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Originally Posted by shivasuma I don't know how people will take to the bone-jarring ride. If they soften the suspension, then it might lose its handling, but I guess people wouldn't mind a compromise between ride & handling. I had one question, is it really possible for BMW to price the Mini starting from 15L if they start assembling it here? Even if they could, will they? |
One option would be to avoid ticking the 17" wheel option-box. Not only would you save 70k, you'd retain the stock 16" wheels with the higher-profile rubber and that should make the ride slightly better, I suppose.
We can keep speculating, but only time will tell!
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Originally Posted by srishiva Why doesnt the retracted roof fit flush? Is it because its a hatch without much space left in the rear? Doesnt look good. |
Well, I suppose it's a design-characteristic. But if they had to make it completely retractable - to sit flush, there is no question that whatever little boot it has will be occupied by the top. Maybe the next-generation Mini Convertible would come with a properly-retracting top?
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Originally Posted by Parthasarathig - given the hefty price Id wait till CKD prices become clearer.
- absence of a manual gearbox spoils some of the fun. |
I don't think a CKD Cooper S would cost a lot less. Yes, it will make it more affordable. But even if it is sold at 20 lakhs, it's still a petrol car and a hatchback. These two points alone will seal it for most Indians willing to shell out their money on a car.
The 6-Speed torque-converter is actually not a bad 'box at all. It gives you the convenience of an automatic is grueling bumper-to-bumper city-traffic, and it lets you have some fun on your favourite roads as it allows you to rev it all the way till the red-line. It even holds the gear for you. The paddles do make it involving, but I'd have preferred the conventional left-downshift right-upshift setup over this Porsche-esq paddles.
A manula would have been perfect indeed. But if this is going to be your daily car, it's hard to fault the AT. For a weekend car, sure the manual is the best thing. But when you drive this car regularly, you'd find the AT a boon.
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Originally Posted by Parthasarathig - bone jarring rides on rough roads would a magnetic adjustable suspension do the trick? Or a push rod actuated suspension ala Ktm Crossbow? |
Like I'd mentioned earlier, you could opt for the stock 16" wheels an pocket 70k. I must say that the ride over bad patches and surfaces is really choppy. But on smooth tarmac, it's just as good as any. To be honest, it feels a bit like a 3-Series riding on larger wheels.
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Originally Posted by Parthasarathig - the mini S might make sense as a trackday car for many of those living in and around Delhi given its superb handling and acceleration characteristics. And might very well justify the hefty price. |
The track would be the best place to test this car to its limits. But this car does have its limits. I'd say, this car is the best daily-driver if your drives involve city roads. This car is brilliant just where you want it to be. It's reasonably comfortable, handles speed-breakers, and turns into a sports-car when you want it to.
For the track, I'd invest in a proper sports-car though.
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Originally Posted by Parthasarathig - The Jekyll and Hyde statement holds true for the topped and topless convertible too. |
The Jekyll-Hyde reference was made with respect to the performance of this car. In the city it drives like an ordinary hatchback but on the straights and twists, it transforms into a high powered go-kart. But this applies to the Cooper S only, solely because of that turbocharger that bumps power by over 50 horses. That's a lot of extra power.
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Originally Posted by Parthasarathig - What worries me is that with all the option boxes ticked who would buy this car at that price? Its almost entering 370z, porsche boxster, TT, Z4 territory isnt it? |
Well, with all options ticked it should be around 37-45 lakhs on the road, which is not exactly value. For the same price, a BMW/Merc/Audi offers a lot more car. But if you have an agenda i.e. if you're an enthusiast and if you drive predominantly within the city, you don't ferry more than 1 or 2 people besides yourself, you don't do more than 15 km a day, you struggle to find parking-spots and you still have 45 lakhs to blow, this is the car for you. It will guarantee you fun without giving you the hassles that most sports-cars come with.
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Originally Posted by Parthasarathig - On a given day Id have more fun in the Classic mini than the new one just as the classic beetles are more appealing than the new ones. The mini was an icon in its hayday, plus People wouldnt confuse it with swift, and its the actual hero in the Italian job.
I dont like the integration of iDrive with the speedo and also runflats on the newer minis. Why couldnt they have left it untouched just like the classic. The classic did win rallys without runflat tyres didnt it?! But then probably im the only guy in the world who must be preferring the classic to the new one. |
Of course, the classic Mini one of the best cars ever engineered IMO. Even today, you could drive it around town and not worry about parking-spots and still have a lot of fun with it. The new Cooper S just amplifies that experience. Nothing can replace a classic though.
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Originally Posted by Automaton Will a build your own kit car format for a car like this make sense?
Enthusiasts could get the delivery of a pallete direct from BMW and could assemble it themselves. More joy. More involvement. They could throw in a test at the service centre before RTO registration so that the assembled vehicle meet their standards and quality checks. |
I would not recommend a kit-car unless you've got a helluva lot of time and money to blow. There are many others formalities and issues to consider,and after all the struggle you may not really enjoy the experience. You really need to be totally nuts and completely dedicated to the idea if you want to even try it. Not scaring you but just laying down the hard facts. I've seen many friends and acquaintances struggle over the years.
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Originally Posted by Utopian Excellent review. The Cooper S must have been real fun to drive. The prices however are too steep to make it a practical buy.
Didn't you get a chance to review the Countryman? |
The Countryman you'd think is the more sensible car, for all practical purposes.
It has 4 doors, a more spacious rear-seat and a pretty useful boot. AND it comes in the same Cooper S trim too. But I cannot comment on it until I experience it. From several other reviews, I've inferred that it's not worth the extra money and you'd rather save and buy the regular Cooper S hatch instead.
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Originally Posted by noopster Congrats on your first review, Suhaas! Very comprehensive one at that.
I guess they could have launched a manual-tranny variant with less safety kit (maybe only 2 airbags and ABS) and a sparser interior and priced it at say 22 lac ex-showroom? Then we'd be talking! |
Thanks Noop
Ahh.. if wishes were horses eh?
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Originally Posted by F50 Great first review Suhaas. Congrats.
Couple of weeks back, I had a chance to catch up with Mini Countryman. I didn't like the looks much but the space was great. The ride was horrid on Mumbai roads. The interior was good to look at like lights in the door pads etc. The quality of the interiors was not upto the mark considering its costs almost 50 lakhs on road.
I would never buy Countryman rather be happy with Mini Cooper S. |
Thanks Priyank.
I echo your sentiments dude! *winks*