Here's the follow-up to our look at Europe's future product as predicted by Automotive News. Yesterday we hit Alfa Romeo through Maybach, so today we'll start with Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz: Lots of activity for 2008, most of which we've already seen (SLR Roadster, S65, all-new C-Class, etc.). Next year we get the C63
(457hp), a CLK convertible, an E-Class update, an SLK restyle and an SL freshen. In 2009 we get a CLS freshen, an AMG E-Class, an S-Class convertible and -- believe it or not -- a small crossover called the GLK.
Mini: The Clubman
just debuted in Frankfurt, and we'll see how the small-car brands fares with a larger model. The new John Cooper Works model
looks cool (and makes 207 horsepower while weighing 66 pounds less) and the convertible gets a full redesign, to catch up with the coupe, for 2009.
Porsche: Both the Boxster and the Cayman get freshened next year, while the titanic 911 GT2
debuts with 530 turbo-charged horsepower. A full redesign of the Cayenne happens in 2009, while Porsche's first sedan, the Panamera, hits town in 2010 (and yes, the company will still have a "soul" -- along with a stronger bottom line).
...arrived right on time last week. Though maybe I should have titled this post "My Latest 'USE YOUR RADAR DETECTOR!' reminder."
I'd gotten lazy about mounting and plugging in the Valentine One ever since the CHP blanketed PCH with all those "Your Speed" digital signs that use radar to display your rate of travel. Of course they set off the Valentine One with a constant "BRAAAAAAAP!" tone as I drive by each unit, even the ones pointing the other direction (and there are literally, like, eight of them between Santa Monica and the Ventura Country line). Yeah, I can hit the "mute" botton on my radar detector 16 times a day, but it's not the most enjoyable way to spend my 100-mile, round-trip commute.
Plenty of long-term car action this week, with yet another new toy in the garage. And unlike the painfully practical Honda Civic GX, this one really is a toy. Our Chili Red Mini Cooper S is as fun as you'd expect it to be, especially with the manual tranny, sport package, sport suspension and limited-slip differential. We also got heated front seats, fog lamps, checkered cloth and a center armrest (I remember specifically missing that final item on our last long-term Mini Cooper S). One MIA item I quickly noticed was cruise control, and while I don't really rely on cruise for my commute I'm sure we'll be hearing about its absence from other staffers.
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Recent Posts
Dream Car Corner: A Vicarious Mini Cooper S
August 12, 2010 10:00 AM
Weekly Top Three: Fun on a Budget
April 30, 2010 6:00 AM
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March 22, 2010 3:00 AM
2009 LA Auto Show: 2010 Mini Cooper Kinky Edition
December 2, 2009 2:35 PM
Talk Back Tuesday: Where Will the Electric Car be in 2020?
November 17, 2009 6:00 AM
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