Most liked posts in thread: My MINI is NOT cute. It's tough.

Interesting read. When I decided to get a Mini I had planned on solid BRG with rally stripes all the way over. When I went to the dealer to look around I saw a solid BRG and a solid PW. Then I saw the R/W and the B/W and a MY/W. Looking back and forth it seemed to me (and this is just me) that the Mini wasn't meant to be a serious, stately, understated looking car. It was meant to look fun, a bit outlandish and make its own statement to the world, which, in reality, equals "cute". I just smile when people say things like its cute", "nice little car" or "its adorable", because when one of them is tailgateing me and I lure them into and "S" turn without hitting the brake and power all the way through it, once they get back under control they change their minds.

Jim

 

2-3 weeks after I got the MINI, I pulled up to a stop light and looked up through the sunroof at the male driver of a lifted pick-up, stopped 1 lane to the right of me. He asked "How do you like that little car?" I responded "It's great! It handles like a go-kart, has plenty of power and is cute! What's not to like?"

His nose wrinked and he said "You just called your car cute!" I responded "It is... I can't deny it and I'm a secure kind of guy... what are you compensating for?" He looked a little bit puzzled.

The light turned green and I pulled away fairly quickly after that comment, but as I was leaving I heard his girlfriend say "He just said that you have a tiny wiener!" and laugh. Thank goodness the MINI is quick!

 

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa

 

I thought I was the only evil person that would lure unsuspecting muscle heads into tight radius turns that their cars can't handle.
Whenever one of them meets up with me again in the future their conversation is then full of respect and admiration with statements like "Wow that car can really handle".
It's at this point that I can't remove my silly grin that goes from ear to ear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

LMAO I have done this a lot our where we live there are a ton of twisty little roads all say 30-35 mph but I can hit them at 40 and be doing 50-55 by the end Fun cars and they are cute per the wife lol

 

Long ago...

I stopped giving a rat's ass what other thought about what I drove or how it looked.

Really, people who know about cars, know what a Mini can do. People who don't know cars aren't going to ever care about what Minis can do, and only have thier sense of aesthetics to guide them. They can think what they want. The worlds big enough for all.

Matt

 

Well I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow.

If I fail, or if I succeed, they can't take away my dignity.

Also, the children are our future.

I could quote Whitney for life philosophies all day.



But yea, that was the point of the article - thanks!

- Marc

 

It's funny, when I bought the MINI, my wife thought I was nuts...I'd always liked them since the first time I saw one in 2002, and I told her I was getting one as soon as the house we were building was done...

She thought I was kidding, so did my friends. When she found out I was serious, she actually begged me to forget about it and by a Corvette--I may be the only guy in the U.S. who turned down a new 'vette for a MINI, but it's what I wanted. I admit, my head did get turned briefly by a Cayman S, and there was I time I considered giving up the MINI for an Elise, but at the end of the day, I always come back to the MINI.

Yeah, we take crap from people for it (I still get it from my friends here and there; two of them own Porsche's, I've gotten both of them hooked on the track--both have Carrerra's, neither one of them can keep up with me, although one is fairly close--they still give me crap, but with a grudging respect at least). But at the track, most of the people appreciate the car--I've only had one negative comment that I can remember, essentially a "How can you drive a front wheel car on the track" comment, but guys driving cars with twice as much HP, who are passing me and the other MINI drivers, often will make it a point to come by and say something complimentary (one of the things I've learned about the track is that even if you get passed, if you make someone work for it, especially if they're driving a much faster car than yours, that'll earn you more respect than passing people simply because your car is faster and driven poorly). And while it really doesn't bother me one way or another what someone thinks about what I drive, I do have to admit there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from someone at the track who knows cars giving your car props; as for those who don't get it, I just politely nod--it's not worth the effort to explain what this car is and what it's capable of, those people already have their mind made up, and it's no use getting defensive about it....

I guess it comes down to the two schools of people represented above--people who appreciate the car for what it is, a complete package, and those who see it for what it is not, a high HP beast.

 

My first encounter goes back to 1969, right out of high school. I had a 1969 VW beetle. I was driving in downtown Columbus, minding my own business. When I had my doors blown off by a couple of highly modified classic Mini's doing some impromptu (and illegal) street racing. Making turns, lifting their inside wheels off the ground. I remember they had some kind of megaphone "stinger" type of exhaust (angled up in the back) that sounded like a high strung 2 cycle engine. The noise sounded like a bunch of angry hornets with the sound bouncing off the buildings. And they were RED. Such a good looking red, with white strips down the centerline of the car. I tried following them, but I lost them after the next couple of turns. All that was left was that wail echoing around town. From that day on I knew I would someday have my own. Such a great memory. :smile5:

 

You are to the only one that passed over a vette for a MINI. When I was looking for a car i had a much better cash position and had a fairly short list. The Z06 vette was high up there till I drove it. Fast as all getout. Handled like a dream, but that interior...

I kept coming back to the MINI. I think it was the quirky styling, I too had wanted one from the first time I saw one back in 02.

 

I was looking at slightly used C5 Vettes, Porsche 993s, and used BMW M3s as well as a bunch of other pretty fun new cars when I bought my MINI.

 

The work on my suspension

on my Mustang was taking too long and I was jonesing for fun wheels. Bought mine without even test driving one! Laughed all the way home from Salt Lake City.....

Matt

 

Today a nice lady at the grocery store parking lot told me Poco sounded "Sporty"

Mark

 

I just went down to buy this little commuter car, I was going to save a bunch of money on gas and it looked like it might be fun to drive!

Now I got this infectious "modius" disease and any sibilance of saving money has long been replaced by the constant craving created by the "modius"!

 

I have a friend with a Honda sport bike, and he was impressed that I can hold corners with him or even go faster through them. He is quick to tell this to people who start to trash MINIs.

 

I wanted a MINI when they came out in '02... fell in love with them!

I tried my lifted Jeep Wrangler for my first MINI.

Again, I have no problem with people saying it's cute... but I don't think anyone ever has to me :confused5:

 

I first read about the new MINI about a year before they were released, in Motor Trend I think. Wanted one right away, but had to wait a couple of years for the divorce to happen and sell the house.

Mark

 

It's been more than once...

that motorcycles have pulled over to let me pass.... And not just cruisers as well! Having four tires in contact with the road (well, most of the time) really inspires confidence on spirited drives.

Matt

 

Having four tires in contact with the road (well, most of the time) really inspires confidence on spirited drives.

Matt[/QUOTE]

Well said, wish I had thought up that line

Mark