I can't believe I read this whole thread.

 

[quote=Bhozar;3082235]Yes, my car is probably the most un-manly colour, but I love it.


[quote]


Actually I don't think the color is un-manly at all (in fact its quite sharp IMHO), now pink on the other hand ....

 

Same here I have a Turbo 95 Mustang(Fast), Neon SRT-4(Rice), 1951 Crosley(Classic), and my Cooper S, is seen my Mini is the only car peoples will come up and tell me how CUTE that is !!!

 

As far as the original post, I bought a Mini S last August... In September I sold my Carrera because the Mini is much more fun to drive... I'm about as manly as they come, so if anybody is dissin' me cause I drive a Mini they don't say anything for fear of getting thumped...

 

I know everyone has worn this thread out, but I just had to post and say that I absolutely did not consider the societal ramifications of my Mini purchase. Never entered my mind, and that's the honest truth. That little car affects people. Some, the first time they see it, some, the first time they ride in it. Once it has you, there's no turning back and I think that is pretty evident in this community forum.
I thought I'd never consider a car over my motorcycle, but for some strange reason lately, I have looking at my motorcycle and seeing dollar signs that could purchase mods for the Mini. It's a double-edged sword that I have to come to terms with.

Now that I have that off my chest...

 

BHOZAR! that Mini is SUUWWEEET

 

"Can a man own a Mini?"

Yup.

 

When a man owns a Mini
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down

When a man owns a Mini
Spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comfort
Sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be

Well, this man owns a Mini
I gave you everything I had
Tryin' to hold on to your precious love
Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man owns a Mini
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Lovin' eyes can't ever see

When a man owns a Mini
He can do no wrong
He can never own some other car
Yes when a man owns a Mini
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world

When a man owns a Mini…

(apologies to Percy Sledge)

 

rotflmao, now that's a proper job

one has to really SING it in the mind to get the full flavor...

thanks,,,

 

...I'll be looking for Bimjo on "The Singing Bee" or Youtube. With those song editing abilities you should be here in Nashvegas.

 

OP,

If your wife owns a Clubman, one trip around the twisties would have answered your own question, and yes, men can own a MINI.

Alec Issigonis built the original car for the masses, due to the Suez Crisis. To imply this is a mere chick car is an insult to his creation.

If you really have to ask this question, I think you already know the answer, because you will always second guess whether or not it's for you. It's kind of like a guy not wearing a pink shirt, because he is afraid of what everyone else will think.

 

Ha! I'm half deaf & can't carry a tune in a bucket!

 

Neither can half the people in the industry...come on down. At least you're clever.

 

Frickin' awesome post! A man isn't defined by what he drives or who he loves; a man is defined by his integrity and how he loves. Good on you!

 

except...be careful on the motor, mine blew under no stress just 6 months and 500 miles out of warrenty

 

Well, I may as well chime in. I think ya'll are being a little harsh on the OP's original question. If you've never owned a mini, the conception may be to some that it's a chick's car.

And if you don't believe that, it's only because the mini isn't borderline.

I'm a musclecar kind of guy. I've got a blown bigblock in a tubbed S10, an H2 with over 900 ft.lbs of torque and my last car was a supercharged convertible C5.

Everyone around me knows that I like speed and fast cars.

Sooooo, when I came home with a Miata, the looks, well they were YOU, YOU'RE DRIVING A MIATA???

The car was a blast but I STILL got comments and looks. I supercharged the car, it seemed the public's perception that it was more of a man's car now.

Then, I came home with a supercharged 306 V8'd Miata putting out 550 hp at the wheels... all of a sudden, it didn't matter if it was a Miata.

Strange, same car, just faster.... all of a sudden, it wasn't a chick's car.

Like everyone else, I don't give a crap whether someone thinks a car is a chick's car, they simply don't know what they're missing.

Having said all this, I assure you I haven't met one person that has made a comment about my Mini.

One trip around the block and you wouldn't care anyways....

Mark

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have recently heard a rather sad podcast specifically stating that the MINI is a girls car and that men should not drive one.

Ladies I am looking for your support here as well.

Should men drive MINIs and why?

The podcast challenged a local Detroit MINI owner to come up with a list of reasons why the MINI is a car a man would drive and after listening to the podcast I would like to help him blow these people away.

Please state your feelings and ask all your friends for input to make this something that the podcasters never would have thought of.

For the podcast information google search: "Dave and chuck the freak" Friday Aug 20 part 2. It is a free download. Then listen at 30:10 for the MINI slaughter. Quite ridiculous but would like to have some fun ripping their statements apart and helping a fellow motorer.

 

I humbly direct your question here. There was a similar thread a while back and it got ridiculous

 

You beat me to it

 

 

If they think that the MINI is a woman's car? Too bad for them...it's probably they got their cans whooped by many MINIs and have lost their pride in driving their own car.

 

I don't know to many wimmin that can drive a stick shift or even want one. I think most Mini Cooper "S" models are sticks. Most "just a mini" non turbo's are automatic transmissions.

So I would say :

Just a Mini's are for most lady's and a lot of men.

Mini "S" & JCW models are for most men and Lady's that like stick shifts.

I really think it is not really important because no matter which gender has any Mini they seem to really love the car.

Like it say's in a Motor Trend feature on the 2011 cars coming out""There is a reason that Mini owners smile a lot"""

 

When you're out at a driving event, half the fun is knowing that you and your car can hold it's own. I took it to a closed course event once just to see what it was like for a weekend of high performance driving and course work (not racing). It was awesome. Everyone wanted to know what it had under the hood. No internal engine work or mods, we all know the MINI handles amazing with a dialed in suspension.



I do notice that on the street, other cars will occasionally cut you off, or try to go first, since they assume that a small car probably isn't fast.

No worries, life's too short to worry about other people's hang ups or misconceptions. I rode motorcycles professionally, including a test ride event for BMW on the Nurburgring. First rule of street motorcycling, leave your ego at home. Sometimes people don't see or register or respect smaller vehicles. Accept it.

As for what society thinks, we're all here on this forum since we know it's more fun and simple to just do what you enjoy. Half the fun is taking chances and doing things that not everyone will do.



I don't think anyone's ever called my MINI, a "girls car", but I have received a lot of compliments on it.



Can a man own a MINI? Of course. A man can even fall in love with a MINI, if it's the right MINI.

 

+1. That is a great color! Very classic color scheme. Love it.

 

Well, if it was a girly car, I wouldn't think all the guys in 10 foot tall trucks would be so threatened by me just sitting next to them at the stop lights.

Clifford63 clearly was doing something wrong, there are a ton of MINIs still going in multiple hundreds of thousands of miles.