16k budget for the other halfs new beasty

CSK_423 · Post by **CSK_423** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:57 pm

So far we've came across sorry SHE's came across the New Mini Cooper.

With the Elise hopefully on it's way out and me now running an oil burner I need the thrill factor but also to keep her indoors happy, she isn't into anything mad hence a mini !!

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:33 am

How about a new Civic Type R ? Practical yet sporty.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:02 am

Her indoors is looking too:

SLK: Not exactly a sporty beast but has the looks, power and image for a girly.

Audi TT: ditto but sportier convertible one is horrible IHHO

MX-5: ditto but nippyer

Honda S2000 proper sporty with Hinda backing.

All the above don't score may points on practical though...

Rich

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:30 am

Mini Cooper would get a

from me.
The boot is pretty limited and I wouldnt want to spend a long journey in the back seats but both Wendy and I really like it. They are fairly nippy but feels faster than it really is. Done 15000 miles in just over a year and had no issues.

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:56 am

Cooper is pretty slow (0-60 is well over 9secs).... £16K would get you a base Cooper S almost if it's thrills you are after. Undoubtedly they have the 'cute' factor though which is why my wife also wanted one.

I found the interior space in this new 'larger' mini still very cramped... to the point that with my 5yr old kid behind me I could not get a position in the drivers seat without my shin fouling the underneath of the dash.

Clio 197 to be had for that money
Corsa VXR...
Or, if you don't need 0-60 in 6.x then trying not to be biased the Fiesta ST is a wee cracker (still 2 secs quicker 0-60 than a Cooper).... don't believe the RRP either... they can be had for less than £12K easily and come with far more toys than a standard Mini for that price. I found it had the most interior room out of any of the above (Corsa & Cliop were close though). White with Blue Stripes looks the biz...

Andy.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:05 am

gorrie wrote:White with Blue Stripes looks the biz...

Andy.

DAtB?

Scotty C · Post by **Scotty C** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:13 am

gorrie wrote:Cooper is pretty slow (0-60 is well over 9secs).... £16K would get you a base Cooper S almost if it's thrills you are after.

Andy.

My ex had a cooper S and it was a great wee car. The S is not the best on fuel. I would go with Jim and just get a nice spec cooper and even add a works kit to it.

They even do a cooper D?

Scotty

MacK · Post by **MacK** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:48 am

How about in classified section?

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:18 am

shooomer wrote:
MacK wrote:How about in classified section?

PS Andy is that owned by the girl I met at the Prestonfield?

Spot on - she bought it cause it looked nice! Is scared of speed. My offer to show her what it could do was politely, but firmly refused

Post by ed » Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:11 pm

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:50 pm

Must go back to using rohypenol before i ask that question

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:56 pm

Andy G wrote:Must go back to using rohypenol before i ask that question

or copious amounts of champers

Brunty · Post by **Brunty** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:57 pm

Fiesta ST is pretty dull to drive. The engine seems to free up after a while and I'm sure it's great in kit cars, but fails to thrill in the Fiesta. All in all it feels like a slightly faster normal 1.4 Fiesta!

LotusLee · Post by **LotusLee** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:00 pm

renmure wrote:Mini Cooper would get a from me.
The boot is pretty limited and I wouldnt want to spend a long journey in the back seats but both Wendy and I really like it. They are fairly nippy but feels faster than it really is. Done 15000 miles in just over a year and had no issues.

I'm not so keen on the new '07 Mini's so would go for a specced up late '06.
Jim did you go along to the Arbroath Seafront thing on Saturday?

gorrie · Post by **gorrie** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:29 pm

Brunty wrote:Fiesta ST is pretty dull to drive. The engine seems to free up after a while and I'm sure it's great in kit cars, but fails to thrill in the Fiesta. All in all it feels like a slightly faster normal 1.4 Fiesta!

Nonsense.... partially

In standard form the 2ltr Duratec in the Fiesta is lacklustre after about 4k/rpm... I'll give you that. It shouldn't be though as it's straight from the Mondeo.

There is a restrictive Flexi Pipe on as standard Brunty, £100 gets a non-restrictive one which frees up more torque and it's available right through the rev range.

The air intake is one of the smallest and most convoluted routes I've seen. Smack a K&N57i on and the combination of that with the Flexi is astounding compared to standard. It's believed that Ford kept it slightly restricted so that it was cheaper to insure than the Clio 172/182's, thinking they would steal sales ... the tits. Evo ran one as a long termer, and they were luke warm about it... but these small changes transform it.

For £150 you have a ~15bhp increase and ~10% more torque... plus it's still pushing after 4K/rpm (which it doesn't with the standard flexi). It's the most commonly used mod around for the ST150, and there's loads of dyno print outs kicking around to back up the claims of these 2 small changes.

I can honestly say that I am having more fun in the ST than I did in my MG ZS180, and that car could handle. Needs stiffer springs though to cut out body roll a bit.

It's no Clio 172/182 Cup, by any stretch... but price/performance/space/and what you get as standard... it's silly to overlook one and plummet for a Cooper without a test drive I think.

/Biased Mode

Andy