Hello to all from Washington DC.
I needed a car in a hurry when my 528i needed a lengthy recovery due to major mechanic malpractice. I drove a bunch of cars and the only one that brought a smile was the Mini so I found a 2009 R56 HB on Craigs list and we have been going steady. The BMW is back now but I never seem to drive it. Why? I think you know. It's just no fun anymore, I need to feel every road compression joint, each and every misaligned overpass. I need to twitch the steering and arrive in a different county. The BMW feels like driving a livingroom by comparison.
One thing I noticed is that all the joy that the Mini Cooper brings can make you giddy and that the driving suffers. Last week I was switching lanes in heavy traffic and a big F250 was doing the same. I felt the bump and signaled for the Ford to pull over. We found the shoulder and walked to the passenger side, expecting the worst. I found only a scrape along the black fender trim and some rubber on the wheel face. I take it as a warning. You should do the same.