...70) when it was the MINI COOPER S 35th Anniversary special edition, and was considering getting a Mini for a first car (pity my Bank balance had other ideas)....... and finally got round to buying another issue when the October 2004 issue was out (now £3.40).
It's contents mainly consist ... Read review
Advantages: The best magazine for MINI enthusiasts, not as expensive as some other Car mags Disadvantages: None, except you're screwed if you DON'T like the Mini
...£2.70) when it was the MINI COOPER S 35th Anniversary special edition, and was considering getting a Mini for a first car (pity my Bank balance had other ideas)....... and finally got round to buying another issue when the October 2004 issue was out (now £3.40).
It's contents mainly consist of the old Classic Mini + now also has a section for that newer BMW thing that's replaced it.
If you thought of the Mini as a clapped ... ...how adaptable & practical the Mini is... even though it's been out of production for, what...... 4years now?....... you can still get brand new body shells & body panels for it, and all sorts of other fixtures & fittings (and it costs under £500 to insure, providing you don't get too carried away looking through all the adverts in this magazine).
The Articles are fairly well written (more mature than Max Power anyway), and mostly about how ... more
I first bought this magazine when the May '98 issue was out (priced £2.70) when it was the MINI COOPER S 35th Anniversary special edition, and was considering getting a Mini for a first car (pity my Bank balance had other ideas)....... and finally got round to buying another issue when the October 2004 issue was out (now £3.40).
It's contents mainly consist of the old Classic Mini + now also has a section for that newer BMW thing that's replaced it.
If you thought of the Mini as a clapped out old runabout for doing the shopping in (apart from it's numerous Rallying successes in the 1960's + that car chase in the original version of "The Italian Job"), this magazine might just help you change that perception. A flick through this magazine will reveal just how adaptable & practical the Mini is... even though it's been out of production for, what...... 4years now?....... you can still get brand new body shells & body panels for it, and all sorts of other fixtures & fittings (and it costs under £500 to insure, providing you don't get too carried away looking through all the adverts in this magazine). The Articles are fairly well written (more mature than Max Power anyway), and mostly about how much they can be customised....... for instance, you can sling out them standard Austin-Rover / British Leyland front seats, and replace them with a much nicer pair by either COBRA or CORBEAU for about £300.... or about just under £600 if you want leather, and also add a centre console (£99) + a leather gear lever gaiter + a gear knob, and make the interior look like something that wouldn't be out of place in a £75,000+ Aston Martin. Or if you prefer more of a race car feel......... strip out the interior, bolt in a pair of bucket seats, and a roll cage (attaches via the seatbelt mountings) + a pair of Harness belts, and away you go.
The Q&A section provides fairly comprehensive answers to most questions, and there's often features involving photo illustrated guides to tasks such as replacing and setting-up the suspension, or such like. The articles on readers cars range from immaculately restored classics, to Modified Mini's that would put most cars in MAX POWER to shame (how about a Mini with a 165BHP engine out of a Honda Civic Type-R?)...... to Race prepared Mini's of a similar standard to a BTCC or DTM race car. There's also usually features of participating in events such as classic car rallies, etc..... and a section featuring the progress of the Staff's own Mini's.... and a "New Products section", one for the old Mini the other for the NEW Mini. Also they have a classified adverts section, with loads of Mini's for sale if you're interested in one. They even have their own Insurance scheme available exclusively for Mini's (which includes cover for most standard modifications at no extra cost).
Give the magazine a go sometime, it's certainly worth a look (and so's the Mini, if you want a fun & sporty classic car on a low budget)
Advantages: Looking cool Disadvantages: Rust quicker than linford christie
My first ever car was a vauxhall nova! Although the only car that i ever wanted was a mini. I finally got one 2 years ago and i have loved every single minute driving it. There isn't another car around (in the same insurance band) that rivals the minis cornering capabilities. This is where it comes into its own. Everyday i see teenagers with their suped up hatchbacks racing around at high speeds and all i think to myself is how silly they look, if only they were introduced to driving at reasonable speeds but cornering faster than any car around!! I think that everyone should have the same amount of fun as i have at the moment ...
Advantages: Cheap to run Disadvantages: Awful Handling, no power
Finished in custard yellow it looked small, not entirely without charm. Neat alloy wheels at each corner. Overall a pleasant mini sized car. But this is no world beating supermini if this car were a person it would be Little Jimmy Krankie, irritating, annoying, trying to be clever when it isn’t.
Sit in the drivers seat and there is a neat curved dash, simple chunky buttons and neat easily readable instruments. The front seats are reasonably supportive and the cloth is adequately fine. Back seat occupants need to be very young, have very short legs or suffer in appalling discomfort. A long journey could put you in danger of deep vein thrombosis.
This would be all very acceptable if the blessed thing wasn’t so awful to drive. The 1.1 Sporting I drove recently promised far more than it ever delivered. It bounded into play ...
Advantages: So much fun to drive Disadvantages: Can be susceptible to rust in places
Even though mine does not have that big an engine (1.2), it has excellent acceleration, as it is so small and light. You can turn on a penny due to the short wheelbase. It drives like a go-kart, so it is so much fun to drive, as it has stiff suspension, and a large upright steering wheel.
Inside it is simple, with two dials, the speedo on the left and the stats on the right (Fuel, temp etc).
There are however some problems with the mini: A problem which often occurs is that rust builds up just under the lights where there is a join, the buckets on the inside of the doors are a bit flimsy and likely to break off. The lights inside the button on the dashboard also often go.
In conclusion I feel that the mini is probably THE most fun car to drive in the world however it is a bit susceptible to rust so check it regularly ...
