MINI Takes The States: -- a way of life
Written by Geoff Reeves
They are seen on the road zipping in and out of traffic, with a snub nose front end and a ground clearance barely above the asphalt. Sometimes a painted flag graces the top of the car representing the country where they are made, and its design looks to be a step-child of the VW Bug family... but it’s not. Their size makes you want to pull the car back, let it go, and cheer as you watch it speed off down the city street. With an interior that looks like it was created by Dr. Seuss, I stood there wondering “What kind of car company is this?” Well, I found out first hand as MINI, a division of BMW Group, invited me out to the final leg of their 2010 MINI Takes The States (MTTS) event in Denver, Colorado.
Upon my arrival to the Mile High city, I was let loose within the crowd of MINI owners. After speaking to a variety of people from around the country, I couldn’t get over what I’d walked into. These were the nicest, warmest and friendliest people I had met in a long time. To echo Jim McDowell, head of MINI North America, “Someone said, buy a MINI and it comes with friends.” That statement is absolutely true. As if a “calling” was broadcast across the nation, more than 10,000 MINI Cooper owners participated in this cross-country event. With official start cities on the west and east coasts, a migration of MINIs started up each morning and drove through predetermined cities picking up “packs” of more MINIs on the way to Denver, Colorado. Standing outside an old mining museum along our route in Nederberg, Colorado, I counted more than 100 MINIs in a convoy drive through a traffic circle. The “land train” froze traffic in all directions while pedestrians stopped and stared in bewilderment.
Depending if you were east or west bound to Denver, you may have driven on the famous Route 66, gone to the Bonneville Salt Flats to see how fast your MINI could go, or drove a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. MINI coordinators did a fantastic job of encompassing fun and memorable moments into what could have been a long and tedious drive. Registration for the event was only $25 and part of that went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on behalf of Ryan’s MINI Adventure, a sad yet beautiful story (www.ryansminiadventure.com/HOME.html).
Some MINI owners saddled up with the commitment to complete the entire 10 day journey. Others drove from one city to the next, then turned around. I found a third type of owner who left home with dedication to drive their MINI to one or two cities. Several days and cities later they were still driving because they were having so much fun! Cities the event passed through were either layovers or had a full fledged party planned with a MINICross and music to dance to as the sun went down.
Participants loved the people they were with, their cars and what MINI Cooper stood for- FUN! Everyone was smiling, constantly laughing, and really enjoying life. Nobody cared what each other did for a living, how much money each other made or what else they had in their garage. Wanting to know more about the MINI culture, I very slyly asked what they did do for a living and what else they had in their garage. What I found must make it difficult for the MINI marketing team, because there is no real core demographic for a MINI owner. They are professionals, part time workers, white and blue collar employees, college kids, business owners, creative people, and numbers crunchers. With MINI base prices starting at $19,500, a MINI is available for everyone. For some this is their only mode of transportation. Others had exotics from Italy, Germany, England or all three parked in their garage next to their MINI. Some say MINI owners can be described as quirky, or a bit eccentric. But aren’t we all a bit eccentric in our own way? We all have things we like and our friends don’t understand why. However, one attribute I love about these car fanatics is they are daring. By daring, I not only mean the way they customize their vehicles, (e.g., I saw a MINI painted as a NYC taxi cab with a sign that said “Not for Hire,” another had a big wind up key that stuck out the boot and actually turned; while another had installed a roll cage, 4 point racing harness, bigger brakes and altered her engine to give her almost 500 hp!. But I also mean daring in their actions as well. The two best stories exemplifying the MINI owner persona were hearing about an ice cream truck being tailed and flagged down by the Head of MINI North America, Jim McDowell himself. After they got the truck to pull over, he bought ice cream for all 20 cars traveling in his “MINI convoy” before continuing on. Then there was the bravest and most serious group of MINI owners. These hard core drivers had internal car communications with each other and used them to full advantage. Eyeing a prime “target of opportunity” they surrounded and pulled over a highway patrol officer! Their only demand before letting him carry on with his day was to receive “Junior Policeman Badges,” usually handed out to kids. I couldn’t stop laughing at that epic tale!
Having the chance to drive with Jim McDowell and his wonderful wife afforded me the opportunity to talk about the company, its cars and what to look forward to. In 1959, the Suez Canal was impassable because of the world’s political climate. This forced tankers to travel all the way around Africa to deliver their petroleum products to Europe. As a result, petroleum prices spiked and the demand for a small engine getting the best fuel economy with as much horsepower as possible was born. When the dust settled, a 1.6-liter, horizontally positioned engine stood tall. Dropped into a small British coupe, they were called Minis. Three years later, in 1962, F1 developer John Cooper recognized this car’s potential and put upgraded brakes, suspension, and a turbocharged engine on one. Thus began the long history of MINI into the rally racing circuit. Over time the Cooper name was incorporated into the brand giving us the MINI Cooper brand today.
All MINI interiors are very user friendly with minimal, and very simple buttons. Surprisingly I had to pull my seat forward because of the amount of room in the cabin. But the Dr. Seuss looking dashboard with the enormous speedometer was confusing me. I was taught that as the car is built on the assembly line, it follows a shaft that goes right through the vehicle to which everything is assembled around. Hence the huge round opening. The designers saw this as the perfect place for the speedometer. In the rally car world it makes sense because the driver is looking forward while the navigator is computing the time, speed, distance calculations.
Today’s engines provide three horsepower choices -- 118 (naturally aspirated), 172 (turbocharged), or 208 (John Cooper Works). The handling of these cars is impressive too. Driving the Denver MINICross in a JCW with Dez, a professional MINI racer, he advised me to really “whip” the wheel. I threw the wheel back and forth as I sped through the slalom, and instead of fish tail and spinning out, I carved through the cones like a roller coaster train on its track!
The MINI lineup has grown beyond the traditional 2 door and side door Clubman. The newest edition is the 2011 4-door Countryman coming this January. Just over 6 inches taller, almost 12 longer in back and 3 up front, it incorporates a sophisticated suspension system, an optional all-wheel drive system, and is versatile with off-road capabilities. Featuring 181 horsepower, 177 pound-feet of torque and a curb weight of 3,053 pounds, it has the same go-kart handling and 30 mpg average fitting seamlessly into the British brand.
With racing in the MINI pedigree, and a strong history backed by a respected German company, the future looks bright for MINI.
Let go of your inhibitions, dare to have fun, and let your inner child shine. Drive a MINI.
