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)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: An excellant, reliable, fun car which is relatively cheap to run. Disadvantages: Sportspack option causes less nimble handling and some owners have problems with the steering veering to the left.
andy500 13.06.2001 (24.06.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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