Helping to form bonds between anything except herself and a cute new guy may be more than the regular young Mini buyer had in mind. She will more likely be interested in its style, which certainly owes a lot to the original cartoon-like shape, though in greater proportions.
In designing the Mini, says BMW, "particular importance was attached to keeping the wheel spacing as wide as possible and on achieving a low centre of gravity." This was done primarily to retain the classic Mini feeling, and secondly to provide a "unique road holding and to meet the tough demands for active safety and comfort."
BMW says safety was a particular goal when it designed Mini, so "the use of the latest development methods, such as virtual crash simulation, has achieved a body shell rigidity that is two to three times higher than is normal amongst its competitors." This also helps with performance, but that's another story.
According to BMW, "all the variants of the Mini set new standards for its class in termsof both active and passive safety. The extremely resistant passenger cell and an airbag system that is unique in this vehicle category to date take the MINI right to the top when it comes to passenger protection."
That means that front and side airbags for the two front passengers will be standard on all Mini models in Canada, as will the head airbags that come out of the roof to protect people in the front and back.
Look for Mini dealerships in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and in many secondary markets like, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Regina, Quebec City and Winnipeg.