So I've noticed a bit of a trend among many of my peers and co-workers since I first decided to buy myself a MINI. It's been kind of tough to get people to look past the inherent "cuteness" factor of the MINI and realize that it's actually a seriously awesome car - And I've always thought mine was fairly aggressive looking, with the aero kit, stripes, etc... It doesn't really bother me on a personal level - it just irks me that no one (except those who've driven one) seem to take these cars seriously. Does anyone else get this a lot?

 

Luckily, I have several friends whose taste in vehicles is a little more Eurocentric compared to others... so I mostly hear praise over the vehicle! My employer on the other hand constantly refers to it as cute :/

-Chase

 

my friends are constantly telling me how cute Stella is. Its no big deal for me, but when my husband drives it I think it gets on his nerves a little. I think he gets a little tired of trying to convince the "ricers" that this mini's got moves. lol... He DOES like blowing them away and seeing their surprised expressions in the rear view mirror however. lol..
we look at it this way. Its a kick *** car in disguise.

 

"Clown car", "cute", "worthless", etc etc. I get it all here where I live. Everyone drives trucks. The certain people who have called my definitely aggressive looking Mini, all drive rusty trucks that go better in mud than mine, but whats the point of that! None of these people here at all think of my car as a "performance car".

 

I would say "gay car" and "chick car" are the most common phrases I hear, but never together, as in "gay chick car". What's interesting (to me at least) is that around here a lot of gay chicks drive Minis. I see a lot of lesbian couples driving in Minis and have met more than a few. So I would say, if you are going to generalize about the Mini, then "gay chick car" is probably the most accurate phrase to use.

But no matter how much "aggressive" styling you add, you cannot hide the fact that the Mini is a relatively cute and feminine car. Them's the facts.

 

Huh. The Mini is only the #6 "Top Lesbian Car" according to this survey.

 

My boss just called my car a cute car today. Yeah it irked me...but when I take those twisties, I'm all settled.

 

I have a theory on this. I think the Mini owners that dont wave are the ones that bought their car because it was cute. Then there are the rest of us. I am trying to make my car look as mean a possible to make it stand out from the rest of Mini's in my area. There is a lot of chicks around here driving them, old people too. Nothing wrong with that I'm just saying.

 

Yeah, I always get the cute thing a lot. I always have to remind people that eats other cars alive. As the Outmotoring shirt says "It's not cute... It's mean."

 

My friends love it. My family loves it. Many of my friends are envious, but that's because most of them are fellow graduate students...I work full time, unlike them, and live off less $$ per month for food than they do. Good choice? Who knows.

But I think my car is cute. So when people say that, I take it as a compliment. It's a kick *** ride, and if anyone ever doubted that, I'd take 'em for a ride and punch the turbo at about 60 and see what they have to say then.

 

I haven't been waved at once since I got my car =( I've waved at other owners and been totally shut down.

 

I get cute, toy and "shoe box with wheels"...they are use to seeing me in a big red F-250....all I do is smile politely and nod at the idiots

 

Yea and I don't give a rip what poeple think or say. The car is an awsome car that runs on rails and will run circles around most especially on a road course. I drive a GTO as well and on the straights my GTO leaves the MINI's in the dust but on the twisties the MINI's always pass my goat. (Let's face it there is no substitue for HP)

If you want fun by MINI.
If you want straight line speed buy something with HP. Or have one of each.

Pat

 

I've gotten "rat car"(whatever the hell that may mean??)from a co-worker, repeatedly. My brother jokingly asked if AMVIV was a gay convention. My wife told me when I bought the car that I needed to dress more trendy or I wouldn't fit in with the MINI crowd! Of course I just laugh these things off!
I guess most people just don't understand the car and what it is really capable of!

 

Waving died out in early 2004, from my experience.

 

People LOVE my Mini! Perhaps it's cuz I love it so much that it just rubs off on them, but even my little bro who drives a baller '93 BMW 740i wants my Silk Green R50. And waving is alive, you just gotta be persistent.

 

Well, I guess that makes me a "gay chick" trapped in a mans body

 

yeah my boss laughed at me because we were driving and we passed another mini and we waved at each other then my boss asked me if i knew the other driver i said no and he was like u mini drivers are crazy........yeah crazy like a fox!!!!!!

 

This girl drove me to my car today in the parking structure, and said i had a hot sexy MINI

 

Actually everyone thinks my car is badass because it reminds them of the italian job instantly and what comes with that movie is burnouts and ebrake drifts and amazing fastness : )

 

Being that my MINI is all black with dark tinting and a license plate that reads EVIL CAR, most people see it as well, demonic. I'll get a lot of women that'll say things like "That's such a cute car."

As far as performance is concerned, I get more grief from the riceboys around town than anybody. Funny thing is, the group I hang out with all have GM F bodies and Vettes. I'm the only one in the group that doesn't have a V6 or higher muscle car. That tells you something right there about respect.

 

A few of my coworkers who have noticed it have called it cute and said they wanted it (all females). One freaked out because he suspected it was mine and felt I really did well by buying a MINI, as they're very nice. A few have referred to it as "that English car". My ex-boss told me it was very "me".

I think random people on the road take my car seriously, tons of jackasses in all sorts of vehicles try to race me or go faster than me for no reason other than the fact that I'm in a little sports car. But that's a different thread.

 

On a rare sunny day with just almost topless temps, I put the top down anyway to run some errands. Passed a group of bikers out on a run themselves and got enthusiastic waves, grins and from each and every one. I waved back, of course. They looked a pretty tough bunch I'd not care to upset under other circumstances, but for that brief moment, we were brothers riding free on the earth with the wind in our hair.

 

Haha speaking of people coming up and racing for no reason, I've had a few of the ricers do that with me. I must say I very much enjoy flashing the lights at them when I win. lol... So far I've beat an S2000 from a stop and my husband beat out a corvette. lol.. Thats the best.

 

Yeah, I catch a lot of flack from the rice boys here too. (Funny thing is that the VW kids all hang out with the rice boys.) I do get a lot of respect from muscle car owners, but generally hang out with people that drive other Euro cars (i.e., TR6, MG's, etc.).