The Return of Sprog!

After two years of being MINI-less from the sad sale of Sprog II, and then the horrible experience of buying an Abarth that must have been assembled at 5 pm on a Friday (the freaking body was seperating from the frame, rear suspension was loose, control arms loose, steering linkage loose, and a zillion other nuts), I am back in a MINI, albeit used.

It originally came from Ohio, then spent time in MA. Perhaps one of you was its original owner?

2008 MCS, Lightning Blue with chrome mirrors and two white stripes down the middle. Great car, only 21500 miles, and got what I think was a great deal on it considering how loaded it is and the low mileage: $17400.

Love the car, very fun to drive, more civilized than Sprog II was. I miss the supercharger whine, and have a rattle in the hatch and the rear sunroof, but those should be easy enough to fix!

So, back to MINIland!

 

Thanks all! Probably gonna keep her stock for awhile, other than a set of snow tires & wheels I ordered. No flag this time, it got too much attention, and people would be too busy looking at the CAR instead of the ROAD, I had to dodge incoming traffic a number of times.

Gotta love modern drivers! Hehheh.

 

I know, it was definitely something special. This one has a sunroof, so I wouldn't be able to do it. Huge amount of work, I had a lot more expendable time when I did it in 2003!

 

Thanks! The genesis of Sprogs, if anyone was ever curious:

Sprog I - 2002 Mini Cooper (Indi Blue/White)



Sprog II - 2003 Mini Cooper S (Flag Car)



Sprog III - 1991 Rover Mini Mayfair (Red/Black)



Sprog IV - 2008 Mini Cooper S (Lightning Blue)

 

Well, I was torn. It got AWESOME mileage. I drove it pretty spiritedly, and still got 32-35. My last two fill-ups were 35.5. Not bad for a sporty car.

While it had no balls under 3k, once you hit that mark it was a little rocket ship. And the noises it made, definitely fun. Great exhaust. Loud when you want it to be, but once you were cruising you could talk in normal conversation volumes.

The design is also spot on. From what I understand, it was done by the same guy who designed the MINI, and it shows. Overall an attractive car inside and out.

But that's about all the positive things I can say about it. Interior materials are very cheap, but its based on a $14000 car, so that's understandable. Tranny is only 5 speed, which is odd in a modern car. Other than the build quality issues my car had, the reason I sold it was the seating position. I'm 6'1ish, with longer legs. To be remotely comfortable (I still could never get comfortable, my right side would get sore after 5 minutes of driving, and my right leg was always cramping) I had to put the seat way back to the point that it was hard to reach the pedals, but then I also had to drive with my arms fully extended, which made them fall asleep after awhile. If any car has ever been made that NEEDS a telescoping wheel, it's the Fiat.

Now, for shorter people, it's not bad. My wife is 5'7 and found it perfectly comfortable.

It handles okay, but it's no MINI. The seating position is sort of PT Cruiser/Minivan-ish. Captain's chairs. It's also a bit squirrely, and has a ton of torque steer, despite the equal length drive shafts.

I'd say its a good car for someone who lives in a city. You can get 3 people in it with a taller driver, or four with a short driver. Anyone over 5'8 or so won't fit in the back though. I tried, and had to sit with my head down, and the back of my head against the rear window glass.

So, overall impression:

Peppy, awesome exhaust, wonderful styling, but miserable to drive, and plagued with typical Chrysler quality issues. Made in Mexico, not in Italy, and it shows.

 

Oh, I was always an MKO member, even when I was K-less, hehheh. My wife and I are thinking about MOTD this upcoming May.