August 13, 2003

MINI, ME

In a frantic bid to keep up with the car-blogging Professor, I’ve got hold of a speedy new Mini Cooper for this weekend’s run to Melbourne. Full review will follow, plus the usual PayPal begging to cover fines, bail, and so on.

Posted by Tim Blair at August 13, 2003 04:27 AM
Comments

Heh - just got another, US$245.

Posted by: Roger Bournival at August 13, 2003 at 04:54 AM

Bah, and here I thought your paypal begging was for important stuff, like food and refreshments.

Posted by: Plunge at August 13, 2003 at 07:46 AM

Cooper, or Cooper S? The S is a fun car - feels like a go-cart and well worth a test drive. I'm seriously considering one, but long country trips with a 4cyl are a worry (currently driving a MX-6). It's been a while since I've had to listen to a buzzing engine for hours on end.

Posted by: Craig Mc at August 13, 2003 at 09:07 AM

Cooper -- although that's still 125bhp, and probably not all that buzzy. A 2000k round trip will reveal all.

Posted by: tim at August 13, 2003 at 11:30 AM

My brother bought a mini-cooper some months back. Cute piece of kit.

Pity it looks like a Sirion eh TIm?

Posted by: Tex at August 13, 2003 at 12:09 PM

I'll give you buzzing.

I once rode a horse from Sydney to Melbourne in six days.

The flies buzzed all day and the mozzies buzzed all night.

You spoilt pricks.

Posted by: pooh at August 13, 2003 at 12:26 PM

First Tex now Tim. You guys trying to give the Euroweenies a run for their money? Please link to some HSV or FPV pages lest the Americans think we too are beyond help.

Posted by: JoeJr at August 13, 2003 at 01:12 PM

A freind of mine is loopy about REAL Coopers- he has three, one with a $25,000 1.5ltr Westlake motor that puts out about 245 bhp. The new ones are a budget BMW, not a Cooper- Coopers had bugger all to do with the development except for providing the badgework.
(And the re-make of the "Italian Job" sucks as well).

Posted by: Habib Bickford at August 14, 2003 at 10:33 AM

If you're gunna buy one, at least get the S variant, and then have the Cooper addition, well, added. They beef up the supercharger and some other things, for around $7K and give the little thing some serious grunt.

It's a good little car, presuming you're not afflicted with the medical condition known as height.

Posted by: bailz at August 14, 2003 at 01:27 PM