I ran into my first MINI yesterday while motoring!
I was driving down I279 and what pulled along side me....a Chili red Cooper IDENTICAL to mine! We looked over at each other and started laughing and waving! Imagine...I've only seen a handful of MINIs in my area...what are the odds of the two of us driving side by side down the highway?! I'm sure to other cars we looked like a motoring billboard for MINI!

 

I ran into a chli red mini an indio blue mini and a yellow mini with a checkered flag roof. FYI-My mini is silk Green.

 

I have seen 3 other MINIs while driving around Albany, NY. Mine is silk green, and I saw 2 silvers and a yellow-the yellow one passed me right on the road to my apartment complex!

 

That's funny!

Believe it or not, I have YET to see a mini on the road!! In fact the first time i saw the mini's in person was when i went in for the test drive a couple weeks ago!! (it'll be 2 weeks ago this coming saturday)

I want to see one on the road so i can pull up next to it and honk and wave, and thumbs up!! LOL i haven't got my mini yet, so it won't be as meaningful.. unless i have time to tell the driver that i am going to be getting a mini as well! After that i'll check the yahoo florida mini group to see if anyone was driving on a particular road that day to find out if it's a group member! hehehe I think it'd be cool for one of the mini members to be driving around and not know who the freak was that was flipping out, honking and waving and giving the thumbs up, but later going online and finding that the freak was a fellow mini enthusiast who is waiting to get his mini! hehehehe

 

I finally saw one two weeks ago on my way to Minneapolis. A silver and white. We waved and I think both looked a little startled to see another MINI. My wife has seen several on the streets and highways in Minneapolis. She always honks and waves.

GOnna do some serious motoring this week end. But, probably won't see any MINI as I'm headed to west central Illinois. MINIs are extreamly rare there.

 

I have seen a bunch (more than 10). There are more and more in the area that I work, which is an up-scale area of California. Unfortunately none of them reciprocated in the waving and honking effort which I undertook when I spotted them. I guess they weren't as excited by seeing another MINI. Not everyone with a MINI understands the whole MINI philosophy. Maybe they just got one because they're rare or it's their toy car? I still have hope that I will one day cross paths with another enthusiast who waves and honks back! See you on the road!

 

I've only driven by two in my town, both of those were regular coopers but I have also gone out to dinner at two different restaurants and parked next to a cooper each time and finally last week driving between Macon, GA and Savannah, GA I passed a BRG Cooper going the other way, we both flashed lights and waved at 80 MPH.

 

I've seen a Liquid Yellow/Black Cooper S, an Indi Blue/White (the lady DID NOT respond to my honking and waving efforts), a Chili Red/White Cooper S with a very nice driver, a Silk Green/Black Cooper (they live in my neighborhood!) and while I was at the beach last weekend a Dark Silver/Black Cooper S....I think we were the only two Minis in Ocean City last weekend and we ended up next to each other, giving thumbs up, on Coastal Highway! :smile:

 

There are about 4 on the small Island I live on (5 miles by 12 miles the Island of Alemeda). I've also seen another 5 driving around the Bay Area. This does not include the get together we had a few weeks ago. I also saw a few in Southern California and a 60 something MINI Cooper S driving down the freeway there too. Most of the new Cooper owners don't honk back when I honk at them. Only the Original MINI gave the thumbs up when we were driving next to each other.

Hopefully I'll get a better responce in Denver.

 

I've seen several inmy travels over the past six weeks or so.
I saw a SWEEEET-looking Chili Red with British Flag on top yesterday while on my way to drop off mine for service. We both waved. Also have seen two BRG's in the area and an Indie Blue, not at an angle to wave, though.

Last week I was driving to work and saw an identical 'twin' two cars ahead. It was hilarious seeing all of the heads turn on the sidewalk and point as they must have thought they were seeing double! I overtook my twin on Rt 128 but the woman didn't look to see my wave.

Also, while in Maine, I saw another twin with Ontario plates.

In Virginia Beach during my vacation a couple of weeks ago, I saw a beautiful Indie Blue as well as my friend's Dark Silver MCS, (lucky for me, she picked it up while I was there so I got to see it)!

They're still fairly rare around MA, but they're catching on fast!

 

It's interesting, it seems that there are certain MINI-rich areas and then vast expanses with virtually none. From this thread, I'd say that California (northern and southern) and Maryland fall into the former category.

I drive a lot, and have only seen two on the road TOTAL. All were silver (silver roof and body) and neither were S models. One hangs somewhere near where I work (near Chelmsford, MA) and another was on 495 (the Boston area's semi-beltway). I drive often down to NYC, and have never seen another on the road. I spent a week driving all over Michigan about 2 weeks ago, and never saw a MINI.

Statistically, I guess that's perfectly normal. With only 10K (or so) in the country, they'll certainly be lost among the millions of other cars on the road.

Of course, I remember when it was rare to see a PT Cruiser...and now I can't go 15 minutes w/o seeing one. That was what, about a year/year-and-a-half ago? I guess we should enjoy our "15 minutes."

 

I, like Cminigo, live in the Ventura county area north of L.A. We own 2 of the 4 or 5 in this area.

However, last Saturday I had the occassion to drive from Newport Beach, through Laguna beach to Dana point along the PCH. Maybe a 30 minute drive in total.

My wife and I counted 5 mini's during that 30 minute period. Boy talk about ruining a good day. We thought our's was special and unique....

I am glad I don't live down there...it would ruin all the fun of owning a new mini.

The way I figure it....when mini's become common place, my wife and I are going to relocate to Alaska....hopefully there it will be unique once again. ORrrrrrr better yet...hawaii.

 

>>The way I figure it....when mini's become common place, my wife and I are going to relocate to Alaska....hopefully there it will be unique once again. ORrrrrrr better yet...hawaii.

Hummmmm....this may be a touchy subject, but what does being rare have to do with enjoying your car? I mean, the MINI will never be an exotic. It's not designed to be a limited production vehicle. Now, I'm not advocating Taurus-like commonality, but I didn't buy a MINI so that I'd be driving something so rare as to solicit staring at red lights. IMO, I'll be glad when that aspect of ownership wears off.

Of course, my car is still about a week away from my hands...maybe I'll feel different when behind the wheel.

 

Personally... i don't want to have a car that is seen on every corner... i mean, when pt cruisers first came out they were pretty scarce.... but now i see them everywhere!!! I don't want a car that nobody in this city owns, but there is something special about having a car that when you see other people that are driving one..... you know they're driving it because they love the car as well! Not because it's the trend and all the "Hip" people are driving them!! Each mini owner is unique..... that is why we all have this passion..... this love for the mini itself!! and for everyone to start driving one........ and seeing them all over the city.. doesn't necessarily take the fun out of motoring..... nor does it take the fun out of owning the car.... but you lose a little something special when people just buy it to be part of a trend!!

 

Actually, I've never run into one yet, but have seen a few. The first weekend out, we saw red & white Cooper at the beach, then it was a long drought. Actually had two others drive thru intersections where I was waiting with nary a glance!! Best time was leaving San Diego for Seattle, and a yellow & white Cooper played tag with us from SD to LA - an hour and a half of lane jumpin' fun!

BCNU,
Rob in dago

 

"... I didn't buy a MINI so that I'd be driving something so rare as to solicit staring at red lights. IMO, I'll be glad when that aspect of ownership wears off."

___________________
jsun, you WILL feel differently after you drive yours and get your 15 minutes of fame twice daily! You're aware of it every second and it's not a bad feeling. Everyone stares at this car, even those driving one themselves. I felt like you do now BEFORE I got mine. Don't worry, you'll get over it. :smile:

I did not get this car for the attention it gets either, but it comes along with it. It doesn't wear off, or at least it hasn't for me in the past 4k miles! :smile: That's just one of the great things about it. It is sad when the wrong people buy a MINI for the wrong reasons then end up selling it or put the car down because they never understood what it's about. But the notoriety of the car IS part of the fun and the MINI culture. Look at this forum for example. I have met new people from all over and made some great friends simply because we drive and love the same little car. That may be the only thing many of us have in common, but it's enough!

It is a car that needs to be personalized, whether it's your choice of color combo, a sticker, or a seat cover, to more elaborate things like mechanical mods, stereo upgrades, wheels, bonnet stripes, and roof flags. For those who claim to the death that they could care less about the MINI being unique in any way, would you still have waited in line for one if they were all the same color, model, interior, et cetera? It will be a bit sad when they are more common

_________________
Pure Silver Cooper, Black Top, Tinted Windows, Manual of course, Premium & Sport Package, black profile leather, and 6-cd changer - I call her Dr. Emma Peel! GRRR BABY! VERY GRRR!!!

 

I have seen several others around but not too many. When I got my MCS(A little over a month ago) I had the only MCS I knew of in my area(Independence Missouri) . But now there are atleast two other MCS's. One is electric blue/White and the other is Chili Red/White and it is exactly like mine. Two people at work today thought I loaned mine to someone else when they saw it going down the road with someone else in it.

 

Ran behind a red under white S down Jones Falls Raceway today. I firsts passed it going 80mph in the slow lane and then I caught a glimpes of it in my good eye.
I followed it till Maryland Ave where I had bail and start to act like a grown up again.

Cheers

 

talk about running into a mini while motoring, i often run into one even when i'm park--there's another MCS on my block. yes! the same block. appearently, Sara (her name) bought here pure silver MCS in Florida. i got mine in California. it's great to have another person on the block that is as enthusiastic about the MCS as i am. she looks so good driving the MCS too. that being said, i'm trying to get my sister to get one too. perhaps a chilli red caped with white. Mmmmm. well, continue motoring...safely....

bbt4
electric blue MCS caped with white

 

>>For those who claim to the death that they could care less about the MINI being unique in any way, would you still have waited in line for one if they were all the same color, model, interior, et cetera?

___________

Point taken...and sure, the attention will be fun some of the time for a time. But I do have to personally note that I really didn't "wait in line" other than a couple of months which is not all that unusual for ordering a car. If the wait had been longer, I would have bought something else in a similar price range with similar performance (and there seem to be many posts on that subject elsewhere on this forum). Seriously. And about the only thing I worry about now is that my choice to get a first year car might end up being unwise and will land me with a bunch of annoying "sorting out" problems from the manuf. I keep reading on this forum that the fun of the car outweighs the annoyance (although it's unclear whether that fun relates to performance or attention)...and I have my fingers crossed for that outcome. Looks promising, I have to admit

OK, I also have to admit that I'm writing with some remorse as my beloved 93 SE-R is moving out today to make room for the impending MINI. What I loved the SE-R for -- all 160K miles since new -- was its amazing performance while looking like a typical ecnobox. That car could blow the doors off and outdrive of 90% of what it met on the highway and NEVER be seen coming. No one smudged it in parking lots. I could park it anyplace. Further, it has started every day and never gone into the shop "on the hook" (except for one time where I had an unfortunate misunderstanding with the registry cops over when to put a new sticker on my plate...but I digress). Anyway, I know I'm not getting that in the MINI, but I do hope that I can at least replicate the performance and value side of the equation.

 

:smile:

 

My father lives about an hour south of jax..... and when i get my mini I'm going up to visit him... (and stop by any mini meets that may be going on up there at the time) but i myself STILL haven't seen a mini on the road I just hope to meet some friends along the way

 

Still waiting for mine, but I've seen 3 on the road here in Vegas. I saw another one in a casino parking lot with a "Dream Rentals" license plate (Dream Rentals are one of the places on the Strip where you can rent a Lamborghini or a Ferrari or a Viper for a day). The MINI dealership told me that Penn (of Penn and Teller) bought an S and had it painted Pepto Bismol pink. Haven't seen that one yet. Another casino has a Cooper sitting outside as a slot machine prize. 15c and it's yours!

 

I picked mine up yesterday, so I haven't run into another, and have only seen 1 on the road since I ordered mine 4 months ago. (Northeast Atlanta metro area). Most I see are out front at dealerships other than BMW, I guess as attention getters . They are marked up $1000-$3000.

 

>>Most I see are out front at dealerships other than BMW, I guess as attention getters . They are marked up $1000-$3000.

OK, this may be a naive question, but HOW COME I -- like sonoma1100 -- see more MINIs at non-MINI dealers than anyplace else, including on the road? Where are these cars coming from? I can understand people buying and quickly selling them at profit (flipping), but if you were going to do that, why involve a used car dealer who would no-doubt clip most of the profit?

Maybe this is another thread...