[uke]

I've been without a car since my R56 blew up. Fortunately I can work from home, but I've been slowly going stir crazy and counting the milliseconds until who-knows-when in December when I will get my F56.

I finally snapped and rented a car. The rental agent seemed to think it was a nice upgrade from a bare-bones car (It's a Camry). It is a decent car, but driving it around I feel like I'm trapped in a soulless, zero-fun hamster wheel of a vehicle.

A couple of times I borrowed the kid's Honda Civic Hybrid (which I previously drove for 10 years) before I got the rental. I felt like a little part of me was dying every time I drove it. The Camry is the same.

I have concluded that the MINI has irredeemably ruined me, and that I am forever cursed to only drive fun, cute cars or suffer a slow lingering death behind the wheel of a boring, gutless normal car.

Anyone else feel ruined by MINIs?

 

[Wheee!]

I never knew cars could be anything other than something that gets you from point A to B until I drove a mini. I'm right there with you uke. I can't imagine driving anything else now. Hang in there you've only got a month to go. The soulless box on wheels will only make you appreciate your mini even more when it arrives.

 

[Oost]

I bought my first MINI when I decided I'd been sensible for far too long and I really had no need to be. No kid to put n the backseat, just the big old dog. I wanted to enjoy a drive. My R55s put a huge smile on my face both when I drove it and when I thought of driving it. I was heart broken when it was cruelly crushed by a large oak tree limb. Ok it's just a car I told myself, no one was hurt, you have good insurance, you'll get another car. Another MINI.
Yeah, so I was spoiled by the first MINI experience and I still am. The F56s is sooo different than the R55s, but it still put a MINI sized smile on my face. Don't mind me folks but I think I'll take the long route home.
Oost

 

[MINIgirl]

I have DREAMED of having a MINI for six years! I just picked up my car after a 10 week wait and have had it for 10 days. I LOVE it! Just looking at my car puts a smile on my face. Keep going into the garage, for just a glance.

Finding excuses to go for a drive....

 

[jeremybingham]

Yeah go folks. Us too we , my wife and I are both the same. .obsessed with all things mini. If we won the lottery wed have one off each sort. Don't you just look at all those others in their sad boring boxes and feel sorry for them.

 

[Stingray82]

I had been saving and planning for a Mini since 1979. They stopped selling them here in 1980 so I had to wait another 20 years. When the gen 1 came out I held off because I didn't want a Mini with a Dodge Neon engine. When the gen 2 came out I held off because I didn't want one with a Peugot engine. Now that they have made the perfect Mini, I am tempted to buy 3 or 4 spares and store them away so I can drive a new one for the rest of my life!

I am never driving anything else ever!

...and they will all be red with white roof.

 

[jeremybingham]

I had been saving and planning for a Mini since 1979. They stopped selling them here in 1980 so I had to wait another 20 years. When the gen 1 came out I held off because I didn't want a Mini with a Dodge Neon engine. When the gen 2 came out I held off because I didn't want one with a Peugot engine. Now that they have made the perfect Mini, I am tempted to buy 3 or 4 spares and store them away so I can drive a new one for the rest of my life!

I am never driving anything else ever!

...and they will all be red with white roof.

Love it sting Ray . To be fair the pug engine in turbo forms at least Is fast fun and frugal. Mind you my 3 cylinder Cooper engine feels far more refined!

 

[cesarpand]

In my case, the car that made a change on me, was a Renault Clio Sport on 2002. From there i like the feeling of this kind of cars, my latest car was a Cooper 2010, i love them. Me too, i don't know if could drive anotherfkind of car.

 

[jeremybingham]

I've always liked this sort of car. Mg metro,then citroen axgt(vfast and light) Mazda 323f, Toyota mr2 mk 2 then golf r32 which just felt too big. Then r56 cooper s and now f56 cooper. Devout hot hatch fan!

 

[Stingray82]

Peugeot and Renault were sold here for a few years. They had a reputation of being rusty, unreliable and expensive to repair. Suddenly in the '90s they pulled out and even people with cars under warranty were left high and dry. All of the French made cars here wound up in the junk yard pretty fast. You would see them sitting there untouched because nobody could even bother to pick parts off them.

The Dodge Neon engine really isn't so bad but the rest of the car has a poor reputation so the engine has been tainted. Used Gen 1 and 2 Minis are piled up in dealerships all over Vancouver. They sit there forever with sticker prices close to or even higher than retail. People here like Minis but they are regarded as prohibitively expensive by most people.

The new price of an F56 is actually quite a bit lower than the typical price of a used R56.

 

[ThunderSeven]

I've been in love with the brand, the community, the styling and the uniqueness of it for many many years. As I gained more experience in the "design" industry I've come to appreciate it even more.

My previous vehicles were ones that were handed down to me, or something that a family member could no longer afford to drive... I longed for a mini until I finally was able to obtain one.

As I don't get to do a lot of vacationing/traveling but the time came where I knew I had to treat myself... I could go wherever my mini takes me now.. even to the grocery store I smile so much! I use it to visit people but secretly I can't wait to get back in it and drive away! I don't think I could or would ever be able to find "just a car" that would make me feel this awesome.

 

[Chris]

I'd always wanted a modern MINI since they came out.

My first car at age 17 was an R50 MINI One, absolutely loved it! Spent a fortune improving it cosmetically, different alloys, spoiler, jcw bodykit.

I sold this for a Ford Fiesta, which being the new model was way ahead in terms of refinement. It was an exceptional car but wasn't quite my MINI...

Later I traded the fiesta for an R56 Cooper S in laser blue, a car I'd dreamed of since owning my yellow R50. Unfortunately I had most of the associated common issues, seeing as it was a very early R56, which put me off the MINI brand temporarily. I then had a couple of Citroen DS3s, as it promised some of the appeal and character of the MINI. Again, fantastic cars efficient stylish and quick, but as soon as I saw the F56 I knew I had to have one!

I guess I'll always return to MINI...