Anyone see a RHD MINI in the U.S.?
#51
10-21-2008, 06:57 PM
I'm a lefty! I've never thought it getting a RHD for that reason though.
I have actually put a lot of thought and spoke with several people about doing a conversion on the R53. The dash is symmetrical on either side center stack. Symmetrical as far as shape... obviously the actual pieces are different. I wonder how much else is different...
The short list...
firewall
steering rack
parts of the dash
pedal assembly
....
I have actually put a lot of thought and spoke with several people about doing a conversion on the R53. The dash is symmetrical on either side center stack. Symmetrical as far as shape... obviously the actual pieces are different. I wonder how much else is different...
The short list...
firewall
steering rack
parts of the dash
pedal assembly
....
#52
10-26-2008, 06:00 AM
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BTW that Honda was very reminiscent of a Mini; I loved it! Had a four speed turbocharged intercooled engine and drove quite similar to my previous 1st gen MINI. If I find a picture of one I'll post to my gallery and then here.
#53
11-15-2008, 10:14 AM
Im english and i drive rhd lhd whatever, it makes driving more exciting thats why we do it in europe and it means your a better all round driver as your used to driving on all sides of the road, although driving on the left makes more sense ( read up on the history).
But having the steering wheel on the wrong side is an advantage....these days in major cities and highway slip road exits etc the corners or traffic calming in cities is desinged to slow u down designed to slow lhd cars down but being on the right means u can tuck yourself right into the apex and take the slip roads way faster than a lhd car...also if u have a lhd car in england its easier to drive it faster than a rhd car the only disadvantage is drive thru honestly
and as for the window wipers etc being on the wrong side etc its only cars like fords that applies to bmws etc have the wipers on the same side whatever country they are exported too..... drive a rhd around the amsterdam ring and tell me its not faster or drive a lhd around london and tell me it isnt an advantage it is thatgs why insurance companies hate it...when im in england i drive a lhd e30 325i bmw and when im on the mainland i have a dutch registered rhd 330d its the only way to go
But having the steering wheel on the wrong side is an advantage....these days in major cities and highway slip road exits etc the corners or traffic calming in cities is desinged to slow u down designed to slow lhd cars down but being on the right means u can tuck yourself right into the apex and take the slip roads way faster than a lhd car...also if u have a lhd car in england its easier to drive it faster than a rhd car the only disadvantage is drive thru honestly
and as for the window wipers etc being on the wrong side etc its only cars like fords that applies to bmws etc have the wipers on the same side whatever country they are exported too..... drive a rhd around the amsterdam ring and tell me its not faster or drive a lhd around london and tell me it isnt an advantage it is thatgs why insurance companies hate it...when im in england i drive a lhd e30 325i bmw and when im on the mainland i have a dutch registered rhd 330d its the only way to go
#54
11-16-2008, 03:33 AM
"Wiper Wave"
Like RedC40, I did the wiper wave more than once when I started driving here in the UK. I am a dominate right-hander and had very little problem shifting a stick with my left hand after 30+ years of driving with a stick on the right. Mostly, the biggest thing is looking both ways all the time 
#55
11-16-2008, 02:16 PM
Because if you own an R55, you'll learn quickly that it's better to have the Club door behind you. I now toss everything in the front seat because I'm tired of running around the car to open the Club door.
#56
11-23-2008, 01:16 PM
I agree with Krut. you have always been able to order jeep wranglers RHD. If jeep can do it wheres the differance in having a Mini RHD. It's not that they can't do it it most likely that they don't want to do. I think the grey market is the way to go. A friend of mine has a RHD drive 95 or 96 Supra. The thing is fun to drive for two reasons. It's fast as hell and it's RHD.
What BMW/Mini should do is make it a special edition. Release only a few a year that are RHD drive and call them old school or some other name. Kinda like the Sidewalk edition cars. I would jump at the chance to get a RHD Mini. I would even buckle and get a just a cooper to have it be RHD.
What BMW/Mini should do is make it a special edition. Release only a few a year that are RHD drive and call them old school or some other name. Kinda like the Sidewalk edition cars. I would jump at the chance to get a RHD Mini. I would even buckle and get a just a cooper to have it be RHD.
#58
11-23-2008, 05:35 PM
I think that's a STATE law. Where do you live? My dad went to visit my grandparents in Florida and he saw a LATE model RHD Jaguar cruising the streets of Miami. The owner told him it's legal to buy a RHD car in a foreign country and import it as long as it meets DOT laws. But then, I have no idea if this can be done with any make/model. I also don't know if only members of the US military can import them. My brother used to work at an air force base and saw a RHD car imported from Japan. Every RHD car he saw (total of three or four) there was owned by someone in the military.
#59
11-23-2008, 08:09 PM
Here we go again.....
Having driven RHD for more than 15 years, cars & boats, I prefer it to LHD.
Importing a right-hand drive vehicle
[/FONT][FONT=ArialMT]. As previously indicated, an import
eligibility decision can be based on the substantial similarity of a non-U.S.
certified vehicle to a vehicle manufactured for importation and sale in the United
States, and so certified by its original manufacturer. If the vehicle you are seeking
to import is right-hand drive, even if there were a U.S.- certified version of that
vehicle, it might not be considered "substantially similar" for import eligibility
purposes. Our experience has shown that the safety performance of right-hand
drive vehicles is not necessarily the same as that of apparently similar left-hand
drive vehicles offered for sale in this country. However, NHTSA will consider the
vehicles "substantially similar" if the manufacturer advises the agency in writing,
on the manufacturer ' s letterhead (and not that of an authorized dealership or
other such entity affiliated with the manufacturer) that the right-hand drive vehicle
would perform the same as the U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicle in crash
tests. Absent such evidence, the petitioning RI would have to demonstrate that
the vehicle, when modified, would comply. In this case, you might want to contact
one or more of the RIs listed on our website to obtain their opinion on the
feasibility of conforming the right-hand drive vehicle to the FMVSS, and the costs
involved in conforming the vehicle and petitioning NHTSA for a determination as
to whether the vehicle is eligible for importation.
[/FONT][FONT=ArialMT]. As previously indicated, an import
eligibility decision can be based on the substantial similarity of a non-U.S.
certified vehicle to a vehicle manufactured for importation and sale in the United
States, and so certified by its original manufacturer. If the vehicle you are seeking
to import is right-hand drive, even if there were a U.S.- certified version of that
vehicle, it might not be considered "substantially similar" for import eligibility
purposes. Our experience has shown that the safety performance of right-hand
drive vehicles is not necessarily the same as that of apparently similar left-hand
drive vehicles offered for sale in this country. However, NHTSA will consider the
vehicles "substantially similar" if the manufacturer advises the agency in writing,
on the manufacturer ' s letterhead (and not that of an authorized dealership or
other such entity affiliated with the manufacturer) that the right-hand drive vehicle
would perform the same as the U.S.-certified left-hand drive vehicle in crash
tests. Absent such evidence, the petitioning RI would have to demonstrate that
the vehicle, when modified, would comply. In this case, you might want to contact
one or more of the RIs listed on our website to obtain their opinion on the
feasibility of conforming the right-hand drive vehicle to the FMVSS, and the costs
involved in conforming the vehicle and petitioning NHTSA for a determination as
to whether the vehicle is eligible for importation.
Having driven RHD for more than 15 years, cars & boats, I prefer it to LHD.
But, has anyone seen any "crash test" reports on the MINI?
#60
02-08-2009, 12:19 AM
Driving MINI-Fred (which is LHD) here in the UK, the biggest challenge is driving safety, especially on the narrower roads, and it's my guess the same applies in the states w/ RHD cars. At least for me, it's so hard to see around larger/slower vehicles (and there are lots of those here) to pass safely as circumstances permit when you are sitting on the shoulder side of the road. 
On the up side, you can look out the side window and judge exactly just how close to the edge of the road you can get when there are large on-coming vehicles like farm equipment, etc.
On the up side, you can look out the side window and judge exactly just how close to the edge of the road you can get when there are large on-coming vehicles like farm equipment, etc.
#61
02-13-2009, 01:31 PM
#62
06-16-2009, 01:31 AM
Of Course it depends on how learned to drive. I'm from Australia and have always driven RHD. The best thing is that being right handed your strong hand does most the steering. When I moved to the US and got my LHD MCS the weirdest thing was having to adjust to using my left hand. That and I had to get used to indicating with my left hand, which for some reason made me think I'd changed gear already and sometimes I'd let the clutch out still in the gear I was in before. Gettin better at it though, but for a while I wished I got an auto.
#66
07-08-2009, 07:22 PM
#67
08-13-2009, 05:25 PM
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#69
12-15-2009, 09:10 AM
I have a young son. No way would I want the club door to open on the street ( driver's) side like the RHD cars do. Pluses and minuses.
#70
12-15-2009, 02:20 PM
In a straight choice between LHD and RHD, I'd always pick LHD - the shift pattern of a manual lines up with the strong actions of your arm - in a RHD the movements are less push-pull and more sweep from side to side, which ain't ergonomic. But I am right-handed, so that's in the LHD's favour too.
Andrew (drives RHD)
Andrew (drives RHD)
#71
12-15-2009, 07:29 PM
Moderator
#72
12-16-2009, 06:39 AM
Along a similar line, no way would I want to drive a RHD car in the US if I didn't REALLY need to.
#73
12-17-2009, 10:39 PM
About the time you find yourself on a narrow 2 lane country highway and you feel the necessity to pull out about 4 feet over the centerline to get a visual OK to pass a slow moving 18 wheeler only to see Billy Bob in his Ford F350 dualie coming at you at 95 you will lose all enthusiasm for RHD in this country. I've had 4 of them and scared myself enough to make me wonder about my sanity (or lack of it) in my younger years. These cars were all race cars being driven on the street (not smart) for some reason??
#74
12-18-2009, 08:37 AM
Andrew
