Same here... I'm on the east coast and I've waved at a dozen or so and 1 waved back. When it comes to Porsche everyone waves and smiles almost 99% of the time. I even asked my wife the other afternoon what in the hell is wrong with the mini drivers.

My Mini is 2019 JCW and love it! But I do wish there was more excitement with other Mini drivers out there. Here I've seen more chicks driving Mini's than men and I've only seen 1 JCW since I've bought mine in the area and he didn't even wave back or flash me.

Interesting topic to say the least but when driving the Porsche we always wave and smile and or flash the lights. What gives people?

 

 

 

Yep, the classics I just see at the big Vintage car shows. Last time i went to MINI car show most were Gen 2 and Gen 3, gone since 2004 and I remember back in the day when you saw R53's for days.

 

Yeah, same reasons the NC/ND Miata crowd gets butthurt about the NA and NB guys not waving at them.

Want to see some real upset, ask Can-Am riders about getting waves from real motorcyclists.

No, MINI drivers don't recognize Minis. Mostly I just get thumbs up from older guys who probably are into classic cars in general.

 

I feel like here most people are friendly and mostly wave back, I have had some younger generation people just look confused lol.

 

For the most part there are hardly any waves returned to me. I do still see people almost breaking their necks trying to get a better look at what the hell was that we just met. When I'm driving the mini pickup and meeting someone going the other way I sometimes move over to the side so I'm only on about one forth of it.:-)

 

I imagine a Mini pickup would be quit the head turner on the road!

 

I wave ... sometimes when I'm not in one of my MINIs ...

Motor On!

 

I've owned a '79 Mini for 15 years an a MINI owner since 2002

and I don't know what series one Cooper and a series two Cooper.

means . . .

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

there was a time when my 'classic' brought reverence at any gathering of MiNi fans

and then SOME Mini folks got very LOUD in disparaging the MINI

IME the local Little British Car clubs are very open to having MINI join

while certain clusters of Mini folks are so against MINI that they remind me of some politicians

food for thought .....

 

 

I wave, but I'm that guy...

I grew up in the country, where if someone didn't wave when you passed on the road, you immediately became suspicious.

In the Mustang world, I wave at all generations, even the ragged out 4 cylinder fox bodies. If you don't wave back, I'm assuming it's because you weren't expecting it, and that you might just initiate next time.

I've only been driving my R53 for less than a month. I'll wave at anything with a MINI badge on it. What's the harm of being friendly?

 

 

I live in central CA. After never having any returned waves, I felt like some dork. I don't wave anymore. When I bought my '08S, I joined REME and NorCal Minis and at the time both clubs were incredibly, enthusiastic. Lots of modding and really fun runs. REME disbanded and NorCal changed. It's just changed. Motoringfile writes articles about how MINIs have gone downhill and they wish they could still buy an R53. How does this promote MINI? The R53 guys shunned the R56s and then the F56s and now you have what we have.
The MINI enthusiasts should have welcomed the ongoing improvements , but they didn't.
Of course, now that the numbers of the first gen cars are starting to dwindle, maybe the 3rd Gen can bring back the enthusiasm. It's a tremendously better car in every aspect compared to the 1st and 2nd Gen cars.

 

I find that I can spot a Mini pretty easy, its small size is not hard to miss.
I'll stare at the other driver of a Mini and their eyes never leave the space just
ahead of the hood, and I just don't even bother waving as they never even
saw me coming towards them; kind of in a trance.
I guess this is a good driving habit, paying attention whats ahead of you.... ?

 

Yep, or they are zombies. lol

 

This is my attitude in a nutshell. I'm not going to worry about how others perceive me, and maybe it will trigger something in the zombie drivers and next time they will wave.

Its kind of like smiling, do it enough and it becomes contagious, even if it unsettles those who dont know why you are smiling...

 

LMAO @ "real motorcyclists". We picked up a Z125 (street legal pitbike) last summer and I kid you not I get more waves on that thing than my full sized bike. Poor Can-Am riders. I wave to them but I hold out three fingers instead of two. XD

*If you ignore weight, size, steering response, and clutch feel. ;]

I admittedly don't have a lot of love for 3rd gen Minis, but that doesn't make me any more of a Mini enthusiast than those who do love them. My preferences don't make me superior, just annoying. It's possible that elitists are just resentful of 3rd gen owners for driving a less compromised version of their own car.

I think the 4dr hardtop is an abomination and would never be caught dead in one, but I still wave to them... I have yet to receive a single wave in return however. =/

(apologies if I offended anyone, I love all Minis, just some more than others)

 

 

Yeah, you know... leather vest covered in patches, Harley t-shirt, boots, and sunglasses, permanent scowl outlined by a horseshoe mustache and a flame design Harley D.O.T. durag atop a suspiciously low mileage, super blingy, chromed out Street Glide. Usually found parked next to a trailer if any long distances need to be covered. You know who I'm talking about, the real motorcyclists.

 

never understood the wave

 

What's to understand? You are acknowledging another driver with superior taste.

 

You know, I'm glad i saw this. From what i read while researching my first mini purchase, it seemed like waving was mandatory! Haha Ive had the car for two weeks as of friday, and waved over 20 times, and not a single one back. Sad days, indeed.