Has anyone notice how REALLY short a MINI's bonnet (aka hood) really is?

I was pondering exactly why my wife adores this car and after a brief discussion I think its the bonnet. Its SO SHORT she can see the road clearly in front of her?

If you look at a Z3 or, hate to say this, Vette (never mind an XKE) they are HUGE (no jokes needed here)

Any one else think the MINI's bonnet is like ULTRA short?

 

well, not TOO short, but the length and the way it drops off make the forward view quite nice in the MINI. My TR-4 was by no means a big car, but the low seats and long, high hood made for a less than perfect view of the road . . . Just something else to like about the MINI.

 

I think thats the point. The interior is huge for her but the drop off makes it like she's on the road. Likes the feeling of being up close and personal (so to speak).

 

Most of the cars I've driven don't have large bonnets, Actually I do see the driverside head lamp area, when at stoplights and such, I actually found it harder at first to judge where the front of the car was while parking. But that short bonnet has saved me deveral times from people cutting me off, any longer and we'd have both spun (actually tought one driver was going to clip my tow hook once). I was just on the mini.co.uk website watching the counterfit MINI info and thought the JCW the showed had a real long bonnet ;almost thought it was an 07 until I replayed it.

 

I think the bonnet is short and I also think it's brilliant! Reminds me of a the proportions of a classic MINI. Z3s and such are more in the big Healy or XKE tradition.

 

Well, it's short, but high...I can see the tops of the fenders pretty easily (looks awesome)!

In contrast, I drove an 06 Civic SI yesterday. I could have stood up in the car and still not been able to see an inch of the hood! Thing is like an airplane cockpit.

 

When I first my got MINI, I couldn't believe how small the car was. Overtime I gradually got used to it now, anything bigger than my MINI seems weird lol

Z3/Z4 do have really long bonnets like they should as they're roadsters MINI will definitely look weird after coming from a Z3 hehe

 

Maybe I'm in the minority but I don't perceive the bonnet as that short - the design is based on the Classic Mini and follows suit so it seems perfectly in proportion to me and doesn't particularly feel like it disappears - actually I think my old MR2 felt like a shorter hoodline as it was more steeply raked. A minivan or bus on the other hand has this sheer drop off from the driver's POV and has a large cargo area behind, a very weird sensation for me - feels like you are right in front of the car on top of others bumpers with all this room behind to account for.

I love the long lines of the hood on the Z3, it perfectly suits the classic sportcar feeling - a bug plus is that it is jammed full with a nice engine

 

Hello everyone!

I'm a new member and I have a 2005 yellow Mini and the plates are due in June and I would like to get some personalized plates and would like to know what other people have used on their Mini's. If anyone can offer me some suggestions I would really appreciate it. Thanks

 

I think if we wanted a car with a long hood we woulda bought one...everytime my buddy comes by with his viper I can not belive how unnessisarily big it is...I dunno...heh heh...all in all I think it's just perception....

 

you don't want to see the road while driving?

 

If you think it's too short, trade it for an '07.

 

Having had both the SC MR2 and revised MR Turbo, the 1st gen was raked, but longer. The second Gen was "huge" in comparison

It is a perception thing.

 

I had the first generation and, yeah, as I said the angle did make it 'feel' shorter from how I remember it (I have no idea re: the measurements).

 

Compared to what?

 

Just the other day I was thinking "I really like the car from the front quarter view, but I'd like the side view better if they shaved a little off the back". Imagine a 6-12" shorter MINI, no backseats, front end in the same proportion as now, but with the back end move forward.

 

I can't remember either However, the wife remembers ALL these things. The first gen had MUCH smaller usable trunk spaces (especially with the roof off) and the MCS (at least the CRAPPY version) is definitely faster than the supercharged version stock ... although, that little car was sweet at the time and had a great shifter, very smooth ... sometimes we both wish we kept it. .... but no wanting to start MR2 thread

 

Well chop of the top and you got a speedster I think and isnt that one of the concept car models? I think so.