The MINI
Okay, so if you know me and have talked to me in the past few months, you know I'm super geeked up about something. I'm practically singing while I walk around, a la Gene Kelly. The thing is...we're expecting. No no, not one of those...sheesh, I got two of those little devils.
Here's the new baby.
He's made in Oxford, England, but with German engineering... he does seat 4 adults if we need it, which seems to surprise people. I've had a lot of questions from people who were curious if I had entered mid-life crisis mode and forgotten I had 2 children, or perhaps they wondered if I had mistaken the Mini for a super- practical family car. No I'm not middle-aged yet, only 34 thank you, and yes this is a decision the wife and I have both made. We already *have* a practical car. Our Grand Caravan seats 7 and screams suburban stereotype---all we need on it are a soccer ball decal to complete the mold we've fallen into. Travelling to Pennsylvania, Chicago, Tennessee? Minivan all the way. Taking 2 kids and 2 adults out for the day--Minivan. Buying lumber or furniture? Minivan all the way. Yes, very practical. (We thankfully skipped the SUV on my cousin's advice, after he'd had both and he said he liked his van a lot more. I have to agree, it is great. SUV's bad!!!) By the way, I've sat in the back seat. It's a real back seat, much like any small car's. Not super comfy if the person in front of you is 6' tall, but I can say that about my current car. How often do I have an adult in my back seat now anyway? A few times a year maybe. The majority of the time, my car has 1 or 2 people in it, and Cam is very excited about the new car (except that he wanted it to be red.)
So as I said, we do have a practical car already, and we're pretty practical people. However, I do really like to drive. I am not Speed Racer out there challenging every punk kid in a scooby to a duel mind you (Scooby is a nickname for Subaru...see you learned something here), but I really do enjoy cornering and accelerating in my car. Safely, but yes, fast. I like having good control of it in turns or in bad weather--I despise cars that handle poorly. The car should be an extension of you out there. You want to stop fast, you do so. You need to get up and go, you do so. (Those of you who think I drive like a maniac should be comforted by the fact that I tone it down some when you're in the car with me.) Anyway, to tell the truth, this car was heading for me for a long time. It's like it was made for me. Let me explain.
Let's go back to 1978....as a child growing up I just loved MG's. Triumphs as well. Small car = cool car in my book. Into the 80s. I wanted a Porsche 914 so bad. I recall the envy I used to have for the next-door neighbor's bright yellow fiat. Alfa Romeo? Yes please! Late 80s. The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California? (faint) 'Ferris, he never drives it! He just rubs it with a diaper!' Oh, I admit it, my absolute dream car is a porsche...if I ever get the money someday I'll get a 911. However, until that point, I have always wanted a reasonably priced, fun little car. Fiats, Alfas, yes, most of them are usually European. I have never been a fan of the big american cars, the Vettes, Mustangs etc (though I admit the Viper leaves you in awe if you see one in person.) No. Small, nimble, quick... that's been what I wanted for a long time. Going on 20 years now. And I've never had a new car for myself. We really do share the Civic and it's been great, a wonderful little car, but we picked it more for Dar and because it was practical. Before that we got a new Neon, but again this was Dar's car. I settled for whatever we could scrape by with, hand-me-downs, the bus, whatever. I'm 34, and I've waited a long damn time for a new car. In 2003 I noticed the new Coopers in the remake of The Italian Job, and it was love at first sight.
The original Mini was born in 1959, a little efficient marvel with an 850cc 34hp engine... In the 60s their fame took off as they became the cool car of the celebrity and they started to gain notoriety as a rally car...the Cooper S would win the Monte Carlo Rally outright for 4 years in a row starting in 1964. They were made through the 60s,70s,80s and they aged well...so you still see them all over the place in Europe as production continued through 2000. In 2001 the brand was reborn, re-engineered by BMW with 115hp and based heavily on the rally cars raced by John Cooper...the Mini Cooper S is the supercharger version, topping out at 170 hp, and if you really need every ounce of performance there's the JCW (John Cooper Works), which adds another 30+ horsepower. While on the subject of performance, it should also be noted that Coopers have very good safety ratings thanks to anti-lock brakes, traction control, corner brake control, 6 airbags, etc etc.
Sadly, I can't afford the JCW right now, as the Works package is hideously overpriced in my opinion...but hey, that's what aftermarket mods are for. I hope to get that 30 hp a little cheaper eventually. I'm already starting to become a bit of a gearhead after researching this car for the past two years or so (I almost got one in 2005, I considered it in 2004.). I am a frugal person, most of the time, I'll have you know. I come from a long line of cheap Coats men. I worry a little less about a buck here or there if it's a gift for someone, but for the most part, I think about every penny that goes through my wallet, daily. You could call it maniacal. So what the heck am I doing buying a car that is a) new and b) not cheap? Cars are one of the worst investments possible! C'mon Mike you work in finance, you know that! Why not get a used Honda? Well first of all, the MINI has great depreciation right now, because of the interest and cool factor they provide. #1 make/model in resale value according to Forbes magazine last year, beating the likes of Mercedes and Lexus. Secondly... Well I finally realized this is what I would be saving my money for anyway if I wait until I have spare money some day. And Dar and I talked it over and we decided...if I wait until I'm 40 I'll easily be able to afford a nice car... heck, even my dream car perhaps, but if I stretch a little bit now I can do it and get something I've wanted for most of my life. Strangely enough, since we swap our cars a few times during a week, Dar didn't argue with that at all. Thirdly...I admit that this is a decision I'm making with my heart. And I've felt warm and fuzzy every day since we made it. Obsessed? Yep.
The point is...it left Southampton almost two weeks ago and should be here on US soil this week. Woo woo! My baby is coming home.
More on the MINI later. 1 week to go!
Here's the new baby.
He's made in Oxford, England, but with German engineering... he does seat 4 adults if we need it, which seems to surprise people. I've had a lot of questions from people who were curious if I had entered mid-life crisis mode and forgotten I had 2 children, or perhaps they wondered if I had mistaken the Mini for a super- practical family car. No I'm not middle-aged yet, only 34 thank you, and yes this is a decision the wife and I have both made. We already *have* a practical car. Our Grand Caravan seats 7 and screams suburban stereotype---all we need on it are a soccer ball decal to complete the mold we've fallen into. Travelling to Pennsylvania, Chicago, Tennessee? Minivan all the way. Taking 2 kids and 2 adults out for the day--Minivan. Buying lumber or furniture? Minivan all the way. Yes, very practical. (We thankfully skipped the SUV on my cousin's advice, after he'd had both and he said he liked his van a lot more. I have to agree, it is great. SUV's bad!!!) By the way, I've sat in the back seat. It's a real back seat, much like any small car's. Not super comfy if the person in front of you is 6' tall, but I can say that about my current car. How often do I have an adult in my back seat now anyway? A few times a year maybe. The majority of the time, my car has 1 or 2 people in it, and Cam is very excited about the new car (except that he wanted it to be red.)
So as I said, we do have a practical car already, and we're pretty practical people. However, I do really like to drive. I am not Speed Racer out there challenging every punk kid in a scooby to a duel mind you (Scooby is a nickname for Subaru...see you learned something here), but I really do enjoy cornering and accelerating in my car. Safely, but yes, fast. I like having good control of it in turns or in bad weather--I despise cars that handle poorly. The car should be an extension of you out there. You want to stop fast, you do so. You need to get up and go, you do so. (Those of you who think I drive like a maniac should be comforted by the fact that I tone it down some when you're in the car with me.) Anyway, to tell the truth, this car was heading for me for a long time. It's like it was made for me. Let me explain.
Let's go back to 1978....as a child growing up I just loved MG's. Triumphs as well. Small car = cool car in my book. Into the 80s. I wanted a Porsche 914 so bad. I recall the envy I used to have for the next-door neighbor's bright yellow fiat. Alfa Romeo? Yes please! Late 80s. The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California? (faint) 'Ferris, he never drives it! He just rubs it with a diaper!' Oh, I admit it, my absolute dream car is a porsche...if I ever get the money someday I'll get a 911. However, until that point, I have always wanted a reasonably priced, fun little car. Fiats, Alfas, yes, most of them are usually European. I have never been a fan of the big american cars, the Vettes, Mustangs etc (though I admit the Viper leaves you in awe if you see one in person.) No. Small, nimble, quick... that's been what I wanted for a long time. Going on 20 years now. And I've never had a new car for myself. We really do share the Civic and it's been great, a wonderful little car, but we picked it more for Dar and because it was practical. Before that we got a new Neon, but again this was Dar's car. I settled for whatever we could scrape by with, hand-me-downs, the bus, whatever. I'm 34, and I've waited a long damn time for a new car. In 2003 I noticed the new Coopers in the remake of The Italian Job, and it was love at first sight.
The original Mini was born in 1959, a little efficient marvel with an 850cc 34hp engine... In the 60s their fame took off as they became the cool car of the celebrity and they started to gain notoriety as a rally car...the Cooper S would win the Monte Carlo Rally outright for 4 years in a row starting in 1964. They were made through the 60s,70s,80s and they aged well...so you still see them all over the place in Europe as production continued through 2000. In 2001 the brand was reborn, re-engineered by BMW with 115hp and based heavily on the rally cars raced by John Cooper...the Mini Cooper S is the supercharger version, topping out at 170 hp, and if you really need every ounce of performance there's the JCW (John Cooper Works), which adds another 30+ horsepower. While on the subject of performance, it should also be noted that Coopers have very good safety ratings thanks to anti-lock brakes, traction control, corner brake control, 6 airbags, etc etc.
Sadly, I can't afford the JCW right now, as the Works package is hideously overpriced in my opinion...but hey, that's what aftermarket mods are for. I hope to get that 30 hp a little cheaper eventually. I'm already starting to become a bit of a gearhead after researching this car for the past two years or so (I almost got one in 2005, I considered it in 2004.). I am a frugal person, most of the time, I'll have you know. I come from a long line of cheap Coats men. I worry a little less about a buck here or there if it's a gift for someone, but for the most part, I think about every penny that goes through my wallet, daily. You could call it maniacal. So what the heck am I doing buying a car that is a) new and b) not cheap? Cars are one of the worst investments possible! C'mon Mike you work in finance, you know that! Why not get a used Honda? Well first of all, the MINI has great depreciation right now, because of the interest and cool factor they provide. #1 make/model in resale value according to Forbes magazine last year, beating the likes of Mercedes and Lexus. Secondly... Well I finally realized this is what I would be saving my money for anyway if I wait until I have spare money some day. And Dar and I talked it over and we decided...if I wait until I'm 40 I'll easily be able to afford a nice car... heck, even my dream car perhaps, but if I stretch a little bit now I can do it and get something I've wanted for most of my life. Strangely enough, since we swap our cars a few times during a week, Dar didn't argue with that at all. Thirdly...I admit that this is a decision I'm making with my heart. And I've felt warm and fuzzy every day since we made it. Obsessed? Yep.
The point is...it left Southampton almost two weeks ago and should be here on US soil this week. Woo woo! My baby is coming home.
More on the MINI later. 1 week to go!
posted by the squeaky mouse gets the cheese at 7:22 PM
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