I know Mini Cooper owners are the original purists. As far as the new MINI goes, do 02 and 03 MINI Cooper and Cooper S owners consider themselves more of a purist than say 04 an 05 owners? It just seems that there has been a little discussion on this already, so I thought I would pose the question. I have been on NAM/MCO for a while, not very active, just a reader mainly, but I would consider myself a MINI purist because: my 2002 MINI was love at first sight, I plan on never selling it, I know not only the history of MINIs, but also a little about old Minis, my MINI has a name, etc, etc. Likewise, do 04-05 owners consider themselves purists?

 

I kind of think of my self as a purist . I have a 02 MC/BRG and I love every bit of it and perhaps never sell it ! But remember we have a new version of the Mini. Am sure the old school Mini owners think of them self as the TRUE PURIST !!! So don't worry about that stuff and just enjoy it

 

I owned an '02 and traded her in for Wanda, my '03 MCS. I am glad to welcome ALL new MINI owners into the MINI/NAM fold! Always great to have new blood in the community. I have learned a lot from both "purists" and newbies. They're ALL good!

Clover

 

I mentioned classic Mini owners by the capitalizatoin difference (its kinda nitpicky), MINI is what our new cars are and Mini is what the classic ones are. I am not "worried" about it, I just thought I would pose the question for discussion. Newbies are definitely not a bad thing, either.

 

Sorry !!!! thread will be edit

 

Oopsie! I didn't mean to exclude Classic Mini owners from my post...I welcome them to NAM, too! I love those little Minis...and would love to have one someday!


Clover

 

dictionary.com defines a purist as someone who insists on great precision and correctness. My question to you is, how does this in any way relate to what year the car was built? I fail to see how an '04-'05 MINI is any less correct or lacking in precision than an '02-'03.

 

You sound a bit upset !! I guess this thread started for the fact that there are more MINIs out there than there were back in 02-03! Now; it seem, that people buy them, 'cause they are more popular and therefore more trendly(not meaning you ofcourse). Back in 02-03 you could be a bit crazy buying something this small ! Remember SUV were a bit more desirable

 

We were the early adopters, the risk-takers, the visionaries ()... who were rewarded with the real MFSW's (eat your hearts out, '04 and '05-ers) and monthly (or so it seems) software upgrades. We got more of the adulation and cheers and probably jeers. Self-righteous? Yeah, a little , maybe more. Still, I'm sure those of you with newer MINIs have a long list of improvements available in the newer cars.

Where I live, there are lots of MINIs on the streets these days--my carpool buddy calls our neighborhood a "MINI ghetto". It was nice when my car was unique. But I still get a little thrill whenever I see another MINI on the road, no matter what the vintage, and I hope that MINI owner is enjoying her car as much as I'm enjoying mine.

As to being a "purist", well, I occasionally wash my car at the neighborhood do-it-yourself car wash and even use their plastic, non-microfiber brushes on my MINI . (Don't tell Brad B!)

 

I think a lot of it had to do with production numbers then anything else. Shouldn't you be out motoring somewhere? It took you nearly a month to respond to your own thread asking about a local mechanic!

 

Nah 02-03 arent purists. Keep in mind lots of us who have 04-05 wanted MINI from the beginning, even before 2002. I made up my mind in 97/98.

 

I don't know if I can classify myself as a true "Purist" or not, but as a current owner of a '02 Cooper (The original article ) and a '04 MCS (Delivered with the gone but not forgotten 2 spoke sport MSFW steering wheel from factory) perhaps, after all, I could be called a "purist".

To me, the '02 MINI embodies all the charm of the original design which most of us fell in love with. The '04 MCS is what a '02-'03 MCS should have been from the get go: Rock solid reliable, no stumble, no blown up coolant tanks, etc, etc. You can say then that the '04s were the last of the "pure" MINI design (But superior quality), the one that Frank Stephenson originally intended inside and out right down to the tailight covers and rear center bumper mounted back up light.

Having said all this, however, most of us '02-'04 owners hate to admit (To a certain extent) that the '05s are even better cars mechanically and in terms of performance tuning than the '02-'04s ever were in stock form. The Cooper CVT is the only model that aside from the cosmetic changes of the '05 model year, Mechanically is essentially carry over from '02-'04 generation.

While I find some of the cosmetic changes in the '05s pretty questionable, such as removing the clock from its high up position in the headliner to the LCD odomoter readout in the speedo, the 3-spoke steering wheel which feels nicer on the hands but doesn't go with the interior theme of the car at all (And the MFSW is not as good as it was with the original 2 spoker wheel because the 3 spoker is a cheaper wheel to make and it shows), the semi-ugly tailights, the even uglier and tacky black plastic cover on the rear center bumper (Previous location of the back-up light) on cars not equipped with rear fog lights and other minor styling annoyances, the new cars are vastly improved over previous years, no question.

I welcome the removal of the old Midland gears 5-speed manual tranny in the Cooper model in favor of a shorter ratio and much more durable Getrag gearbox and all the mechanical improvements in the stock MCS which make it feel as fast off the line as '02-'04 MCS with the "old" 200HP JCW kit, according to some posts I have read here and elsewhere. That is tremendous improvement. Also offering a $500 option LSD in the 6-speed MCS is just the icing on the cake. For better or worse I also welcome the arrival of the auto-MCS.

I am seriously considering selling my "pure" and rock solid reliable '04 MCS and putting up an order for a new '05 MCS hardtop with the all new under the bonnet goodies:smile: . If I am convinced enough after my test drive appt this week, that the '05 MCS in fact is a significant step up in performance over my '04, then I'll have to live with some of the less than perfect cosmetics, but the "meat and potatoes" under the bonnet should make it all well worth it .

So a '02 Cooper CVT and '05 MCS parked side-by-side, how much more "pure" can you get?

 

After reading the above posts I'm not sure what a "purist" is... Having the first year MINI was important to me, I still think it is cool... I do not plan to sell this wonderful '02MCS for another... But I don't look down my nose at owners of newer MINIs, on NAM or on the road... I have learned so much from you all and I get charged up by your enthusiasm!

Godspeed.

 

May be if you test drive a '05 MCS that will quickly change your mind.

 

Having moved from an 02 MC to 05 MCSC, I've sometimes wonder if other MINI drivers think I am an owner more concerned w/ fashion than MINI heritage. All thoughts of what others may think quickly disapper when I put the top down, though. :smile:

I figure as long as I contine to honk and wave, there'll be no doubts of my being a "purist".

 

Wow, class distinction and snobbery at it's most repulsive

We had a '67 and now we have an '05. Chose BRG/W and JCW as a nod to the cars heritage. We grabbed the '05 as most new issues would be worked out and before any major overhauls were made to the vehicle for lower cost mass production.

I consider every MINI out there a part of the same club.

 

Does it count if we had an 2002 {we owned the 91st MINI to enter the U.S}, and traded for an 04' , i have noticed new owner's dont wave as much as back then, I think because people have bought it as a economy car, not motoring.

lil Jack and Matchbox

 

edit out

 

Well.... I been motoring more often than been seating infront of a computer wondering what others say !!!! that's why it took to long to reply to my mechanic surge. Besides we are fight for something is absolutely stupit . I personally, if I had the money I would purchase a new MINI with all sorts of goodies.
The reason; I think, we are here in this site, is 'casue we love the car . We love the handling and all the innovation its' got , no matter what year it is. Perhaps 25 years from now we can look back and really compare the best year for the MINI

 

As far as sitting on the computer and not motoring goes, I have not been able to drive my MCS for about a month due to a recent hip surgery, so this is all I have to do when it comes to MINI stuff. Also, the fact that if you are on here you are an enthusiastist, which is similair to a purist, or you wouldn't be a part of this cool community.

 

I have a 03MCS and do not consider myself a MINI purist. I don't know
enough about the car or its heritage to really consider myself one. :smile:


If I didn't have a MINI and was out on the market for one today, I would
just go for the 05's.

 

I ordered my 02 mcs in Nov. of 01.I had seen a small article in Autoweek about the remake of the original mini, and having had a 1968 minicooperS, there was no looking back!I put my $500 deposit down 10 months before I would take delivery.I got a Tee shirt from MINI of Peabody with an odometer reading 173 (these were given out to the first 250 cars sold at that dealership,now the largest volume dealership in the USA).Randy webb pointed out that my intercooler cover is unique to early production cars in that it is missing a few if the struts crossing the front opening. I too plan on keeping this car going for a loooooooong time.But purist? I have caught the mod bug in a large way as you can see from my sig. If I was a purist ,this would still be a bone stock car.I have yet to see another MINI with my color combo with R88 wheels, and I like that .I also chose the Remus exhaust system for the main reason that it's not all that popular(and incidently ,I love it! Loud when you want it to be, but slightly louder than stock the rest of the time.) My definition of purist/elitist is someone who goes by the premise that somehow they are better than you .That is definately not my style.I love to engage in conversation with folks who want to know more about the car.When I first got the car ,I was appalled by the number of monster trucks and suv's who were clearly offended / threatened by the diminutive stature of the MINI ,and would take every opportunity to try to run me off the road.At least now that there are more of our cars around, that seems to have abated slightly.And lastly, even with having been through 6 windscreens in 18 months(all replaced under warrentee!), I stll love this car.I'm not tempted in the least to get a newer one,and I certainly don't turn my nose up to people who have.

 

I'm new to MINIs but not cars so I'll comment.

IMO what often happens is that they'll come out with "new" variant or model based on a classic. The people who own the classic version and are resistant to change and consider themselves better by virtue of owning the "original" are considered purists. You'll see this with vintage Corvette, Mustang and Camaro owners who look down their noses at the newer cars and don't consider anything made recently "real" versions of their cars. It's very common.

I think you may indeed get that with classic Mini owners with regards to the new MINIs. I'd also put the classic VW Bug vs "new" Beetle and of course the Mustang. Does a '65 Mustang owner feel much kinship with the guy who has a new 2005?

I think what you'll have now with our version of the MINI is that eventually they'll do a complete redesign and that'll set things up for another breed of "purist". Each generation will take pride in "their" car and feel that it is somehow "better" or more "pure".

Then again you'll have those who own both kinds and embrace both change and improvement while appreciating the qualities that made their car great to begin with. :smile: What will the MINI look like in 2015 and will we feel much of a kinship with that model? Only time will tell.

 

I agree. There is plenty of space for all MINI and mini owners to do their own thing whether it be "purist" or not however you define it.

So the short answer to the purist question is and emphatic "NO".

Of the 02 and 03 MINI owners I know there is great variety and some that are very enthusiastic and others that are very practical. Any more or less so than 05 owners? Not really.

The new owners get to see what already has been done and can pick and choose what to do or not or merely wait for new developments.

As for so many MINIs being out on the road these days? That's great. More people can enjoy owning and driving a MINI and more owners can have the opportunity to make their MINI unique the way they want. This is always welcome in a sea of SUVs and MINIvans that all look the "Same". YUK.

 

Agreed...I think that the earliest MINI owners had the faith in BMW to produce an automobile that was true to the heritage of Mini and the quality of a BMW...I include myself in that group...I gave up $1000 a full 7 months before seeing one of the first MINI Coopers in country...a PS/B that made the rounds to all of the 'yet to open' dealerships so that deposit/waiting listers could catch a glimpse and sit behind the wheel...no test drives.

Then it was another two months until the dealerships actually opened for business and factory-specced MCs and MCSs began driving off the lots in the hands of people that laid out the cash almost a year in advance of the date of delivery. My wait from deposit (7/01) to delivery (7/02) was 377 days for a customer-spec MCS, #9 in my state.

Perhaps a better term would be 'Enthusiast' and I would lump most MINI and Mini owners in that group whether they own a '68 or an '05. :smile: