Ian Khong Checks Out the New Mini In Sunny Spain - by autoworld   

January 30, 2007

Editor’s Note: Ian Khong, Race and Rally Driver, and one of our test drivers, was sent to Spain to test the new Mini; this is his story:-

First introduced as a super compact car close to half a century ago in 1959, the Mini today still manages to tingle the hearts of many. My dad used to own one Mini Clubman for a short while in 1974, and that was the very year that I was born, so in truth, I do not have any recollection of it, even though I have seen some photographs of it.

The Mini was par- ticularly appealing to people because it was a car that was within the reach of most people, not a Ferrari or a Lamborghini that could only be a dream fulfilled for the most, but something that was affordable, and you could do great things to it. Even when I was old enough to follow my dad to the racing track at Batu Tiga, the Mini was still being raced, and I can remember those days when Coopers, especially the Cooper S, was tearing round the tracks and winning races. Now I was on the way to actually see the birth of a new model, the con- tinuation of the saga that started before my time!

“From the original to the original” – this was the philosophy adopted in the creation of the new Mini. Whilst the new 

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Mini has actually been completely re-designed from the ground up, and although 95 percent of the parts have beenchanged, it retains the original qualities and attributes that gave the Mini its appeal in the first place. The classic horizontal-lined grille that is so familiar to those whose lives were touched in some way by the Mini Cooper S, the overall shape, and the legendary go-kart type handling characteristics are all there, retained as they are, or improved and enhanced. Only Mini die-hards will be able to tell the difference at first glance.

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Market forces and conditions nearly killed the brand thirty years ago; in fact, production of the classic Mini actually ceased for a period of 19 years from 1971 to 1990. Production re-started in 1990, and it went on until year 2000, when the Mini as we know it in the last six years, a much larger, and with a more powerful engine, entered the scene.

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The new Mini, soon to be unleashed in this country, is larger (by about 100mm in overall dimensions), more responsive and quite a bit faster.

To me, the MINI is about a lifestyle, a brand, and a type of uniqueness, which only can be found in a MINI. It’s like a Burger, it doesn’t change form, comes with bread and beef patty. A MINI is more than a car. When you drive one, it turns heads and moves you to a different paradigm. The car comes with various cool colors, options and customs. Do not let its size deceive you.

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Up and down the revs, you will feel like there is no limit to what the Mini can do. You do not get that feeling of the car running out of breath; the pull is smooth and urgent all the way from the mid to high rpm range. You will love shifting up through the gearbox, as it is so effortless. The gearshift is not too notchy, and not too loose; it had just the right feel in it. Up in the mountains, it was like a re-enactment of the Italian Job movie, especially when you look back and see a whole bunch of Minis tearing round the bends behind you. 

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It is now turbocharged, with more grunt in the low end. Driving up the hills in Barcelona, Spain, you just have to gun it to feel the car pile up the revs. It is very responsive in the low to mid end range in comparison to the supercharged engine of the last MINI. The engineers decided to put in a turbocharger for more power in the lower end and also increase reliability in the long run. Under acceleration, you can hear the whirr of the turbo spooling up, and it is really cool! With 175 horses and 240 Nm of torque, it makes you want to go keep your foot down all the time.

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If a bend tightens up on you, all you have to do is just to input more steering angle and the MINI will respond with ease. It is a very neutral car. Do not get this message wrong; if you charge into a bend ridiculously fast, no car would make it. The MINI just does the job more efficiently than other cars that I have driven. This car does exactly what I want it to do.

What the engineers have done is awesome. Despite looking very much the same, there have been subtle changes to angles and driving geometry. Slight variations here and there, in caster angles, reduced camber changes and changes in tracking attributes have resulted in remarkable improvements in the overall handling.

Round the bends, the feeling isvery precise and positive. You feel every bit of the road through the steering, and the Mini handles very positively, like a big go-kart. You can point and squirt, and know precisely where you are going, the car being so predictable. Not only could I clip the edge of the corners with the inner tire, exactly where I wanted to clip them, I was also able to keep up a consistently fast speed, even around the twisty sections. With Traction control and EBD to assist, this is basically a car that one can never lose round a bend.

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During a spate of highway cruising, we were able to open up the throttle, and the Mini managed to hit 220kmph with ease. The brakes are well matched to the performance, and even at 200 plus, you could tap the brakes and not feel an inch of lock up.”

Wrapping up, the new MINI is fun to drive; great to own, and you can be the envy of your friends. It drives better, is quicker, and handles great. If you have a chance to jump into one, don’t hesitate. Get on the gas and feel the difference in power delivery and steering feedback when you go round bends. You won’t be disappointed.” -end

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