Some cars are difficult not to like. Today I’m talking about a car with a massive history. The first MINI was produced by British Motor Corporation back in 1959. Looking back, it is easy to see that the MINI is a true icon of British-ness. I suppose it’s an icon of the 1960’s too. But it wasn’t just the 60’s that the MINI captured. Every decade since then has featured a MINI, and despite the car not being quite as British anymore, it still appeals to the masses worldwide.
There are certain cars that hold the same type of fame as MINI. Have you ever noticed that a lot of the more “iconic” cars of our time featured in leading roles in movies? For example, the De Lorean will forever be famous on account of the Back to the Future Trilogy. Then there’s the Ford Mustang, it starred alongside Steve McQueen in Bullitt. Of course there was the Volkswagen Beetle in Herbie, and the 1975 Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me. These cars, along with many others, belong in a Car-History Hall of Fame.
MINI has a movie history as long as my arm, one of the most famous of which was The Italian Job starring Michael Caine. Sure the modern day remake was terrible, but the original will always be a must-watch movie. I honestly don’t believe that The Italian Job would have been the same without the MINI being a main character – so bravo to the casting crew!
Then, there was George Harrison’s MINI in Magical Mystery Tour. Another British classic that used the MINI was Mr Bean. Oh and don’t forget the Bourne Identity with Matt Damon – a great car chase featuring a red MINI Mayfair MkV.
One of the best things about MINI between 1959 and 2000 was that they didn’t mess with the formula. The car always pretty-much looked the same. This is where I have to give a nod of approval to BMW. I have to say I was sceptical about the 2001 revamped MINI, it just didn’t appeal to me. I was too loyal to the original and I thought the new look from BMW was too modern. It took me until maybe two or three years ago to regain a love for this classic car. I admire the way that BMW have kept effectively the same look to the MINI since their 2001 model.
A few weeks ago MINI Ireland gave me the keys to their MINI Cooper SD 5 door Hatch. I always get a nice feeling when I’m handed the keys to a new car, and I have to say that I was only too delighted to take the keys of this little motor. This is a new-enough version for MINI and they have done a wonderful job in keeping the appeal of the marque even after adding two extra doors.
None of the fun factor of this car has been lost. Passengers get extra leg and headroom in the 5 door version, yet it still measures in at less than 4 metres in length. The MINI Cooper SD 5-door Hatch that I drove has a sporty honeycomb grille to the front and surrounding the car is a subtle amount of chrome – thankfully they didn’t overdo it in this department.
Inside is where you can really feel the BMW quality. The driver’s area has been improved massively on BMW’s earlier versions. This MINI also has fuel economy game called “MINImalism” – which is visible from the large circular dial in the middle of the cockpit. The car gives you stars when it senses that you are driving efficiently. It examines the driver’s gear changes, acceleration, and more. It’s a nice touch – and educational too!
The model I drove had a 2.0 litre diesel engine with a lot of poke. Acceleration from 0-100km/h will take you a not-too-shabby 7.4 seconds, and if you don’t try this acceleration out too often, the on-paper fuel economy is between 4.1 and 4.3 litres/100km.
I found it easy to connect to this MINI and I enjoyed being able to listen to Internet radio from around the globe through the online system – did you know that there’s an online station that plays Bob Marley tunes non-stop? The model I drove has a starting price of €29,104, but it also had many optional extras like; 18” Cone Spoke alloy wheels, MINI Driving Modes, John Cooper Works sport leather steering wheel, darkened rear glass, and much more - so the asking price for my test model was €35,785.
The great thing about the MINI 5-door Hatch is that it’s a little bit more practical than the 3-door model, and it maintains the fun feeling you get from a MINI.
