Cooper owner from across the pond!
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2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 90
Likes: 4
From: Hertfordshire, UK
Cooper owner from across the pond!
Hello all,
I thought now would be a good time to introduce myself over here
I am a serial MINI lover from the UK
, and have been since they were shown as clay models when I was not much more than a child. I promised myself one as soon as I could afford one, and having mum & dad having them throughout the past few years, it has been hard to switch off from the idea, so I finally took the plunge and bought my 1st R50 Cooper earlier this year, and I have been getting out on as many runs in the UK as possible Here are some pictures;
(Chief leaf clearer out on a recent run around the area of the Goodwood Race Circuit)
Back home The Oxford plant is only around 70 miles from me, well worth a visit as a MINI/Mini fan if you happen to be in the UK at the time, I have been on the tour about 6 times and I am still not bored
The Spec is probably a little alien to you guys, we all have very different option packs and standard & optional equipment!
It's an October 2001 build (one of the first customer cars apparently, when did you guys start getting yours?), finished in Pure Silver with a Black Roof.
Options were;
Chili Pack (Sports Seats, Front Foglights, 16" Alloy Wheels, Seat Nets, Leather Steering Wheel, Leather Gearlever, Sports Suspension +, Rear Spoiler, Chrome-Line Exterior)
Full Panther Black Leather
Air Conditioning (yes this was an option in the UK, and not cheap at over £600!)
ASC+T
Factory CAT1 Alarm
6CD Autochanger
Since I have had it I have done a couple of things to it, since I am still 19 my insurance won't allow me to do very much!
White Indicator Lenses
Silvertec Bulbs and Clear Bulbs on the front and side repeaters
BOOST Stereo Conversion
I absolutely love this car to death - It has so much character when it starts to fizz and get going after 4.5k rpm, the way it handles, and the way it can put a smile on my face just looking at it (leave alone when driving it!) but I am very close to taking the plunge and getting a 2011MY Diesel in the very near future! Without trying to rub it in (I promise!) this is a truly staggering engine for what it is - 0-60 is only half a second off of my petrol Cooper, and on a test drive I got 50mpg (UK MPG, so that's almost 42 US MPG), while I struggle to get 30mpg out of mine (under 25 US MPG). It is definately quicker than the Cooper mid-range (it does drive more like an S in the lower gears, quite easy to get the DSC light activating under throttle in 2nd!). This would really sell over the pond, especially in the Countryman!
With fuel at over £6 per gallon here at the moment, and the possibility of covering >30k miles per annum, it makes an even better case for this engine. (You have NO idea how hard it is for me to praise a Diesel! I am a petrolhead through and through!)
Can we expect to see any of you guys over at MU2011?
I thought now would be a good time to introduce myself over here
I am a serial MINI lover from the UK
, and have been since they were shown as clay models when I was not much more than a child. I promised myself one as soon as I could afford one, and having mum & dad having them throughout the past few years, it has been hard to switch off from the idea, so I finally took the plunge and bought my 1st R50 Cooper earlier this year, and I have been getting out on as many runs in the UK as possible Here are some pictures;(Chief leaf clearer out on a recent run around the area of the Goodwood Race Circuit
)Back home
The Oxford plant is only around 70 miles from me, well worth a visit as a MINI/Mini fan if you happen to be in the UK at the time, I have been on the tour about 6 times and I am still not bored The Spec is probably a little alien to you guys, we all have very different option packs and standard & optional equipment!
It's an October 2001 build (one of the first customer cars apparently, when did you guys start getting yours?), finished in Pure Silver with a Black Roof.
Options were;
Chili Pack (Sports Seats, Front Foglights, 16" Alloy Wheels, Seat Nets, Leather Steering Wheel, Leather Gearlever, Sports Suspension +, Rear Spoiler, Chrome-Line Exterior)
Full Panther Black Leather
Air Conditioning (yes this was an option in the UK, and not cheap at over £600!)
ASC+T
Factory CAT1 Alarm
6CD Autochanger
Since I have had it I have done a couple of things to it, since I am still 19 my insurance won't allow me to do very much!
White Indicator Lenses
Silvertec Bulbs and Clear Bulbs on the front and side repeaters
BOOST Stereo Conversion
I absolutely love this car to death - It has so much character when it starts to fizz and get going after 4.5k rpm, the way it handles, and the way it can put a smile on my face just looking at it (leave alone when driving it!) but I am very close to taking the plunge and getting a 2011MY Diesel in the very near future! Without trying to rub it in (I promise!) this is a truly staggering engine for what it is - 0-60 is only half a second off of my petrol Cooper, and on a test drive I got 50mpg (UK MPG, so that's almost 42 US MPG), while I struggle to get 30mpg out of mine (under 25 US MPG). It is definately quicker than the Cooper mid-range (it does drive more like an S in the lower gears, quite easy to get the DSC light activating under throttle in 2nd!). This would really sell over the pond, especially in the Countryman!
With fuel at over £6 per gallon here at the moment, and the possibility of covering >30k miles per annum, it makes an even better case for this engine. (You have NO idea how hard it is for me to praise a Diesel! I am a petrolhead through and through!)
Can we expect to see any of you guys over at MU2011?
Welcome aboard! You from around Brocket Hall somewhere? I've been in that area a few times back in the day, actually living in Bicester back in the early 90s...Santa Pod...been there a few times. Are some of your pics from Goodwood?
£6 per gallon??? Crikey it's gotten worse in the past few years hasn't it? I was back in the Oxford area in 2005. and I think it was somewhere around £4.20 then.
Anyways, welcome! Love when I can chat with a Brit!
£6 per gallon??? Crikey it's gotten worse in the past few years hasn't it? I was back in the Oxford area in 2005. and I think it was somewhere around £4.20 then.
Anyways, welcome! Love when I can chat with a Brit!
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 90
Likes: 4
From: Hertfordshire, UK
Yup, about 5 minutes up the road from Brockett Hall! The Santa Pod pictures were taken at an event called Mini In The Park, which is a New/Classic event which takes place in August each year - It's the first time I've been and I found the strip very addictive, though my clutch and gearbox would beg to differ! Yes the last few pictures were at my last MINI run held by a friend in November this year around Goodwood - Very lucky, managed to get a few parade laps in too! It is rising extraordinarily quickly at the moment, our local stations are at £6 per gallon with no-one lower than £5.50 at the moment.
Thanks for all your positive comments, an introduction thread is useless without pictures
It is rising extraordinarily quickly at the moment, our local stations are at £6 per gallon with no-one lower than £5.50 at the moment.Thanks for all your positive comments, an introduction thread is useless without pictures
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