A $40,000 Hot Wheels®
When I want to spoil my son, I buy him a Hot Wheels® car. For $1.25, I make him happy and it's such a pleasure to see the contentment in his eyes. For that small sum, I can afford rewarding him when he deserves it.
I must have the same reaction when BMW lends me a MINI Cooper for a week.
Yes, for those who still didn't know, MINI belongs to BMW, and they're the ones responsible for revitalizing the Cooper in 2002. This year, the coupe has been redesigned but keeps its original shape, while the cabriolet is still based on the previous-generation model.
The Sidewalk package
I have no idea why they called their car the "Sidewalk", but the package itself is more or less interesting. What are really worth the extra dough are the Malt Brown leather seats with white trim, the matching leather wheel and the flat-black alloy wheels with silver accents. The package is available in 4 exterior colours, including an exclusive one.
It also includes a stability control system, power-folding outside mirrors, front and rear fog lamps, chrome interior trim, heated seats, a trip computer, a climate control system and a Harman/Kardan sound system.
So, it costs $3,900 more to drive around with a Sidewalk. However, combining the Platinum package, Chrome Line package and leather seats will cost only $2,890. Exclusivity has its price, and in this case, it's a thousand bucks. Let's just say that the Sidewalk package isn't a necessity.
Lots of fun, but...
Dropping the top on this car is easy. Just leave your finger pressed on a button for about fifteen seconds, and that's it. It's pretty hot this week, and when the top is down, the climate control has a hard time cooling the lower portion of the cabin. When the top is up, it's better.
The MINI Cooper S is an excellent remedy for the blues; with its small proportions, its ultra-direct steering and its supercharged, 168-hp engine, it's really fun to drive down twisty roads. And downtown, the car can squirt through traffic, its manoeuvrability being a major highlight. 0-100 km/h accelerations are completed in 7.5 seconds.
When I want to spoil my son, I buy him a Hot Wheels® car. For $1.25, I make him happy and it's such a pleasure to see the contentment in his eyes. For that small sum, I can afford rewarding him when he deserves it.
I must have the same reaction when BMW lends me a MINI Cooper for a week.
 |
| A Hot Wheels® for my son, a Mini for me. |
Yes, for those who still didn't know, MINI belongs to BMW, and they're the ones responsible for revitalizing the Cooper in 2002. This year, the coupe has been redesigned but keeps its original shape, while the cabriolet is still based on the previous-generation model.
The Sidewalk package
I have no idea why they called their car the "Sidewalk", but the package itself is more or less interesting. What are really worth the extra dough are the Malt Brown leather seats with white trim, the matching leather wheel and the flat-black alloy wheels with silver accents. The package is available in 4 exterior colours, including an exclusive one.
It also includes a stability control system, power-folding outside mirrors, front and rear fog lamps, chrome interior trim, heated seats, a trip computer, a climate control system and a Harman/Kardan sound system.
So, it costs $3,900 more to drive around with a Sidewalk. However, combining the Platinum package, Chrome Line package and leather seats will cost only $2,890. Exclusivity has its price, and in this case, it's a thousand bucks. Let's just say that the Sidewalk package isn't a necessity.
Lots of fun, but...
Dropping the top on this car is easy. Just leave your finger pressed on a button for about fifteen seconds, and that's it. It's pretty hot this week, and when the top is down, the climate control has a hard time cooling the lower portion of the cabin. When the top is up, it's better.
The MINI Cooper S is an excellent remedy for the blues; with its small proportions, its ultra-direct steering and its supercharged, 168-hp engine, it's really fun to drive down twisty roads. And downtown, the car can squirt through traffic, its manoeuvrability being a major highlight. 0-100 km/h accelerations are completed in 7.5 seconds.
 |
| Bring a bottle of water along when you take a ride top down, as it may get very hot in the cabin. |