I have read in many places that the Mini Cooper is the "Smallest car sold in the U.S.," and wonder what standard they use. I saw a Geo Tracker today in a parking lot and it looked about the same length as a Mini. Some sport cars are lower. Some cars are narrower. Is it just volume? What is the second and third smallest vehicle?

 

That new Benz smart car must be smaller.An echo and aveo are taller but narrower.Not to sure how they measure it.And by volume you mean the whole car right?My MC has way more cabin space than my ex's echo.

 

:smile:I think it's based on car-length: bumper to bumper. The MINI is quite wide...or seems so to me! LMAO!!!

Hope that helps!

Clo/Wanda

 

If SMART were sold here in the U.S. one would be in my garage. If I'm wrong about that...please tell me!

Peter...let's get reeealy small...in Denver

 

Usually they are going by length. The MINI is small at 143.9 in. or just under 12 feet.

By comparison-
2004 Lotus Elise 149 inches
2000 Geo Metro 149.4 inches
2000 Geo Tracker (an SUV) 151.6 inches
2004 Toyota MR2 153 inches
2004 Mazda Miata 155.3 inches
2004 New VW Beetle 161.1 inches


You want really small? Check this out-
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/...id=43456&Reg=1
It ain't pretty but my kids might like tooling around in it.
Hey, that woman is kinda strong!


And if you like big then try this one-
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/...id=43472&Reg=1
22 feet!
That won't fit in my garage!

 

Believe it or not... the Geo Metro was 149.4 inches long; a '95 Geo Tracker was 142.5 inches long. That is shorter than the new Mini which is 143.9 inches long. Good eye!:smile:

 

Oh man, minihune! That is a teeny, tiny vehicle! Bwahahaha!

Clo/Wanda

 

That little Guinessmobile doesn't look street legal!
Those wheels belong on a skateboard...er, OK maybe a hand truck.
I think the person might be heavier than the car!
Don't crash into a bicycle, cause the bike might win.

 

I don't know about the Miata though... I have my MINI parked between two Miatas in my garage and the MINI looks HUGE compared to those two-seaters!

I have to keep battery chargers on the Miatas now that I don't drive them since getting the MINI!!

 

They'll be here in 2006 right?

 

:smile: Chris, out of curiosity, have you actually physically measured the Miatas and the MINI? I'd be interested in the actual measurements! Woo woo! LOL!


Clo/Wanda

 

OH yes, the measurement given above is correct for the Miata - my owner's manual states 155.4 inches. The Miata IS longer than the MINI, but it sure looks a lot smaller when parked side-by-side.

 

The Mini has more "girth"

 

It's not the size of your car, but how your drive it that counts!!

 

The MINI has a nice, big ***! LMAO!


Clo/Wanda

 

The European SMART car can be viewed here:
http://www.smart.com/-snm-0135137740...%2fhome%2epage

There is the 2-door, 4-door and the roadster

 

They're available up here in Canada. You can actually park this car length wise in the width of a parking stall. Street-legal golf cart with a turbo diesel.
Cheerio,

 

In terms of wheelbase length, yes the MINI is the SHORTEST new car sold in the US (Previously, the Chevy/Geo Metro was the smallest new car sold in the US).

In terms of width, the MINI is as WIDE as most MIDSIZE sedans.

If you think the BMW MINI is small, you should park right next to a Classic Mini. The MINI looks like a HUMMER right next to a Classic Mini. Old Minis came with 10 inch rims and tires and the biggest size added later on was like 13 inch rims and tires. The sure do look like toy sized cars!

The Mazda Miata in despite of having a slightly LONGER WHEELBASE, is not as WIDE as the BMW MINI and it does ride much LOWER TO THE GROUND than the MINI. Add to that the fact that the Miata is a 2 seater roadster with a very small trunk and technically you could say that the Miata is the smallest new car being sold in terms of width and clearance from the ground.

 

Are you talking about street legal or are you talking just overall smallest sold? There's some very small toy/scale cars you can find at hobby shops and at toy stores.

 

when I was 16 ,I bought one of these cars(vespa 400 ) for a dollar from a friend of the family.This was a truely small car............................ http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/vespa400.html

I ran it for a year and sold it for $50 .It was stolen from the new owner by some guys who came by one night and put it into the back of a pick up truck and drove away with it

 

I just started surfing the link I posted in the above post(http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/vespa400.html)
and it is AWESOME! I had no idea that a microcar museum even existed!I want them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I want to go there and spend a couple of days! enjoy!

 

Ohhhhh, I miss my '67 Westy.

 

The mini is proportinonately also the widest car sold in the US if you look at its Width:wheelbase proportion.

 

This is what I want:

http://www.microcarlot.com/cfs/cfs1016.html

 

This will give away my age, but I owned a 1957 BMW 600. Bought it in 1960.
You can find it in the index of the cars in the museum in the link above.
Mine was liquid yellow with a white top. Tremendous fun! The top speed was indeed 65MPH. It got there very quickly, but then the "Hand of God" came down in front of it and seemed to say "that's fast enough for such a tiny car"
Cross winds could make it change lanes in the blink of an eye.
On a two lane road that could be quite exciting.

I have owned some unique vehicles.....

Ann