MOTORING
MINI-mal changes,
MAXIMUM appeal
Don Booker MBE says it’s no mid-life crisis for the MINI
and, in the early days, provided a ‘knock’ on full-lock.
There must be few motorists who have not owned, fancied or driven a MINI since it came on the market in 1959.
As iconic in the swinging sixties as miniskirts, experimentation and The Beatles; the MINI epitomised the British Invasion.
Although not everyone was a fan - some even described it has a ‘brick on roller skates’. Japan was very impressed, especially when it appeared at the starting gate of the Monte Carlo Rally with Stuart Turner at the wheel. Those early days, I must admit, offered a basic car, which had door hinges like those on a garden shed and interior door openers that could have flushed a WC- they were chain pulls.
Although branded as a space saving car, the boot offered minimal room because it also accommodated the petrol tank and nearly every MINI had a roof rack. I drove one to Skegness with a pram on the roof and a plastic bath inside.
But it was a wonderful car that had a transverse engine putting power through the front wheels
Most of us were thrilled with the car and it has become a household name as Britain’s eighth best-selling car. ‘Dinky Car’ was another term given, but we know it is one of the world’s most loved automobiles. In 1999, it was named the second most influential car of the 20th century behind the first affordable automobile, Ford’s Tin Lizzie.
and an advanced dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The biggest visual change is the new tail-lamps with the Union Jack flag imprinted across the lens. These will be on all UK cars and join a set of new LED headlights featuring single-ring day-time running lights and a one piece indicator system.
The car’s revised logo design is used front and rear and to give that smarter look and there are three
such as traffic data, wireless phone charging and extra power points. Among a range of app-based services is Mini Find Mate, a tracking tool that can locate lost keys, bags and mobile phones, making St Anthony, who has helped millions, out of a job. Suspension, chassis and steering are unchanged, but power-wise, the MINI One inherits a detuned version of the Cooper unit’s 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine
For 2018 there is an updated MINI range with three-door and five-door hatches and a convertible. They bring for MINI enthusiasts new technology, cutting-edge connectivity, standard-fit front and rear LED lights across the range,
new alloy wheel designs. All models have a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, taken from the Countryman version, plus Bluetooth and up the range there is a navigation system. This will bring new online connected services
which offers 134bhp, a top speed of 121mph and combined consumption of 58mpg.
Subtle revisions have been made to the other engines and a stop- start system features on the hatch and convertible.
Prices range as follows: three-
door, £15,900 to £17,280; five-door, £16,600 to £17,980; Convertible, £19,790 to £29,430, Time changes many things, and it certainly has with the MINI. It will be on our roads for many more decades as the car of our generation.
aroundtownmagazine.co.uk 75
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
