When you think 1st gen Mini, what's the first combination of colors/equipment that comes to your mind? When my dad bought his R50 Mini in 2002, the first few years I remember always staring back at Electric Blue's we passed. That color was forever ingrained in my head as THE Mini color.

For me, it would have to be an R53 with electric blue body, white roof/mirrors + sunroof, white bonnet stripes, and white R85 wheels.


P5100119 by mmanda withers, on Flickr

 

Some will say GP, but I prefer the less boy racer look of a standard R53

If it could be built:
JCW tune kit, but no aero kit
Black
Red mirror caps
S-Lite wheels
Leather seating, there was a unique seating pattern option $$$ in 2006 that I recall
Six speed
LSD
DSC
Standard halogen headlights with no washers
No pano roof aka slick roof
No navigation package
No auto climate control
No PDC < My MINI has this and I often wonder how many people bought this option.
No CD changer
No alarm kit
No heated seats
No auto dip mirror
Chrome line interior kit
Standard audio no HK

 

Nicefeet, s lites? Really? That's shocking. I agree with the no aero I like the front bumper and skirts but not the rear bumper.

 

Sounds like a nice package, but why no pano roof, xenons, or heated seats? I use my heated seats instead of the heater when it's cold as it works really well and I don't mind the cooler ambient temperature. Just something nice to have the option for. I think the panoramic roof is a staple of Minis. They're so big and make the Mini feel much happier inside as a Mini should be.

To each their own, but I think S-Lites (especially white) are gorgeous and look great on any R53.

 

I think the S-Lites were one of the design elements that MINI got right. I do wish they were 16 inch instead of 17.

I've just never been a fan of options that can result in expensive repairs.

The reason why I like the standard bumpers and side skirts is they kind of remind me of the A2 VW GTi with the black trim parts.

 

An R50 in Chili Red with white hood stripes and White Roof. For the R53 has to be the same or that EB. But Light Silver w/ white stripes / white roof with silver s-lites was very popular.

 

There are 16" aftermarket options ... Rota RB and Konig Rewind ... and if you can find them ... Panasport FS-16 and Minilite 40th Anniversary.

 

I'd say dark gray with white mirror caps, stripes and roof. This could be just because that's the first MINI I ever drove a long time ago. Maybe we relate this to our first experience with them, like yours with the electric blue.

 

Any color MINI that is dechromed with black wheels and tinted wimdows.

 

My first experience with a Mini was my dads silk green R50. I guess I just really liked the vibrancy of the electric blue with the white R85's when we started seeing them around.

 

My first(real)experience with MINI was when my dad bought our first R53 and it was in electric blue and had these Wheels on on it(absolutly dispised those wheels)My quintessential mini would be an R53 in purple haze with the s-light wheels and would have the JCW Tuning kit Cold weather package Interior plastic bits on the dash and doors would be piano black Black roof and mirrors The fabric seats Both rear and front fog lights Premium package JCW Exhuast All of these are if we are talking about a stck MINI if it was aftermarket bits this list would be MUCH longer.

 

16" R84 wheels @ 17.6lb versus 17" R85 wheels @ 25.1lb

 

Could be that I just love neutral colors, but I do love electric blue. Wanted to powder coat my wheels that color for the longest time.

 

I hear you. When we bought my liquid yellow R53 we drove a dark silver metallic w/ the white pano roof, white mirror caps, and white R85's. Wow that thing was classy. It even had the full anthracite interior and fabric seats. Too bad it had 141k on the clock and the S/C barely worked.

 

The one you will be driving today.

 

They are so ugly...

 

First of all, the q' Mini would be an early Cooper or S of 60's vintage ala "The Italian Job" original version
my notaCooper


but I presume you mean the q' MINI .... a different beast.

IMO I'm partial to the one I bought which was the version used in several of the early advertisements. Dark silver and white with silver s-lites ..... lapis blue interior, SANS stripes or driving lights ..... just GEN 1



I liked the EB and was tempted .... but the DS won. BTW, I bought the car off the truck that was delivering the car to the dealer ..... they had an EB on the lot with a $3000 mark up. I bought the DS off the truck without the markup ..... they didn't yet have their sticker on it!

 

+1 The MINI Cooper S with white top / mirror caps , silver s-lites, no stripes , awesome lapis blue = R53 in a nut shelf. Agree.

Lapis Blue is hard to find anymore. Remember when it was new and the smell and touch of those seats. Memories.

 

red n white

 

r60 jet black cold weather package, full "piano black interior" would be awesome, not realistic. oh... and a 6 speed. hk stereo, fully tinted window, white bonnet stripes, aero bumpers, oz ultra light wheels in a bronze or gunmetal, and a few black jack accessories to compliment.

 

Yeah, I agree with all the thoughts about the dark silver; they are very common to see around with the s-lites. Good looking car, BJ!

I was asking which 1st gen Mini do you think looks the most Mini, not how you would modify an R60, though that sounds nice.

 

ok... ok.. you win, then I would have to go with the dark silver r53 for my favorite, but the "most mini" is the brg or the electric blue.

 

The Justa I'm driving that will soon be two years old and has been totally flawless.

 

It would have to be the one they didn't make - a true BRG, which would be a solid color, non-metallic.

 

My '02 R50. Spoiler removed. Old school pinstripes. At some point, the roof will be painted Chili Red too.