myMiniCooper

So today I took Stella in to work to get her summer shoes put back on. I stopped for gas on they way and the lady next to me said "See, I could never drive a MINI. I'm on my way to get my summer tires put back on and I need an SUV to fit stuff like that...!" I opened my trunk and gave her a smirk. Not only were 4 summer tires neatly tucked in there, but I also had a view out the rear window AND I could have fit 2 more tires in my MINI with no problems - well no space problems, I'm not sure if there's a weight limit and if I would have reached it. Anyways, the point is, I love MINIs. They're the perfect size because this is the most I usually ever have to carry and she pulls it off with no problems!

While I popped by work, my manager sent me on a little job to drop something off. I got to drive a Black Eyed Purple 2005 Cooper S with an auto tranny. I really liked the auto. That was the most I've driven one. It was about 35-40 minutes to the place and a bit more on the way back since I hit rush hour traffic, but I had no problems. I was surprised at it's "go" and eagerness and I found that it didn't feel like I thought a Cooper S in auto would feel. I don't regret going with a manual; however, I'm happy to know that the auto still shows it's MINI colours. I'm not sure what I expected though... Maybe I expected it to be kinda blah... like most cars in automatic are? Hmm... As well, I remember reading somewhere (I don't feel like digging it up right now..) that the automatic R56 Cooper S is actually faster in the 1/4 mile than the manual! Interesting......!

Another realization while driving the BEP 2005 Cooper S was the fact that it had 37,717 (I only remember it because I glanced at the speedo and saw all those 7's :P) kms on it yet it still felt great. I've averaged about 15,000 kms in 10 months and this includes 1,100 kms of roadtrips taken at the beginning of ownership. I remember when I test drove a Smart car when the first came out... Well the story ends with the sales person explaining why the car felt so jerky and annoying to drive: "It has 35,000kms on it you know..." As if that's supposed to explain it. I should HOPE that Smart cars don't turn to utter crap at 35,000 kms. Since my Acura RSX was sold with 8,099 kms on the clock, I haven't had a real chance to get close to 35,000 kms in my own car. This BEP Cooper S at work is the closest I've gotten since that one has been there for a little while and is our "automatic tester", basically. You can't tell the difference (other than the transmissions) between my Cooper S and the purple one... despite double the kms! That's how a car should be. Sorry if this all sounds trivial to you. I've just had that phrase by the Smart car sales person echoing in my head all this time and I finally proved him wrong - with a MINI at least :P

Alright, so tomorrow should be a busy day. We have our monthly meet for the Southern Ontario MINI Club tomorrow and MINI Vaughan-West is also having a Drive Event.

If this isn't "living the good life", then I don't know what is :D

Happy motoring, lovers!

What is it about these cars? Is it that they are cute? Fast? Handle like a dream? Are unlike anything else on the road? I suppose its all of that and more. Back when I was dreaming about my Mini I was attracted by its sportiness, looks and handling. I especially liked that the car was unique and few people had them. For many varied reasons, I wasnt able to get one until late '06. Then I had a difficult decision to make between the '06 and the '07. The '06 was the Mini I fell in love with long ago but waiting for an extra couple months enabled me to save more for my down payment and also brought me back to my roots so to speak. I owned a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX for several years and it was my first real taste of horsepower, modifying and drag racing. After that my life took a different path but I have always missed having an exciting car to drive. Im not sure that you ever truly get that out of your system. Since the R56 is turbo charged I immediately felt more comfortable with that platform despite all the speculation and uncertainty surrounding first year builds. Now that I have had my car for a while I am comfortable with my choice and happy that I chose the car I did.
Riding around town my 4 year old is always yelling "Mini!" whenever he spots one. Ive noticed that he has been saying it more and more lately. While Im always happy to meet a new Mini owner, Im not entirely sure I want to see one around every corner or even every couple of streets. I worry that as time goes on, the Mini will become more and more common and not the unique and unusual car it has been. I fully realize that I have contributed to this problem, no need to tell me that! Hopefully my fears are unfounded, only time will tell.