nearly 1 week with the mini

I assume with the amount of cars that go through your work place, you'll have seen a few without the big centre speedo, but with the screen where the big speedo normally is, and a little speedo sat on top of the dash next to, and the same size as, the rev-counter. I must admit I way prefer the look, but you have to have Sat Nav don't you? Am I right in saying there's no other way to get a screen there and the speedo shrunk an' moved? The problem for me is that I hate factory sat navs - they're always crap, and have like crap looking software, that can be a bit/lot shit. If they just like, put TomTom on them they'd be great, and upgradable for less than the cost of the car.

That's a huge result :-D Your services will just cost the price of oil and a filter, and probably some screen wash heh. It'd be great if the 3rd one was like, a full cambelt service, you'd save loads!

Awesome dude - glad you're enjoying it, I loved my mates Cooper S when I drove it, felt a bit slower an a bit less grippy, but lighter and way more chuckable than the Clio - felt like you'd have more fun without pushing quite so hard cos as you say, it had that go kart feel. I put that down to the extra like, 150-or-so-Kg the Clio had over it to be fair. I reckon you'd probably set a better lap in the Clio, but you'd probably enjoy the Mini lap more :)

Meh, the people that call it gay haven't driven one, and are so scared they might like it, they won't try. The same fear goes for some things they have repressed that cause them to need to call you/it gay...

Yes it was satnav only if you wanted the little speedo.

About time for a remap to cooper spec or above then.

That's too good, time for a remap

yup you'd be right but i quite like the big speedo bit retro and the rev counter has a small digital display which shoes your speed which i use bit easier to see because the big one you look at an angle so can look more or less than the speed limit sometimes. got used to it now though and love the cars interior

tempted but to be honest i like the way it is at the moment it's more than enough power to keep me happy and cos it's light on it's toes it doesn't matter so much

Heh, welcome to the fold. I'm on my third now. Started with a Cooper, traded that in for a Cooper S, and bought myself a Cooper D Clubman about 3 months ago.

What's the Clubman like? Presume you wanted a bit more space, is it big inside? I don't know anyone else who has one, just wondering what they're like as a matter of interest :-) What do you think of the looks, as they're quite controversial? I must admit, I'm not a huge fan, but they're not that bad, there is plenty of far, far more ugly cars on the roads. Like both the Fiat Doblo and Multipla. How one marque is capable of letting both of those designs get into production is just scary... [1]

I also own a Doblo, but I actually quite like it (and it's a van, so useful)

I think they Clubman, as a concept, is better than the normal new Mini. But... the passenger door is on the wrong side and BMW are too cheap to re-tool for a left hand side passenger door.

However, I must disagree with you about the Multipla. It's not ugly in the way a Doblo is, it's just something completely different - in MkI form. The toned down MkII is a huge disappointment and spectacularly dull.

I don't like kids, it'd be a feature for me :-p

Hmmm, I can see your point. It's like it's gone beyond ugly into a new zone that we don't have a name for, so it's almost come right back round the scale to -

"Different and quirky, cool in some warped, twisted kind of way"

That kinda thing?

mines a facelifted 2005 model any ideas what BMW changed? think the change happened in 2004 all i know is mine has the gearbox that shouldn't break

Were the engines not changed then, to a 1.4 16v in the lesser machines, and a Turbo instead of a Supercharger in the Cooper S? That turbo engine, despite not being as characterful as a supercharged engine, gets amazing write ups. Everybody loves it, and they seem to make a few bhp more on the rollers than they should. Evo often mention that everyone that drives it, be it journos or racers says it's got some power than the book figures, like the Nissan GT-R- but smaller scales :)

Lots of info on the forums on

Tis a lot more prac-tickle for me.

I own two elderly grand parents; that I live with and look after, and getting in and out of the Cooper S was a chore. This is a helluva lot easier.

For me the suicide door is on the right side, e.g. If your letting passengers out of the back do you really want to get out, take the keys out, walk round to the other side of the car, open the door, supervise, close the door, come back to the drivers side etc etc - I'd rather hop out - open the door - supervise - hop back in.

There is a lot more space in the rear, in the Cooper S people behind me were seriously cramped, now they can even bare a 5hr trip to Belgium with out needing to be let out every 50 miles for a stretch !

Oh, and performance, the 1.6 turbot diesel is a lovely torquey little gem (but then BMW don't build/fit/use s**te diesel motors). Rapid pace can be had easily, and cruising speeds are well in excess of anthing legal this side of an Autobahn.

Looks, never bothered me, I've always liked different cars with their own personalities. I like it and dont GAF what others think.

Oh, and economy..... well after having a tuned Cooper S its a godsend, the S was getting filled every 230miles at £55 a pop, the Clubby is getting filled every 550m at £40 a pop.

Oh, and did I mention the tax at £35 a year ?

Would you like to comment on the center rear visibility?

Not like a Clubman!

Its quite long, isn't it...

You get used to it..... just like you get used to any car / van that has reduced / limited / no rear visability via the rear view mirror.