37 replies to this topic

[Mini_Magic]

Clearly you haven't driven a classic Mini yet, you won't be thinking about NCAP and crash saftey stuff once you get behind the wheel.

[biggav]

don't they only drive at 55mph over there anyway??????

[taffy1967]

I still want to be convinced there would be a bearably safe way to drive the classic because of it's massive appeal, but so far it seems as this is not the case

But there is and all you have to do is drive sensibly much like everyone else on this Forum does every day and you will be fine.

Anyway it's far safer than a rocket powered skateboard or a motorbike and even if a disaster occurs, you have some safety. I mean imagine if Ade had been riding a motorbike or crossing the road and got hit at that speed. No he was in his Mini and he survived and is still driving a Mini today.

Surely that's all the evidence you need and I generally drive a large people carrier which feels like a coach in comparison, but the Mini makes me feel young again. puts a massive smile on my face and I don't have to be breaking any speed limits to get a buzz.

But it's you're call and I honestly think that if you've never owned a real/classic/proper Mini, then you've missed out because as has been said by some motoring journalists, it is one of the greatest inventions of all time.

[mab01uk]

So in a nut shell, BMW BINI is at least twice the size, twice as safe but half the fun?

Anyway Ade proved that their not death traps and so long as you drive safely you'll be fine. I just need to keep reminding myself of that when I'm hurtling around the mountains though.

Why do you always find it necessary to make some negative comment about the MINI no matter what the subject Taffy? The guy was asking for advice and should be told both the good and bad points in an unbiased way even from us biased Mini enthusiasts!
The MINI is a similar size to the Metro/Rover 100 not twice its size so i think they are a good comparism of the progress in engineering car safety.
I would think it is at least twice as safe but I guess it depends how you measure the various factors?
You refuse to have anything to do with the MINI so how would you know about it being half the fun? I reckon along with many others its as close as a modern car can get to the classic Mini fun factor.
I don't think anybody said Minis were death traps only that being an old 1950s design the risks are bound to be higher so take extra care. Ade was driving safely by the sound of it but was badly injured by a moron who took a risk and by the looks of the other car that driver got off much more lightly?
Perhaps I should of posted the Smart Car test instead as this shows a car even smaller than the classic Mini or Metro can be made to perform quite well in the NCAP tests with 3 stars.
http://www.euroncap....pe_2000/29.aspx

[taffy1967]

So in a nut shell, BMW BINI is at least twice the size, twice as safe but half the fun?

Anyway Ade proved that their not death traps and so long as you drive safely you'll be fine. I just need to keep reminding myself of that when I'm hurtling around the mountains though.

Why do you always find it necessary to make some negative comment about the MINI no matter what the subject Taffy? The guy was asking for advice and should be told both the good and bad points in an unbiased way even from us biased Mini enthusiasts!
The MINI is a similar size to the Metro/Rover 100 not twice its size so i think they are a good comparism of the progress in engineering car safety.
I would think it is at least twice as safe but I guess it depends how you measure the various factors?
You refuse to have anything to do with the MINI so how would you know about it being half the fun? I reckon along with many others its as close as a modern car can get to the classic Mini fun factor.
I don't think anybody said Minis were death traps only that being an old 1950s design the risks are bound to be higher so take extra care. Ade was driving safely by the sound of it but was badly injured by a moron who took a risk and by the looks of the other car that driver got off much more lightly?
Perhaps I should of posted the Smart Car test instead as this shows a car even smaller than the classic Mini or Metro can be made to perform quite well in the NCAP tests with 3 stars.
http://www.euroncap....pe_2000/29.aspx

I don't find it necessary at all mate, but you insisted on bringing the BINI into the conversation when the discussion concerned the original Mini.

But the BINI is going to be safer because it's so much larger. And come on it's considerably larger than the old Metro/Rover 100, in fact it dwarfs most Fiestas.

And I personally wouldn't want to be seen dead or alive in a Smart car because I don't like them and their only a 2 seater and are in a different class altogether.

Anyway granted the other car in that smash came off somewhat lightly, but it's still in a hell of a state and it was a much larger car. The BINI may have a higher NCAP rating, but that's only in the small car section and it's still not going to win a fight against a Volvo Estate, Land Rover Descovery or a truck etc.

But you should drive carefully regardless of what you're driving.

Edited by taffy1967, 11 July 2007 - 10:57 PM.

[Plattapuslikesrice]

Hey thanks again guys. I've decided to grow a pair and take the classic mini for a drive - I know a guy who has one and will ask very nicely and offer a gift - do you think Mini drivers like pizza? Hell everyone likes pizza . So if it seems the Mini grabs my heart and doesn't let go, I guess I have no choice but to flip down the welding mask and have a go at the roll cage and paperwork to ship one over - but that is another topic I am sure. And I apologize to all the Classic purists if the Classic doesn't take to me like industrial epoxy - but that hasn't happened yet so consider this a potential apology. Who knows, maybe I'll be posting later on with a beautiful Classic to motor around in. Keep motoring guys, I'll try to keep you posted. Take it easy. Sincerely, Jesse Peters.

[CharlieBrown]

Hey thanks again guys. I've decided to grow a pair and take the classic mini for a drive - I know a guy who has one and will ask very nicely and offer a gift - do you think Mini drivers like pizza? Hell everyone likes pizza . So if it seems the Mini grabs my heart and doesn't let go, I guess I have no choice but to flip down the welding mask and have a go at the roll cage and paperwork to ship one over - but that is another topic I am sure. And I apologize to all the Classic purists if the Classic doesn't take to me like industrial epoxy - but that hasn't happened yet so consider this a potential apology. Who knows, maybe I'll be posting later on with a beautiful Classic to motor around in. Keep motoring guys, I'll try to keep you posted. Take it easy. Sincerely, Jesse Peters.

Well done for having a go it one, you will not regret it, there is just nothing else that feels like driving a mini!

I hope you enjoy it, and as you say you may end up getting bitten by the bug!

I have always tried to be safty concious in my mini and as others have said, if you drive defensivly and smartly then you can avoid alot of accidents.

Over here there is the Institute of Advance Motorists - an institute that teaches you to drive better, using techniques used by police drivers. So perhaps if you do get the mini and you can get advance driving tuiton that might be the thing to do.

Good luck,

Charlie

[mab01uk]

I don't find it necessary at all mate, but you insisted on bringing the BINI into the conversation when the discussion concerned the original Mini.

Jesse Peters the thread starter actually brought the BINI into the conversation in his first post:-

I drove the new 'supermini' made by BMW the other day and I was very impressed, but as a college student.......

But the BINI is going to be safer because it's so much larger. And come on it's considerably larger than the old Metro/Rover 100, in fact it dwarfs most Fiestas.

'01 BINI=11' 9"long x 5' 5"wide
'89 Metro=11'7"long x 5' 2"wide
'89 Fiesta=12' 3" x 5' 3"
'95 Fiesta=12' 7" x 5' 4"
'02 Fiesta=12' 10" x 5' 6"
'99 Yaris=11' 10" x 5' 5"
'01 Clio=12' 6" x 5' 5"
Cars seem to get bigger with every revised model, don't say I agree with it, just seems to be what happens. eg. The VW Polo is the size of the original MK1 Golf!!!!

And I personally wouldn't want to be seen dead or alive in a Smart car because I don't like them and their only a 2 seater and are in a different class altogether.

Nor do I but it was just to show what a very small car can achieve in the tests.

The BINI may have a higher NCAP rating, but that's only in the small car section and it's still not going to win a fight against a Volvo Estate, Land Rover Descovery or a truck etc.

Agreed, you can't beat the laws of physics.

But you should drive carefully regardless of what you're driving.

Totally agree, have fun but drive carefully whatever car you may drive.

[greatgrowler]

The BINI is 1925mm....6'3" wide believe it or not.

[taffy1967]

The BINI is 1925mm....6'3" wide believe it or not.

Is that the original BINI or the current latest model? I know I recently saw the latest BINI model tailgating a new Fiesta and it looked a fair bit larger.

As for the classic, well the best place to test it out is on a twisty country road or in my case up a Welsh mountain because it was an absolute hoot without even having to break any speed limits. Mainly because 70mph feels like 170mph!

You probably won't see what all the fuss is about if you drive it on the Motorway, dual carriageway or Freeway as you call it over there?

[greatgrowler]

The first Bini.I got the data from the 'whatcar? road test directory'

[mab01uk]

The BINI is 1925mm....6'3" wide believe it or not.

Is that the original BINI or the current latest model? I know I recently saw the latest BINI model tailgating a new Fiesta and it looked a fair bit larger.

Thats probably the width across the door mirrors the latest BINI seems to be a few mm narrower according to Parkers but slightly longer and the new Fiesta is almost the same width but longer than both BINIs.
http://www.parkers.c...spx?deriv=21310
http://www.parkers.c...spx?deriv=35369
http://www.parkers.c...spx?deriv=32676
When my son parks his '96 Ford Fiesta on the driveway next to my BINI you can clearly see the old Fiesta is longer but parked on their own you would swear the BINI is bigger.

As for the classic, well the best place to test it out is on a twisty country road or in my case up a Welsh mountain because it was an absolute hoot without even having to break any speed limits. Mainly because 70mph feels like 170mph!

I envy you having those Welsh mountains on your doorstep for Mini testing!

You probably won't see what all the fuss is about if you drive it on the Motorway, dual carriageway or Freeway as you call it over there?

True he won't, a few years ago I drove a classic Mini to the South of France......great fun in the mountains around Monte Carlo but not the ideal car on the long straight Autoroutes getting there & back!

[taffy1967]

And here it is on a stretch of perfect Mini driving road: -




And some of the bends that I can't help throwing it around: -



For quite some time I used to commute to Cardiff 5 days a week for work in my Mini and that included driving on local roads, dual carriageway, a short spell on the M4 and then the dual carriageway past the bay. I was doing about 350 miles a week and getting around 50mpg, even though I couldn't help putting it through it's paces much of the time.

If needed I'd do it again, because there's nothing more therapeutic than driving a Mini, enjoying every mile and singing out loud to you're favourite songs on the stereo. i.e. Pink Floyd, Supergrass, The Charlatans etc, etc.

But yes those mountain roads are fantastic fun to drive it on, but I've always found the odd spell on a motorway fine too. I wouldn't want to travel to London or further and back every day in it though. But saying that I wouldn't want to travel that distance regularly in any car anyway.

Edited by taffy1967, 12 July 2007 - 11:27 PM.

[Jammy]

So to point out, most cars, if not all, are three dimensional, hence there really should be a third dimension to all these measurements! Unless of course your talking about a cars footprint on the road...

[Plattapuslikesrice]

Taffy, your Mini is beautiful. Do you gents happen to know if there's a thread that's a sort of 'show off your Mini' type of thing? I think that would be lovely and would help entice new buyers to choose the Mini that best suits them as well as give them mint ideas on modding their mini. Thanks again guys.