When you're asked to think of great car chase and driving sequences from films and TV, most people can name a good few off the top of their heads. I can guarantee that almost every time, The Italian Job will be one of those listed. The iconic sight of the red, white and blue mini's roaring through Turin, tearing up far more than just tarmac, at some considerable speed while laden with gold bullion helped further solidify the status of what was already a car like no other. Plenty still exist on the roads, including the gorgeous example I got the chance to see below, and they still draw serious attention from everyone, not just car enthusiasts.
Then in 2000 BMW acquired the brand, name and rights to produce the Mini. It could have been amazing; German efficiency and engineering in a classic British small car shell. Indeed the future did look bright with some a few examples produced just like this, however, like the ending of The Italian Job, someone in BMW's boardroom shouted "Hold on a minute lads, I've got a great idea..."
Enter, in 2001, the all new Mini. Bigger, heavier, arguably uglier than it's predecessor and, in BMW's eyes at least, more in tune with needs of the modern car buyer than those in the 60's. Since then I've seen them everywhere, from estate agents to city professionals it seems that BMW once again got their design and marketing right with this modern incarnation. So when this turned up on my doorstep to replace my battle damaged Ford Sierra, I decided to put my prejudices aside (bar the looks - I maintain that in comparison to the original and to a lot of other cars it is ugly) and give it the same chance I would any other car.
Firstly, the model I had delivered had a 1.5 litre, naturally aspirated engine, and was badged the Cooper. Now this was an accident replacement vehicle, so I wasn't expecting a top of the line John Cooper Works or even the Cooper S, but to give a car of this size and weight an engine this small without the addition of a modern turbo or supercharger is undoing the environmental benefits of fitting smaller engines. To get anything out of it you need to plant your foot firmly into the carpet and ignore the warnings on the dash to change gear at 1500 RPM. That being said, once it is up to speed it is a quiet ride in the cabin, if not the most refined. The sportier suspension set up given to this car is wasted on around town driving, and to a certain degree on London's unkempt roads even uncomfortable. Passengers in the back told me they were being bounced over every pothole and uneven surface and the ride was only marginally better in the front. The gearbox on this new model is superb, with each change easily registered with a satisfying thud as it locks in place, similar to sliding in the bolt on an old rifle. There is a surety to it which gives confidence to the changes. The driving position is easy enough to get comfortable but those favouring a lower position will do so at the sacrifice of visibility if you are anything under 6ft. The steering on this was another disappointment in my opinion. As a cooper model with the sports suspension, I expected a good amount of feedback from the wheels, and to feel connected to the driving experience (remember that BMW's tagline was "The Ultimate Driving Machine" for a long period of time), but what you get is very much the opposite. There is a lack of weight and feel when turning into corners, and this quite quickly diminishes any confidence in the bends when you can't feel what the car is doing underneath you. For a car used and bought by so many, I was struggling to see what people found appealing about it.
BMoving to the interior, the dash layout is clear, with everything located centrally in the middle apart from the speedometer and rev counter which are mounted centrally behind the steering wheel. One annoying thing with this car is the speedo is only numbered at 20mph intervals. Fine on the capitals new 20 zones, but not so good on the rest of the roads which are 30, 50 and 70mph. Your eyes need to be glued to the screens to make sure you don't stray over the signposted limit by accident. The controls are laid out logically, though they do take some time to get used to. My only real criticism here was the lack of phone holder or decent sized cup holder in the front where the USB and AUX jacks are located. Given the size of modern phones is increasing and more and more use them to play music and keep in touch on the go, somewhere secure for your phone would have been nice to include. Visibility around the sides is good thanks to the large wing mirrors, however front and rear are limited by the size of the pillars and length of the bonnet in a low driving position. Without parking sensors, you need to have a very good grasp of the size of this thing to park it. Blind spots also aren't brilliant, so be careful when pulling out on the motorway or from junctions. Boot and storage space is minimal, just about enough for a weekly shop for a normal sized family, but be prepared to find alternative transport to the airport if you are going on a long haul holiday with a partner or friends.
In the end I had this car for all of 3 weeks before it was returned for a different one more suitable to my needs (word of warning, you can't fit a full set of golf clubs in the boot with the bag unless you remove any drivers / woods / hybrids and leave them in the back seat). Unfortunately the list of things I didn't like about this car far outweighed it's positive points. While it may be ideal for those needing a city run-around or a company fleet car, for those interested in driving and enjoying their cars this falls short of the mark. Those passionate about getting a Mini should look to the Cooper S or JCW variants which pack much more of a punch and provide far greater feedback to their drivers, or better yet, look to invest in the original and classic models, which truly do live up to their name!