Just thought some of you might be interested in my drive of the Mini Cooper S yesterday. I posted this on some of the MINI boards. I loved the MCS but overall the ITR is the true enthusiasts car. The MCS was very well balanced but needs a little more umph. I'm probably going to get the it as a daily driver when i move to Motnreal and keep the ITR for the track. enjoy the read....

First a little about myself. I currently own an 1997 Acura Integra Type R #0057 and a 1988 BMW M3. I'm sure you guys/girls know a lot about the M3. For those that don't know about the Type R it is a special edition Integra built in limited quantities by Honda. They were produced in 97 & 98 then in 2000 & 2001. During the 4 years around 4000 individually numbered cars were imported to the US. In 97 there were a total 400 brought here. The heart of the ITR is it's hand assembled engine, a 1.8L inline naturally aspirated inline four producing 195hp (redlines at over 8500rpms). For more info check out this site : http://itrca.com/faq/index.asp ITR drivers aren't usually the typical ricers you see on the road, i would put them in line with other true bimmerheads as I am. Anyway I have done a few track events in both the M3 and the ITR and was really excited for this upcoming Mini.

I first laid eyes on one at the 2001 North America Auto Show in Detroit. I was instantly in love. Something about the car drew me to it. The entire setup for the MINI booth was impressive. It was so fresh and chic, very European. Being a DJ myself i really appreciated the man behind the 'Wheels of Steel' spinning the cool lounge music giving the feel of a classy, yet trendy, restaurant/bar. The entire ambience was electric. I'm sure the fact that my Indian roots are grounded in London and the that my father had 5 of the original MINIs had something to do with my excitement. So another year goes by of constantly reading anything MINI, saving any small advert, watching the lucky Europeans getting a crack at my future car way before myself. I then go back for round two for the 2002 NA Auto Show and again am captivated by the car. Still nothing for us till May/June. February, I go to visit my girlfriend in Nice, France and see MINIs at play in the streets of Monaco.

I decide i can't take it anymore and we drool over the beauty behind the glass of the Monaco dealership, imagining driving my own on the streets of Monaco and the mountain roads of the Cote d'azure. Now it's here, and i can't have one (more on that in a minute). Sunday June 30th, come home from a weekend riding the mountain biking trails of Bloomington IN and my father says, "I drove the MINI yesterday!" I'm in shock, how, who, what? Turns out he went down to Dreyer BMW Saturday afternoon for the weekly complimentary wash on his Dakar Yellow e36 M3 and they just happened to have opened the MINI dealership on the same day! His reaction, "it's very impressive, I drove the regular". My father knows nothing about cars, the only reason he's not driving a Mitsu Eclipse instead of the M3 is because of me and my relentless pursuit while in college to bring him to the land of German engineering. Anyway, Monday comes around and I enter the dealership, excited like a schoolboy. There are MINIs everywhere, over 20 of them. I book a testdrive immediately for the following day and leave immediately. I didn't want to get too attached the first day or I might have done something rash (like buy a car on the spot). No, i decided to wait for tomorrow and bring my car loving girlfriend. (it is always good to have a girl who is also a car buff, i need to marry her soon .)

Tuesday July 2nd, pull up in the e30 M3 (need to show the bimmer pride you know). Walk in and we are greeted by a down to earth receptionist, she tells us to take a look around someone will be with you shortly. In the showroom there are three MINIs, one BRG Cooper with a Union Jack on the roof, a Silver Cooper, and stock Chili Red Cooper S with the 17" R90 wheels (stunning). Outside are another 5 Coopers Ss and a bunch more Coopers. Everything from Aero kits to all the different wheel/top/paint combinations, but the Indie Blue puts the biggest smile on my face....arrrrggghhh.....I'm in la la land. Jim comes to greet us, what a great guy. He is about my age (I'm 24), extremely laid back, you can tell he is an enthusiast. He asks, "would you like me to explain the details of the car or just get right to it and just MOTOR?" I already know everything there is to know so you know what my answer was. Jim grabs the keys to a bone stock S and we all jump in. As soon as he starts the car I hear the rumble of the exhaust, wow it sound so good, i love it. It's a little deep, I personally like the sound of a cars exhaust as long as it's not to overwhelming. He has to pull the car off the lot in the mean time I'm flicking over everything. The interior is lovely. I like the brushed/scratched aluminium look of the dash. I liked everything except for the shape of the steering wheel. IMO, you need the spokes to extend at 9 and 3 o'clock for proper hand placement. I think that's my only gripe with the interior. I'm sure there might be more, but I'm the type of person that just wants a car to drive well. Interior i can live with as long as the drive puts a smile on my face.

I'm in the driver seat now (needs the added bolsters of the sport seats). Firstly, this is the first car where I've ever had to pull the seat forward (I'm 6' 2" with very long legs). I was shocked. I pull out and notice that you need to give the car more gas then i expected. The clutch is very BMWesque (perfect). The shifter throws I thought were too long at first but with the feel of the clutch they compliment each other very well. It is a bit notchy, but i like that (the transmission in my ITR is what i would define as perfect, however the clutch is a little light, it will shock you that the transmission is stock). I pull out and feel a little lag from the onstart, the AC is running so I shut it off, much better. The powerband is very smooth. As the revs climb you can here the lovely harmony of the supercharger whine and the exhaust note. It feels/sounds just right. Left to right steering inputs and the car rotates perfect, no leaning, very flat. Jim says to open it up as much as I want, "We are going to drive various types of roads." Perfect. Just driving around town the car is very well mannered. The steering feel is firmer than my ITR (better), about the same is the e30 M3. the road opens up and i blast it around a curve, totally flat, lovely. I take it through some nice twisties and am very impressed, it grips like none other, i felt confident and secure. I didn't realize how fast i was snapping at the curves until i look in the back seat and my GF is sweating and laughing hysterically, wind all in her face. Apparently I was having too much fun and only driving about 7/10ths. i love it. Next pull out on the highway, push it all the way to the 6800 RPM redline shift, and settle into the 6th gear, i'm flying done 465 at 90mph and it feels like i'm going 55. This is a great highway cruiser with the extra gear. Pull back in, I've got the smirk of a little kid with his new Lego set, i want it.

Jim says there is one available, Chili Red stock. I'm tempted but I have to hold out for 03. I want that Indigo Blue w/White top, Sport Package with White S lite wheels, and Lapis Blue leather. But my main restraint is that i'm moving to Montreal Canada in December and would rather buy the Canadian version (cheaper), so i don't have to go through all the importation headaches.

All in all, the MINI is all i expected it to be. I am happy that BMW was behind the project as I could tell that the car did drive like a bimmer. Hopefully next summer I'll be lapping mine at Mt Tremblant Race Course in Quebec. If anyone is looking for a well kept e30 M3 drop me a line. Here are some pics, it's a stunner.... http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292285469%20

thanks for the Bandwidth

Amit
97 Acura Integra Type R
88 BMW M3 (for sale)

 

Nice review, How much for the 88 M3 btw??

 

Im looking for $13.5k. Just put in a new clutch. Let me know if you have any questions.

Amit