MINI MY LOVE

I have never managed to figure out what really is my kind of car. On one side I like muscle Mustang then on other side I like M3 kind of powerful modern cars. But Mini is something else, though I’m still not sure if it’s the compact powerful package that’s excites me more or the retro chic look impresses me or is it both? Well I decided to find it out myself and this time by not just checking out its website for the nth time or downloading the Mini tune or yet another wall paper but by experiencing Mini first hand, by touching, feeling and living it.

I couldn’t have been more excited on a hot, humid Sunday afternoon. I sacrificed by routine of sleeping all day on Sunday just so that I can lay my hand, foot and ass on the icon. Me and my friend were eagerly waiting for Mini guys to arrive. While I was really craving to experience the Mini for its drive, my flamboyant friend was thinking of buying Mini to add more mojo to his weekend playboy avatar. We had asked for Mini Countryman for a simple reason that we thought it should be the most sensible Mini for Indian roads. Though I would have preferred Mini Cooper S but then I wanted to get a taste of practicality as well as fun.  Mini Countryman and Cooper S both have some engine under the hood but performance differs due to suspension, size and ground clearance.

First it was my turn to push the throttle. But before I could press the throttle, interiors intimidated me. Big central dial with steel rim is primarily a speedometer and has digital panel with joystick control to navigate entertainment and communication system in the car. Small joystick takes some time to get use to but once you get comfortable with it feels nice. There are circles all around on dashboard which gives it a classic look. Leather upholstered steering with mounted control added to comfort and ease. Though what I really wanted to try was pedal shifts on steering which comes handy when you are trying to push the car in spots mode!

One of the things that Mini raves about is customization options it can offer when it comes to interiors and exteriors. There are multiple options for upholstery of each unit inside the car, side view mirror, stripes, etc. So you can make your own Mini by using various combinations of these options. Ofcourse you have to pay extra for it. Seats are well designed both from driving posture point of view and also from comfort point. Stainless steel pedal and footrest adds to the sporty feel of Mini.

 

Now that I was done ogling the interiors it was time to make the engine scream. I was just waiting to take it on the main road, even the slightest traffic irritated me as it came in between me and Mini’s pedal. “Lets take on a open road”, salesman suggested, so that I can see how it operated in sports mode. I smiled and thought ‘yes that’s exactly what I wanna try’.

Soon we were on this short, straight stretch with very less traffic. So it was time to press the small button with ‘Sports’ written on it. Now the gears could be controlled manually with pedals on steering, I had some 184 hp on my fingertips, literally. My right leg was hell bent on pressing the pedal really hard. There was complete silence inside the car and all we could hear was the engine roar and when such a roar comes from a small little car, its even more fascinating. Wide base and low center of gravity makes this car very stable even at high speed. I can’t mention whats the top speed I was driving at but let me just tell you that max speed of this car is 210km/h.  The 184 hp from a 1600cc engine is mind boggling by any standards, and when its also capable to churn out 260nm of torque then what you get is 0 to 100 in just 7.9 secs.  Countryman which weighs around 1800 kg is still heavier compared to Cooper S which weighs just 1500 kg and is shorter in height with same engine specs would be even more fun. It’s the compactness of car with huge power rush that turned me on.

Not just the acceleration but brakes are impressive too. Since I was on Delhi roads I had to deal with surprise entry of auto-rickshaw, cycles and sudden turn around corners; besides ABS Mini also comes with Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Automatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T) that prevents the wheels from spinning and helps the car stick to road with complete confidence. With six airbags you can be rest assured that even if you go crazy and manage to bang this beauty you will survive to look at it and regret that how could you be such an ass to ill-treat such a sexy bitch.

I would have loved to take this crossover off-road but we couldn’t find the right patch. Absence of all wheel drive option in India was disappointing but I doubt how many people will really bother about it. With features like Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) makes Mini perfect for highways and common rough patches on Indian roads. Without elaborating much on what these technologies really means and how do they work, let me know just say that Mini Countryman was this year’s Dakar winner, which is called the toughest rally on this planet. Mini has been rally winner for decades now so its capabilities to handle high speed is unquestionable.

Here  is some data for number crunchers:

Engine specifications	Cooper S Countryman
Output	184 hp (135 kW) @ 5,500 rpm
Max. torque/revs with overboost	260 Nm @ 1,600 - 5,000 rpm
Acceleration (0-100 km/h)	7.9 s
Top speed	210 km/h
Fuel consumption (urban)	9.5 l/100 km
Fuel consumption (extra-urban)	5.7 l/100 km
Fuel consumption (combined)	7.1 l/100 km
CO2 emissions	166 g/km
Unladen weight (DIN/EU)	1,335 / 1,410 kg
Max. permissible weightl	1,805 kg
Permitted roof load	75 kg
Boot space (min.-max.)	350 / 450 -1,170 litres
Tank capacity	47 litres
Dimensions LxWxH	4,110 / 1,789 / 1,561 mm

 Now it was time to swap seating position and allow my friend to enjoy the drive. This was first time I started checking out the exteriors in detail. Mini Countryman looks like Mini Cooper on steroid, imagine enhancing Kim Kardashian’s assets by around 15% so similar curves but bigger dimension, yes it does become yummier.

Double exhaust with big badge which is also used to open the upward opening tailgate makes the rear look nice. However, rear is probably the least interesting part of this car.  This car has retro-chic written all over it, from inside to outside.

I was on the co-passenger’s seat now. Countryman is a more practical mini with seating for 5, 5 doors for easy access to rear seats as well; luggage space of 1170 litres and 47 liters of fuel tank is good enough for those long weekends.

The drive was over but it certainly left lasting impression on me. I have been Mini fan since my teenage days and this drive just made me even bigger fan of this cult brand. There will be very few who can justify buying Mini to fulfill functional needs, it’s a car you buy with your heart not with your mind. It will surely turn even the most boring looking person into super stylish livingbeing. So unless you truly, madly fall in love with it you won’t consider it. If Mini was a girl I would do anything to make it mine, go down on my knee s, hover around her house till she said yes, kill half of the universe or turn myself into monkey if she liked me that way but since it’s a car I ll beg, borrow or steal if I can’t buy it. Until then I ll do Mini poster suggests – Cut Out and Keep Staring the Mini picture.