I currenty drive a 2001 VW GTI which I have moderately modified for canyon carving and non-competitive road track driving.

I am buying a Mini because I know that its handling for my style of driving is going to be fantastic, but I am a little hesitant about it as I really feel that the Cooper S needs about 200hp (175 or so, to the wheels) to really let its go-cart handling shine.

Because these cars are so new, I am hesitant to be in the first handful of people bolting on the first 200hp kit that somebody somewhere comes up with. In comparison, the 1.8t engine in my GTI has a proven record of being able to handle moderate modifications that produce huge hp/torque gains, and adding a simple chip upgrade, high-flow cat and exhaust.

I know that all it will really take to make me love the Mini is to get the hp numbers up just a little, and I am sure that in the next year or so there will be some really good options available. What I would like most of all is if BMW did their own aftermarket tuner kits that area covered under manufacturer's warranty (like an M series BMW).

I also need to be able to transport my St. Bernard with me as well as a small amount of cargo and another passenger. Do the rear seats fold down to make a suitable area for a large dog to lie down?

 

Oh the seats fold down alright . but it's not a flat cargo area like you might be used to. I'l working on a mod for this myself to solve my own dog issues. But really,
I don't think I'd ever subject a St Bernard to the confines of a MINI ...
I think my shepard mix Maeve at 90lbs is gonna be a tough fit.

 

YuccaPatrol:
I see you're crossing over from VWVortex. I remember you from the Rocky Mountain Forum in particular. I use to post more over there (as BoraVR6 and CoolWhiteVR6, and now DenverMINI), but the last couple months, I find myself on MCO more and more.

Here's a pic of my MINI on the camping trip we took to Canada. With the seats laid down you can pack a bunch of stuff back there. The MINI is way more practical than my Jetta VR6 is for hauling large amounts of stuff. Obviously there is less room than the GTI, but it's still very liveable.

 

Hey Dave!

Good to run into a friend in this new unfamiliar space. You've got mail! I am assuming that this place is the MiniVortex? It is the best I have found so far anyway.

~Andrew~

 

Yeah, MCO is kind of a MINI Vortex. There is even a Rocky Mountain forum on here. It's actually a very friendly place.

We'll be organizing a local MINI club this winter. So far the enthusiasm is very apparent. In June we had 22 MINIs on a group drive through Rocky Mountain National Park, and at the end of October 35 MINIs showed up for the Yalla Yalla (a rally for the new MINI). Next year is going to be great.

Welcome to MCO and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

-Dave

 

If you can get a pic of the St Bernard in the Mini that would be a ripper Obviously the dog is an issue, unlike my sister in law your St Bernard would be a lot more fun to travel around with. I've just bought a chilli red Mini Cooper S in Brisbane - Australia. Having spent many years driving semi luxury *** sedans like Accords and 626's the Mini is quite a transition for my wife and I, but boy oh boy is it a hoot to drive. So the space in the rear is useable with teh seats folded down though mildly annoying given that it's not a flat space, but hey whack a pillow in the trunk area and it's flat and comfy for the BIG pooch of yours'. Gee you'd get some great reactions with that dog in the Mini. As for the furture of the Mini and regards to the style etc. Yes a retro styled car is always a risk. Here in OZ the models that aren't performing perhaps as well as they were expected are of course the VW Bettle, but the main reasons behind this was the initial price tag of around mid to high 30's for the stock 2.0 Litre. I think they thought that all the baby boomers and hippies from the 50's & 60's would rush out with their chequebooks and try to recapture their lost youth or some nostalgic crap like that, I mean who puts a flower and a vase in a car? The other retro - flop here has been the PT Cruiser, Once again due to price (around $37,000) and engine size, it should have been at least a 3.0 V6 and the car itslef should have been bigger, not the mid size compact that it really is. I've seen some painted up with flames down the side Al'a Hot Rod style but then there's the rather sluggish 2.0 litre below the hood? WHY! it could have been so much better. The Mini also could have been a retro dud as the Mini One and Cooper where under-powered and expensive, but the injection of the Cooper S has secured the Mini almost cult status amongst drivers who want a sports car with character and maturity. In Australia a Cooper S will set you back around early to mid 40's on the road. In 4 years I figure I'll have no trouble what so ever getting low to mid 30's for it. You won't get resale like that from a WRX, VW GTi or Renault Clio. Go for the Mini and you'll never look back,
I wish we had the aftermarket Mini retail support that you guys have in the States. I'm pretty much limited to BMW Factory stuff or the net. If anyone knows pf any OZ Mini retailers of aftermarket products e-mail me at jason@markskinner.com.au

 

I promise that the first posted photo of my new Mini Cooper S will be one with A St. Bernard peeking through the rear window. I am somewhat famous amongst my friends for being able to move very large unusual sized objects in small hatchbacks like my old Saab 900 (A couch in the back a queen sized bed and a recliner on the roof) and my GTI (2 Saint Bernards, 1 German Shepherd, 1 mutt, 2 internal frame backpacks, 2 dog backpacks, 2 humans), so a single Saint Bernard (who is famous for fitting through a kitty-door) should have no problem stretching out for a nap in the back of my Mini. Good suggestion on putting a nice pillow or padding back there. I'll have an auto upholstery shop make me a custom-fit padded "doggie seat"

On top of the fact that the stock S is going to run circles around my modified GTI on the track, I am going to be able to continue my streak of owning a "British" car as I am selling both the GTI and a Land Rover Defender 90 to get my hands on this little car that haunts my every waking moment as well as my dreams.

Anyone interested in a great D-90 at a great price can check it out on Ebay and help a friend go from big time to small time.

My Land Rover Defender 90 on Ebay

 

I hear you on the little car obsession thing. I think the only reason my wife let us buy a Mini was becuase she was sick to death of me talking about it, it got quite heated at times, especially the old "well you know if we had the cooper S we could....." In reference to the aftermarket mod thing for the Mini, well as this site can show you there's truckloads of bits and peices to make your Mini go faster, but they could void the warranty and that would be pretty ordinary for the sake of 25 extra kilowatts, do you guys even talk in kilowatts? I think it's horsepower. I spoke with my BMW dealer here in OZ this morning and they are not aware of any factory sanctioned performance kit being available for the Mini Cooper S anytime soon. There was talk of a BMW/John Cooper Works kit being available as a dealer fit option but nothing in Australia is available yet.
Hey what colour combos are you considering? Don't do the white wheel thing, I have silver 16" wheels on my Cooper S and they're pretty much dark grey now after 4 days of driving, it could perhaps being positively re-enforced as the "SPORTY" look rather than dirty wheels. It's also worth noting that if you choose the 17" tire & wheel package, on the runflats it's illegal to repair a puncture in any form, run over a nail? well that'll be $350 for a Pirelli P6000 thanks very much, well in Australia anyway, not sure about U.S so check with a reputable tire dealer before hand, the 16" are all you should need anyway unless you are a stunt driver or pizza delivery guy. You'd have to be doing some pretty excessive driving to be unhappy with the performance of the standard 16" package.
Flick that Landrover and Golf and join the addiction that is the Mini Cooper S.

 

I had my test drive today and the salesman had to leave to pick up a sick kid so they just tossed me the keys and told me to be back within the hour. BIG MISTAKE on their part. I was honest and told them that I would treat it like it was my own, but did not inform them that meant I was going to brutally find the handling/performance limits of this little cart. I returned it to them with the brakes smoking and a distinct burning rubber aroma. Good thing they did not come out to receive the car back in person.

I had so much fun ripping through an abandoned industrial area that I never actually got the vehicle out of third gear and even forgot to take it on the highway.(only realized it when I got back to the dealer) General impression is that the handling of this car is easily twice as good as I expected, and I believed all the hype before walking into the dealership. Made the drive home in my GTI feel like my old 1983 Turbodiesel Mercedes sedan.

Also, the supercharged engine, even at Colorado's high altitude, had more get up and go than my chipped GTI that is putting out about 210 hp (conservative estimate). I can tell that I am going to go through a LOT of tires as I had lots of fun lighting up the tires in second gear and on any spirited turn. I now feel that a 200hp kit would be a lot of fun, but nowhere near the requirement that I thought it might initially be.

Plus, I examined the rear cargo area with the seats folded, and it should be a very easy fabrication job for an auto upholsterer to build a small platform to flatten out the cargo area for my St. Bernard. I was also pleasantly surprised that one of the brochures they gave me said something like "Dogs love cars too!" and showed a photo of a St. Bernard that is almost the spitting image of the one I will be carrying around. I got this creepy feeling that Mini's spy network has me under surveillance and put together that brochure specifically for me. I also suspect that the Mini Spies are responsible for the exact dark grey Cooper S that I crave pulling up to get gas right next to me before I left town to visit the dealership (I have never seen a Mini in my town EVER!).

Tomorrow, I will probably wake up with a strange hangover to find my head shaved and the Mini Logo Crest tatooed on my behind and chanting Mini, Mini, Mini in a monotone hypnotized voice. . . .

 

Speaking of interior space...

I just bought a loft with 15' cielings, and thought I would buy a big Christmas tree this year. Any suggestions on getting it home in my soon-to-arrive MCS?

_________________
::Indi Blue MCS, White roof+wheels, All 3 packages:: Born 11/8 - awaiting shipment to Chicago, IL

 

Well, first, I'd suggest to a friend of mine who owns a pickup truck that maybe we should go pick up our Christmas trees together this year. Maybe offer to go have a couple beers one night and make a fun time of it. Next thing you know, you are a little buzzed and happy trying to figure out how the darn Christmas tree stand works for the big tree that you just got delivered for free.

If that does not work, I have some very clever ideas involving a mini sized chainsaw to fit a 15 foot tree in to your Mini. . . . .

 

Yucca Patrol wrote...
>>I got this creepy feeling that Mini's spy network has me under surveillance and put together that brochure specifically for me. I also suspect that the Mini Spies are responsible for the exact dark grey Cooper S that I crave pulling up to get gas right next to me before I left town to visit the dealership (I have never seen a Mini in my town EVER!).
>>

I'm glad I'm not the only one with that feeling!! I thought the same thing when I was reading the MINI brochure I got from the dealer and they mentioned that if you folded down the back seats you had room for snowboards or hockey gear... I'm guilty for carrying both items.

Plus, I had been mulling over colors for my MINI when I saw a BRG with white roof/mirrors and white bonnet stripes in the dealer window last Saturday. Suddenly there's no discussion about what color to get!!

 

Snowboards and Hockey Gear? My brochure specifically states Fly-rods and camping gear. . . . I don't play hockey and I get too cold to snowboard, but I sure do enjoy cooking up a nice wild trout while camping. . . .hm m m m m

 

try the ACME just Add Water Christmas Tree it's marketed by Wyle. E. Coyote.