Welcome to The Miniac. Home to all things MINI Cooper. When I'm not sharing the latest news from MINI or a unique model from the brand, I'm also sharing some fun models from other brands as part of my Miniac Auto Club series.
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Very nice review of these cars. i really like your Green & White Cooper JCW, i mean its manual transmission and the white wheels finish it off. a little more practical with seats in the back. obviously the GP3 is faster and more a track day or secondary car. both are nice, i just like BRG as had a Gen One in BRG with white roof and mirror caps. earlier this year i got a Gen 3 Cooper, it gets me to work and back and i just like Mini's this is my 5th Mini.
I am from London Ontario, I was recently given a 2005 mini with no manual so I don't know what model I have. it sat in a driveway and needed a new key, battery,starter,alternator, 2 front brake lines and a muffler. It passed the safety and the oil was clean so I took it out for a 75K drive. It ran great and I did use the speed shifter and it worked great .However I will not use it again until I get all fluids changed as well as any filters. Any other things to consider? It has 200 K on it.
Definitely get it looked at. If it's a 2005 Cooper, not a Cooper S, it has the CVT transmission since you said it has no manual. Watch that gearbox. They had a recall of some sort on the CVT for lots of issues.
Thanks for the video Miniac! Here I am at 4:00 am in Ohio watching your video on driving a Mini Convertible in the winter. As an owner of now 2 Mini Convertibles (2024 Chili Red JCW and a 2016 Caribbean Aqua 1.5L) I Googled convertibles in the winter and was directed to your video. I always enjoyed driving our 2016 late into the season with the top down, seats on, heat on, and windows up with temperatures in the lower 40's. I was thinking about driving the JCW through the entire winter and selling or storing my 2022 Mini Countryman. The only thing I might consider is adding a set of Blizzaks for winter tread if I do decide to drive the convertible in the winter here in Ohio. Thanks again for all you Mini videos as I do enjoy your enthusiasm for the brand.
I started doing this once I noticed the valve would close on its own. Not sure the reason why it would just disconnect itself resulting in closing the valve on its own.
@TheMINIac that was my point it was a factory jcw. Albeit just with r56 suspension and brakes but some upgraded valves , and a great airbox , etc. But it was a jcw and badged as one. I've had 3 at my shop last 18 Months . I daily a f56 S with a host of upgrades. It's last day on a dyno was 277 wheel horse..not crank . But it is heavily modded My r53 makes 263 and is about 290 pinds lighter than stock and is a no Sunroof car (slicktop) I was just making sure I was understanding your wording correctly in thr video.
The truth is, each generation of the Mini seems uglier to me. The most beautiful one, in my opinion, is the second generation of the BMW Mini. Or the first one. The F56 already appealed to me less than the previous ones. This new generation is even uglier. It has lost a lot of character and personality. Additionally, the lack of a manual transmission is too much for me; the interior, although inspired by classic Minis, seems cheaper, and I'm not a big fan of the fabric dashboard... If the thing about the flatter nose, reminiscent of the first two Mini generations, is true, that would be a good point in its favor for me. But I need to see it in person first; from the videos, it doesn't seem that way.
i have a 2008 mini r52 (nonsport) that had 56k miles when we got it! It was in nightfire red with stripes, and its the best first car ever! for 1800 it was a steal, no issues at all!! Its also the same age as me <3
Its so ugly. My gosh I went to trade my 2016 Countryman in, but when I saw this in person I said NO WAY! Dealer tells me that they aren't selling well either. It's lost the charm. The new design is too awkward and it's too BIG! I mean this thing is HUGE compared to my 2016 Countryman. Bye bye Mini. They ruined it.
They’re selling pretty well from what I have heard. They really aren’t that much bigger compared to the old Countryman, they’re huge compared to the R60 which you have but not the F60.
@@TheMINIac NO, they are NOT selling well. My gosh, what dealer told you they are? Look at the numbers. My dealer has received a few truck loads in and told me they are lucky to sell 5-10 a month, where they used to sell 20 something a month. YES IT'S HUGE! People aren't liking the looks and while the new interior seems to be cool at first, spending any time in it, you start to realize that it has a cheaper feel and is very much a gimmick, rather than the beautiful, quality, luxury feel of what Mini used to be.
I know. I saw a Kia Forte the other day and thought to myself how much it looked like the BMW 1 Series. lol. Like, literally identical to tue headlight shape and even some of the silhouette around the grill.
I don't like it at all. It looks like a combination of a Subaru, and Kia. I'd pick the new Mini 4-door over this any day of the week. When I first started watching I thought the new redesign was the blue one. That is a beautiful car, and it's a shame it never made its way to the US.
Consider the fact that they are mirror images of each other. If it was a union jack it should not be so. Even if you do want it to represent that they should also be switched to opposite sides so as not to look so stupid. You got it totally wrong.
You’re incorrect. This issue is because of US vehicle lighting rules. Only a small piece of that light indicates in Europe and the UK but in the US they required more of it to blink. So they did so. They’re not going to make the light design different just for the US market. It’s expensive. So common sense is the flashing light on the right is indicating turn right.
I feel MINI has been able to hold onto its design language a little better than BMW. BMW doesn’t have a design precedent per se for some of their cars so they can go a little over the top. I feel like this car could have gone a little more out there than they did with the design. It’s too safe of a design in this instance.
The most important fact about this car is the weight! It came out at only 1200 kg or 2645 lbs compared to the 1300 kg or 2866 lbs of a normal E36 318 is coupe. Forget the automatic transmission this Compact needs a manual and it is very fun to drive and also very easy to maintain. Fixing up any E36 is an easy job and you can get pieces en mass.
IMO it's a huge downgrade compared to the F56. This S looks like a base Cooper, except the S badges front and rear. The interior materials doesn't feel premium, the only customizable thing is the color of the seats, they even got rid of the lights in the glove box and sun visors (coming from the F56). Also very few storage : no rear cup holders, no storage in the non-leveling armrest, no secret compartment... But 8 driving modes 😂 There could be 24, it would still not be enough to forget how low cost this new Mini feels compared to its predecessor.
I presently own my 4th Mini - and now I have test driven the new Countryman. Pros - large improvements in performance, ride and comfort - I was really impressed with that. I’ve gotten past the elimination of the manual shift, but there are several other cons which may be deal breakers. First, to do most anything while driving, one must take their eyes off the road. I hope consumer reports or someone does a basic safety check of this. Note, there are no convenient knob of HVAC and likewise, no easy controls for the sound system including preset buttons. And get this - the single accessory I access every time I take out my mini is a built in garage door opener. The new mini does not offer it, even as an upgrade. What are they thinking? But you do get a seat massager - seriously - I’d trade that for an opener - I wonder how many times one will use that function?! In addition, no forward instrument panel - I guess it’s replaced by the heads up display and center console - I didn’t notice a fuel gauge? To quote the Maniac - there is “so much in here.” How many people are going to play with the screen instead of focusing on the road - the mini has long been touted for the driving experience - why is Mini taking the focus off the experience? Sorry, but it seems like a techno team went nuts on gadgets and forgot what Mini is all about.
Dunno. It gets crazier at BMW. They’re dropping the I from the end of the vehicle names and using that exclusively for electric cars. And I always thought the I stood for Injection as in fuel injection. 🤷🏻♂️😂
Horrendous mate. Thank God that is a very rare occurrence in the UK. That could be a new bonnet. I was in Florida during Hurricane Erma and I managed to get the hire car into the garage by moving 1 tonne pool table 😊
My wife and I have a 2024 Cooper S that we both think is a fun car. We also have several other sports cars. My major MINI dislikes are: #1) Our other sports cars can show you oil temp, oil pressure, water temp, and alternator voltage right in front of you on the dash, at all times. The MINI is severely lacking in up to date driver information. #2) I don't like that when you raise or lower the steering wheel the tach and the speedo move with it. #3) The Cooper S should come with the current JCW level of horsepower and the JCW should be at an appropriate level above that. For the amount you pay for a Cooper S or JCW, the horsepower is very expensive.
@@TheMINIac I don't understand the statement in my opinion. I know what happened with the lineup change but again the A5 is technically not dead because the name plate is still alive unlike the A4 so if it was vice versa then yeah but I technically disagree with the statement just in my opinion
@amcb2035 ah ok. Correct. Nameplates still exist they’re doing a model shuffle. I think the A5 two door coupe is what the poster meant is dead. The A4 is coming back as an electric car as I recall.
