Cherish That Used Mini
I’m about to write an article on Used Mini’s and already I’m chastised for using the wrong term!
Apparently the term is ‘Mini Cherished’. What is the difference I ask myself?
Open any used car magazine and there will be used Minis for sale in various degrees of condition and age. Speak to any Mini owner and you will find that their vehicle has been cherished for many years. Many of them are given names by the owner to personalise them – strange but true.
The Mini has been in production since 1959 and is still going strong. Spares are still available and restoration projects are going on all over the world, tucked away in garages and barns as enthusiasts on-going projects.
Races are organised throughout the year at Brands Hatch and Snetterton with categories such as Standard Mighty Minis, Super Mighty Minis and Xtreme Mighty Minis for the hardened racers. Miniworld owners club arrange events throughout the year such as the British Mini Fair set for January 2008 which will include trade stands, pride of ownership display, club displays and competitions.
Festivals, shows, meetings and action days are structured well in advance and the London to Brighton race, set for May 2008 promises to be the event of the year.
So, it is apparent that Mini owners don’t just view their vehicle as a means of getting from A to B. They truly cherish them and take every opportunity to show them off. In fact, owning a Mini comes with a whole social structure of its very own.
But if all Minis are cherished what of the Mini Cherished official label?
BMW have taken over the production of Minis since 2001 and therein lies the cut off point for Used Mini. Owners of this treasured little car that makes such a big impact everywhere it goes now have the choice to market their Mini through Mini Cherished.
The Mini Cherished Programme won the Used Car Scheme 2006 from Auto Express magazine for their service to Mini owners. All Minis advertised through this site have had a full health check carried out by official Mini technicians. If the car is not up to the standards that keep Mini up with the best, the technicians will fix it with genuine Mini parts, ensuring its 12 month MOT and MOT cover. All paintwork and trim will be restored to suit its age and mileage and a full valet will be carried out.
A full service history, as well as an independent vehicle history with mileage checks, accompany an unlimited mileage minimum 12 month warranty. Mini Cherished will offer advice on optimum tyre replacement and treatment as well as their own emergency service. They can also arrange test drives and help to obtain insurance quotes.
And just for fun, Mini Cherished offer access to the MINIstry of Ownership. This is an exclusive area which can offer information on fun events, chat rooms, route planning, driving tours and financial assistance. Accessories can also be obtained to personlaise your cherished Mini perhaps avoiding the need for a name!
Expert Mini enthusiast Shaun Parker looks into the Used Mini market. To find out more please visit http://www.coopermini.co.uk/
Going Topless In The Best Possible Taste
A driver hired by the UN to rescue a wounded war photographer from hostile territory drives through a hail of bullets in an attempt to get his charge safely to the border. Despite his efforts, on arrival, the driver finds that one of the bullets reached the photographer through the seats and has fatally wounded him. The driver continues on his journey to deliver the photographers dog tags to his elderly mother – the photographers dying wish.
This was the plot to one of a number of action-packed short films, produced by BMW exclusively for the internet and starring Clive Owen as the driver . In this particular film, a BMW X5 was the vehicle chosen to withstand such a pounding. A whole different story would have been told if they used BMW’s Dixi 3/15PS! It’s unlikely the photographer would have been found in time, let alone making it as far as the border!
The meaning of Dixi is ‘I have spoken’ and when used it usually translates to ‘I have said all that I had to say’. Quite a statement and well deserved! Launched in 1928, the Dixi was the first of BMW’s open topped cars. Built under license from Austin it was powered by a 743cc 4 cylinder engine producing 15hp with a top speed of 50mph. The first 100 Dixi’s were supplied in kit form and were available with a range of different body shells. Not exactly dynamic but ground breaking stuff nonetheless. The Dixi is the vehicle responsible for seeing BMW through the difficult years of the Depression.
And further research has led us to today’s offering of the latest convertible from BMW – the One Series. The world’s first premium convertible in the compact segment incorporating all of BMW’s reknowned economical assets without compromising on high performance. As expected, environmental concerns are taken into consideration with all of BMW’s know how on minimizing emissions.
The roof of this gorgeous baby opens and closes in a tiny 22 seconds and at speeds of up to 25mph. With our ever increasing global warming becoming a factor in every day design considerations, sun reflective leather now comes as standard, reducing the interior surface temperature up to 20 degrees. This new technology is currently exclusive to BMW.
With aesthetics in mind, a sporty look has been aimed for with a re-designed front valance, re-profiled sill panels and a rear diffuser integrated into the bumper. A new design for the roof accompanies the new model. A fabric roof with tiny metallic anthracite fleck interwoven brings a new look. The in-built air conditioning sensors will respond accordingly with the roof down to act more on outside temperatures.
New safety measures have also been implicated with the new BMW in the form of two roll bars activated by sensors which register imminent danger and extend from behind the rear seats in a fraction of a second, protecting the occupants.
With all these innovative new additions, it’s a shame BMW no longer produce their short films.
Expert BMW enthusiast Shaun Parker looks at the latest BMW Coupe released. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
Euphemisms For BMW
After months of saving, I’ve finally bought myself a wonderful but used BMW! My boss is a miser with the wonga so it’s taken some time but now I have this fantastic babe magnet to woo the ladies.
My only problem at the moment is that because I wanted to bling up my wagon, I’ve gone and blown the rest of my moolah on new wheels. However, I have the best mum in the world and she’s lent me the money to go to the pub. I drive down and pick the best spot in the car park, choosing to hang around outside and show off my car.
My best mate emerges from the pub looking wasted. Usually a belligerent, miserable workaholic, he’s had the benefit of massive quantities of whiskey which have turned him into a big mellow wuss with a brilliant merry wit. And he’s going to need it in the morning!
Recently, he’s been mixing with birds that are a bit mental and whacky but this one takes the biscuit! He sees a beautiful, mysterious woman where I see a belching minger in wellies with a black moustache that needs waxing. However, he is besotted with his marvellous wench called Bella Marie West but if you ask me she looks more like Bombay Mix gone wrong. He doesn’t even notice the bogey-like mouth wart!
They’ve brought out bacon butties which she munches, giving herself wind. Unable to stomach any more of her burping, moaning and wheezing I head inside to chat to my favourite barmaid.
Some time ago, she made a bizarre marriage wager and is now very unhappy. She’s half way through her second bottle of Muscadet wine and we talk over the barmaid’s marital woes.
I have noticed the big, manky witch in the corner has been watching me for some time but after numerous beers she has mutated with ease into a bootylicious minx with the wanton look in her eyes. She’s bringing my mojo well and truly back and before I know it, I’m begging her to be my wife.
My mother has sent my brother to look for me and he rescues me before my wittering gets any worse. I swear this bloke was born middle-aged and weird but I do agree with one thing. My brother’s mantra was always to back marvellous cars with banging music woofers. So, sitting in the car park, I demonstrate the beastly mega wattage on my baby’s multi-channelled wireless.
Concerned that my battery might wane, I turn the radio off and my brother’s mood worsens. The only way to cheer him up is to allow him to drive home my Bavarian Motor Works beauty.
Car expert Shaun Parker looks into the knock on effect of owning a used BMW and how it influences his life. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/
The Stig Versus The BMW?
The Stig is the unidentified test driver of vehicles on the favourite BBC Sunday night programme, Top Gear. So far unbeaten, The Stig’s laptimes are breathtaking.
However, he came very close to being beaten last Sunday by Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton performed a lap in 1 minute 44.6 seconds in wet, oily conditions. This came in at a mere .2 of a second behind The Stigs 1 minute and 44.4. And his performance was in dry conditions.
Lewis Hamilton has thrown down the gauntlet to The Stig with a challenge for both drivers to compete in the same weather conditions.
Fans of Top Gear will undoubtedly have joined the debate over the true identity of The Stig. William Hill bookmakers have stunt driver Russ Swift as the hot favourite at odds of 2/1 with Damon Hill at 4/1. Ben Collins is a little known racer who has appeared on Top Gear as part of a parachuting stunt and this led to speculation over whether or not he was the secret Stig. However, bookies surmise that at just over 6′ tall, Collins does not fit the bill.
Maybe they are all wrong. Personally, I think The Stig is a woman. I mean, you only have to look at the driving skills coupled with the fact that there is a definite lack of accidents. It’s well known that women have far fewer accidents than men. Maybe its Sandy Togsvig or Dame Judi Dench? Well, anything is possible. Maybe that’s why they won’t reveal The Stig’s identity because it would dispel all myths about women drivers!
The Stig has set some of his best lap times in BMW’s. With an amazingly rapid 1 minute 26 seconds in the BMW Z4M, closely followed by 1 minute 28 seconds in a BMW M3 CSL, this has to be one of his favourite cars. With its smooth handling, precision cornering and ultimate power, all the BMW’s tested by The Stig have come in at under 1 minute and 32 seconds per lap.
Viewers of this week’s Top Gear would also have been among the first to witness the test drive of a new BMW currently being developed. This BMW is unique in the fact that on board computers can ‘learn’ a route and then drive itself. After only one drive around the track by presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the car was able to memorize the route and then take over.
Looking petrified, Clarkson let go of the wheel, removed his feet from the pedals and shrieked as the BMW took off, braking at the last minute on bends. The BMW completed the lap leaving Clarkson in one piece. However, the general feeling was that it would be extremely difficult to trust this on the road. Not due to any problem with the car but simply human nature to want to be in control of such power.
So, Top Gear team, make the Hamilton challenge more interesting. Let’s see The Stig take on Lewis Hamilton and a woman driver, in dry conditions, in a BMW.
Motor racing expert Shaun Parker looks at lap times set in a BMW by a TV celebrity. To find out more please visit http://www.cooperbmw.co.uk/