Many visitors to the recent Auto Expo may have missed the Mini that was parked in a corner of the big BMW stand. But its launch was ‘Manna from heaven’ for the petrolheads and for those who truly enjoy the pleasure of driving. There are few cars that can give such a sense of speed with such sure cornering, agility and control. A bigger car may be faster but a quick small car feels really fast. This new Mini has evolved a long way from the revolutionary original Rover Mini launched in 1959 that sported the first ‘transverse’ (crosswise) engine to free up enormous inner space. This made a small compact car enormously spacious and propelled it to a sale of 5.4 million units during the next 22 years. It had been described as the most influential car of the 20th Century after the Ford Model T. BMW then took over after the Rover financial troubles and gave it some of its own sporty DNA to make it an icon for the young and adventurous.
There will be four models. The 122 HP mini Cooper at `24.9 lakh, Mini Cooper convertible at `30 lakh, the 184 HP Mini Cooper S at `27.9 lakh and Mini Cooper S Countryman at `32 lakh. The last is 4-door and the others seat four but have two doors. The engines are peppy for outstanding performance delivered through a six-speed automatic transmission. Mini has not offered their range of diesel engines as yet. All models carry a huge armory of features for safety, comfort and convenience. The little cars are expensive but might cost 20 per cent less if the duties from Europe are lowered. It is currently on sale only in Delhi and Mumbai.
The little Mini looks very cute with its big pop out round headlights and rather ‘retro’ chromed grille. The ‘retro’ looks carry on to the interiors where there is a huge round speedometer and an array of chromed round dials and gauges. The seating is very stylish and comfortable to make it a delight to drive anywhere. In a range of attractive colours, the Mini is a car that will always be noticed and make it a hit with lady drivers with attitude. It is small enough for city traffic but will come into its own on the hills and highways. The Mini may not be very practical for those with families but is truly a fun car that I would personally love to drive.
The writer is an automotive expert and the former editor of a national magazine