Mini Madness
From Mod Mania
Contents |
A Brief History
The Mini Cooper owned by BMW, was first released in 2001. It was made as a modern version of its predecessor, the Mini. The Mini was made in 1959 until 2000 and was produced under the British Motor Company (BMC). It was the great small car of its time, belonging to England, and competed against the Volkswagen Beetle from Germany during the ‘60s. The Mini Cooper also made under the BMC changed its ‘MINI’ logo to all capitals to distinguish itself from the older version.
The MINI
The Mini distinguishes itself from all the other cars, and even from the old Mini, as a fun, chic, modern version of the classic Mini. What is so special about these cars is that they bring a ‘fun’ attitude to driving and this can be seen on the interior and exterior of the car as there are items on it that are there purely for pleasure and looks. The Mini attracts a younger, more sophisticated audience, and a lot of people choose to buy it based on looks and reliability on quality, because it is made from BMW parts. Also the resale value is very good on this car, perhaps because it is still ‘in fashion’ or because these cars are well made and they are still in high demand from consumers. However due to the recent recession in the global economy, not many car dealerships are doing very well as people don’t have the money to afford to buy a new or second hand car. In reading up about why someone would choose to nibuy the Mini Cooper over its small car competitors such as the Scion tC, Volkswagen’s Golf, GTi, R32 or TDI, or the Acura RSX, it became apparent that the Mini Cooper S is very well equipped performance wise as well as aesthetically. A reoccurring theme that became obvious when reading the forums about Mini Coopers is that whilst they are so much fun to drive and to own, the main problem people were having with them was the cost for repairs because everything in it is made from BMW parts and is therefore very expensive to get repaired. However a few people did not have any troubles at all with their Mini and were very content with it; however there is an issue with the boot space, as it is fairly non existent. An unexpected outcome in buying a Mini is that wherever you go, the owners will attract attention and compliments from complete strangers on their own little Mini, which people say is quite rewarding and gives them a good feeling!
The Different Models
The Mini soon had different models available after it was first released in 2001, to suit a wider audience. The different models were styles such as the “Mini Hatch back”, a diesel engine “Mini One/D”, a sportier version of the Mini was the “Mini Cooper” and a supercharged version was the “Mini Cooper S”. Today there are more versions of the Mini, such as the “Mini Clubman” and “Mini E”. As the Mini was first brought out as an individual on the road, to stand out and bring this ‘fun’ factor to your life, so too did the classic minis begin to change. It became a new thing to do to your old Mini - to restore them and make them new and modern on the inside just like the new Mini’s, but to keep the exterior in the same classic colors just restored into a better conditioned car.
The Mods
As the car has a wide range of different engines and visual styles (such as the convertible), most people in the Mini modding community choose to focus on the aesthetics of the car rather than modifying performance components. The most common modifications appear to be to changes to the lights, and the decals such as stripes and checkered patters onto the front and rear of the car. These modifications are based on individual taste and it is evident on the roads of the different looks the Mini has due to minor changes in the makeup of the car. Another popular modification to the car is the use of aero body kits, which is a replacement for the stock body kit, or an ad-on to the existing kit. This helps make the car look sportier and is a process of changing the look and feel of your car to suit the appropriate wants and needs of the owner.
Although performance modifications are not as popular, there is still a large group of people who modify their engines for greater performance through the use of turbo’s, larger intakes, bigger injectors and different types of fuel, including nitrous, and alcohol injection as well as upgrading the exhaust system.
There is an even more extreme type of modding for your cars, not in particular the Mini, but they do appear in this show, it is called the Auto Salon, which is a car show for car modding enthusiasts. The show comprises of about a few hundred static car displays each year and car modding aficionados visit the show and see the cars on display, usually to se what people have done to their cars, and to get inspiration and ideas for their own car modifications. This show takes car modifications to the extreme and nearly everything that can be upgraded or changed to suit their tastes does change. It is a really interesting show, and has become more of a ‘show and tell’ rather than a show about on road modded cars.
Summary
The Mini, no matter what type you own or wish to own or simply see in the streets, is easily recognisable. The car takes on different styles of the original; however they all have the same attributes and similarities despite any modifications done to the car. What is simply brilliant about this car, is that once you fall in love with the Mini, it’s hard not to love all of them.
