WITH MODERN CLASSICS
WISE BUYER
James Walshe reckons now is the time to snap up an example of BMW’s Mini reboot
Why you want one
Cynics said it would never happen back in 2000, but here it is… the Bayerische Motoren Werke MINI is entering classic status. Many of us remember the launch almost 23 years ago, when traditionalists scoffed at the unashamedly retro look. The new Cowley-built car resembled the original from certain angles, but rather than take on the Issigonis ‘small on the outside, big on the inside’ ethos, this was all about fashion and fun. The MINI story has been a huge success, with each generation successfully selling by the bucket load to enthusiastic owners across the world.
The spirit of the original was there with stripes, toggle switches and wheels at each corner for outstanding handling and from One to Roadster, every MINI is a driver’s delight. Whichever one you go for, you’ll never lose because BMW’s baby is going to be very collectable one day.
Which one do you want?
All versions had that trademark cabin with its giant centre speedo – as charming as it ever was – and all models are a hoot to drive. The first MINI is known as the R50 (hatch) and was followed by the R52 (convertible) and R53 (Cooper). The base-spec One got the 1.4-litre ‘Tritec’ unit, co-developed by Chrysler and BMW, while the Cooper and Cooper S got a 1.6-litre (the latter gaining a bonnet scoop and whiny supercharger). Diesel fans will find their One D fitted with a Toyota engine. The convertible arrived in 2004 when the whole range got a few cosmetic tweaks and a new Getrag gearbox to replace the Rover R65 unit. The lightweight and stripped-out John Cooper Works GP Kit of 2006 was a firecracker - around 400 were sold in the UK.
The MINI got a full reworking six years after launch with the R56 – launching with the new Cooper and Cooper S and joined soon after by the MINI One and MINI First (the latter being a new base-spec version). It might look almost the same but there were improvements throughout. For instance, it’s slightly roomier and the headlamps no longer lift with the entire clamshell bonnet (thanks to US law) but it offers the same fun drive. The Tritec unit was replaced with a 1.6-litre, the Cooper S getting a twin scroll turbo in place of the supercharger – plus six-speed ‘box. The two-seater Coupé and Roadster models added to the fun while the MINI Clubman (as seen here) had a longer body and barn doors, like the Sixties original. Equipment packs of all these cars range from Salt (on base spec cars), Pepper and Chili (the latter of which gives you sports seats and bigger wheels among other things).
