[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

By the way, you car looks lovely in its natural setting. Is this the R50/53 model - The Cooper with the Chrome...

Thank you! This is a 2006 September Mini Cooper, I am not sure if it is called R50/53 model.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Just for fun and without hijacking your thread, here is my Second hand 2012 S (R56), bought last week in Bangalore as my daily driver.

You have got a beautiful car, and that too an "S"! Hope you will put up a detailed ownership thread if you have not already done so.

[shankar.balan]

Check this article on Wiki which will give you a clear picture of the versions and generations of the
Mini Cooper Cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Hatch?wprov=sfti1

Ref my car. Thank you for the compliments. Yes it is deliciousness personified. I ve wanted one a long long time and have finally managed to achieve it.

If you dont mind a bit more hijacking of your thread, here are a couple more pics.

Yes it is an S and I have added in a couple of small grille logos like the S and the AA (Southern India) and the LED door puddle lamps etc.

Most certainly I will write an ownership thread soon.

[BlackPearl]

The Mini had been running fine except for a strange sound coming when turning the steering wheel at low speeds. Found out that the front strut mounts had gone bad. They are not very costly and got them replaced.







The old mount


New mount


The bill was £310, out of which labour was the significant part.

MOT was almost due and 1 tyre was almost at the legal limit of 1.6 mm tread depth. 2 more tyres were also quite worn out. So wanted to change all 4 of them. The service guy told me to change 3 tyres as one was quite good. The only problem was it was a Chinese tyre named Gallopro YH18. I had no idea about Jinyu tyres and wanted to go for Toyo tyres. But the service person asked me to enquire about the Gallopro tyres and also said that he has very good feedback about them. Then I realised that the front left tyre that was good had been running for almost 20K miles without any issue and still had a lot of tread left. It is surely on the harder side and the grip levels are not at part with say Michelins, but I am a slow driver and have not faced any issue. Researched a bit more about Jinyu tyres and found good feedback about them.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Ji...lopro-YH18.htm



So went ahead and bought 3 new Jinyu Gallopro YH18 tyres and got them fitted at a local shop.









After fitting the tyres went to get the MOT done. The vehicle passed with a minor defect regarding one of the number plate lights not working. Need to get that fixed.

The MOT centre


Vehicle check in progress


The MOT Fees chart


The MOT certificate




The car has been running flawlessly and reliably. Still very happy with the purchase after close to 2 years with the vehicle!

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

This is an interesting insight. I have never in any of my rental cars in Europe all these years, found them to keep the Hi Vis Jacket in the cabin. And never until date have any of the rental car chaps given me any unused breathalysers to carry.

The Octavia we rented from Prague last week had the HiVis jacket in the glove box. Maybe it is a new rule? Didn't notice any breath analyzer though.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

The Octavia we rented from Prague last week had the HiVis jacket in the glove box. Maybe it is a new rule? Didn't notice any breath analyzer though.

Breathalyser is mandatory in France, not in other European countries.

What do I legally need to carry in my car when driving in France?
The French law requires each car to carry warning triangles and high-vis jackets for all occupants (which must be easily accessible). It's also mandatory to carry a French government certified (NF) breathalyser or alcohol detection test kit in your car, although this law is being scrapped.

Source: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-ne...rance-top-tips

[turbowhistle]

I must say I have read this thread atleast 15 times and since I was in a similar setting, it made sense for me to find something similar. My office does not have any parking so the usage is restricted for weekends and outstation trips only. Thank you so much for inspiring me and guiding in the right direction

I was lucky enough to find a 2007 Cooper S which was clean and in good condition. The car came with both keys, all service records and lovely ATS wheels. It has few niggles but nothing alarming for a 12 year old car. So couldn’t pass in on the deal. Without further hijacking, let me show just one picture of the red sister.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

I must say I have read this thread atleast 15 times and since I was in a similar setting, it made sense for me to find something similar. My office does not have any parking so the usage is restricted for weekends and outstation trips only. Thank you so much for inspiring me and guiding in the right direction

I was lucky enough to find a 2007 Cooper S which was clean and in good condition. The car came with both keys, all service records and lovely ATS wheels. It has few niggles but nothing alarming for a 12 year old car. So couldn’t pass in on the deal. Without further hijacking, let me show just one picture of the red sister.

I am really happy that my thread motivated you, it feels good to get such feedback
Congratulations for the Cooper S and it looks stunning. Please do post an ownership thread when you get some time. I must confess that I have paid less attention to my Mini Cooper after getting the Range Rover Sport, but every time I drive the Mini, it manages to bring a smile on my face. It is undoubtedly a fantastic driver's car and the S must be even more fun!

[BlackPearl]

I am updating this thread with a heavy heart that the Mini was sold yesterday night. It would have been exactly 3 years with the car tomorrow. From 2019 December onwards, after getting the Range Rover Sport, I have hardly driven the Mini. It clocked barely a thousand miles compared to the fourteen thousand miles on the RRS during the same time. I should have part exchanged or sold the Mini off when we got the RRS and could have saved a lot of money on depreciation, insurance, road tax, MOT and maintenance. Such decisions have to be taken with the mind and not the heart, lesson learnt. I had put up an advert on Autotrader yesterday afternoon and got innumerable phone calls within the next few hours. One desperate guy came to see that car at 9 P.M and drove away after a test drive. I will miss the Mini though I have not driving it much for the past one year. But still seeing it parked on the road would make me happy. It has been a flawless vehicle and was fun to drive. 21000 miles of lovely memories!

A picture was taken one day before parting with the Mini -