Check the Targa Newfoundland results for 2004. I was embarrassed. My wife drive a Kia Spectra GSX, I think she will now embarrass me in the twisties . Awesome videos and pics on the Mini Canada link


Paul

 

Can you attach a link?

 

Interesting article about Kia safety...http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...how/965669.cms

 

Yup, I read earlier today.

 

is the rating on the Mini and the Mini Convertible?

Howard

 

Not tested in this round according to press release.

http://www.hwysafety.org/news_releas...4/pr121904.htm

 

In past tests, the MC ranks as a best pick in the frontal crash test and marginally for the rear crash test.

 

From what I can tell, two MINIs and one Mini were entered in the 2004 Targa Newfoundland. A '59 Austin Mini driven by Richard Paterson and Tony Mattson, an '04 JCW MINI Cooper S driven by Jim Kenzie and Brian Bourbonniere, and an '04 MINI Cooper S driven by Brian Harper and Paul Williams. The '59 Austin finished 5th in the classic division, while the JCW took 14th in the modern division of the Targa competition. The standard MINI took 5th in the equipped division of the touring competition. As for the Kias, who cares? This isn't North Americam Kia-ing.

http://www.targanewfoundland.com/pdf/2k4Results.pdf

 

Kia SPectra 5 time 12:49 Class 9 standard small
JCW MINI S Time 14:49 Class 9 modified large

As for the Kias well I think its interesting a Kia shave 2minutes off a JCW. Kia is not known to be a premier handling sport anything.

Non PDF scoring http://www.rallyscoring.com/results/...Class0.src.htm

 

Don't forget about driver skill. This event is not mostly about raw performance of the car. Driver, navigator and crew skills count for more.

 

In the touring class I agree. In the targa its performance(fastest not best making a certain time, at least thats my understanding). Of course the Kia could have been driven by a pro and the JCW some rookies. I didn't post this to say the Kia is better than the JCW just to post how suprised I am.

2 minutes is a huge amount of time.

Paul`

 

Upon further reading the Mini in question was penalized 10 minutes for changing navigator.

Sorry. I can hold my head up when my wife revs her kia.

Check out the Mini race car

http://www.mini.ca/en/MINI_Insider/T...s/default.aspx

Paul

 

so to clarify, the MINI beat the KIA by 8 minutes !?!?

and the MINI woulda had only 4:49 time vs 12:49 for the kia?

it seems odd that a race that only takes 5 minutes would take 13 for any car....seems too far apart...

course it seemed odder that the kia beat the mini...woulda taken a HUGE difference in driver skills...

 

Kias and Hyundais are considered to be disposable Korean cars, in despite of their quality strydes of recent years. The Koreans at this stage of the game, should be producing kick *** cars, but they are still playing catching up. I haven't come accross a Korean car that would make me a "convert". For instance the Hyundai Tiburon is a nice sporty car that is penalized by too much weight and shabby performance.

Korean cars have too much of a stigma, I am afraid.

 

But Korean cars make people happy that can't afford 2 MINI's like some people . I think they're doing a pretty good job in that sense.