Last week on Monday night, I was given the opportunity to drive the MINI Clubman Cooper S (the not so cute, but still damn cute MINI) for four days four nights. Yes, four days and four nights!!
After sleepless nights of car testing including city cruising, highway mad rush, max speed attempt and 0 to 100 km/h experiment, I decided to attempt a noob review of the car~
The first few seconds when I laid my hands on the steering wheel, I was amazed by the classic looking speedometer that smack right in the centre of the dashboard, open roof, and the customisable interior lights. They are so adorable, so chic, so metro, so individual!
My first night drive with the car was from Cyberjaya to Puchong, and later back to Klang using the KESAS highway. Ahh, I went to Puchong to see Samantha’s eldest sister baby, and also to catch up with Samantha :)
The club door! Yep, the USP of MINI Clubman was handy when I fetched Samantha and her younger sister. But the doors, they are freaking heavy… Samantha was the first to say so, I told her its your skinny hands, but later when I have less adrenaline in my system, I couldn‘t agree more.
Useful when washing the car too :P While on the road, I experimented with every dials and switches available! Sports, DSC, headlights, spot lights, open roof, interior lights, font/ rear wipers, side windows, side mirrors… It felt like a first date, when everything about your companion is so damn interesting, even the most miniscule and useless stuff.
Second night, I grabbed a few friends along and we took a long, straight stretch from Kapar to Sasaran (in case you are wondering, Kapar is in Klang and Sasaran is in Kuala Selangor) to TRY to floor the pedal, the turbo boost, and to take corners in high speed. We broke the speed limit, most of the time :P But we were still no where near the max speed.
damn cool to stick your head out, siauhui did that Third night was drive from Cheras to Mont’ Kiara and dinner in Bangsar. I learnt the word electronic magnetic lock, or something like that… showed Wendy the good for roadshow/ picnic split door (the reason why it doesn‘t look as cute as the old MINIs), and the air conditioning is non existence for back seat passenger :(
the split doorForth night, yes… it was the night I learnt that the car can go manual, that the car can go 0 to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds, that the max speed is 219km/h, that I can cruise in a constant speed, without stepping on the pedal! and there is a hidden key in the key (no typo here, you read it right)!
But the wind noise is loud and the car is not heavy enough to handle the speed it can go. You see, the original MINI wasn’t supposed to go this fast…
Important lesson here, To drive a MINI, is to realise- life is not about dashing and zooming and overtaking, it's about doing them in style... keep that in mind.
Parting with MINI on Friday morning wasn’t easy. It might be another 20-30 years before I can drive/ own one again. But even by then, would I still be as passionate of it? MINI is a car for the young, as soon as you can justify why it is not worth it, you are not young anymore (you are wise :P) . Young punks don’t justify, we just do it!
My conclusion for MINI- it is a toy car, a car that is fun to drive around. I have to be honest here. four days commuting to work in a MINI does make me felt elevated in some way.
MINI also remains a selfish car for two, but this time it does try to be generous by adding in the Club door that receive mixed responses.
Oh ya, I also couldn’t figure out how to open the bonnet.
***
Pix above are taken using hand phone :) Film is hibernating
