Good as Gold, Around the Old

Early cars were loads of fun to drive, even though fast for them was probably slow for everything else. I've never really had the chance to drive any other 'old' cars except for this Brit. It’s great fun, really, like driving a toy car or having a lovely affair with the girl next door. The memory just stays however hard you decide to push it out of your mind.

I reckon the Austin Mini, or any other Minis for that matter, makes less than perfect first impressions, especially to anyone who is unfamiliar with the hugely popular brand. Well, the only thing casual observers will relate to when they see this car is probably Mr Bean.

I'm not going to tell you how good the drive is despite having only a minute 1.0-litre engine because it's not. I'm also not going to get started on how cool it is and how much it can actually attract the fairer sex, even when you look like a complete cockhead trying to move the car into a lot without power steering.

But what I'm going to say is really simple - the new and bigger MINI is a blasphemy.

Outright performance isn't what the old lad is all about although people adore these cars for their outstanding ability to handle soundly on the road. This car has been compared, rather unimaginatively, to go-karts. But there really is no better description.

It's pretty much the same when it comes to the modernised version. Where the old differentiates itself from the new, and it's also what many Austin fans love about, is the fact that it gives you a sense of easy holiness. There simply isn't the tension or the need to show off how fast your car can really go. There seem to be no pressures. Just sit in, wind down the window, slot in the correct gear and let it come.

While it's one temperamental machine (which old goody isn't temperamental, really), the Austin Mini helped the driving. I've had a good time with it, and some seriously frustrated time, too. But I felt mainly, as the weeks went on after I got used to it, the strong and positive sensation it gave me. For action alone, it beats the rest of the modernised MINI. But for the spirit it has, it trumps the rest of the superminis all to hell.

Get a modernised MINI and chances are it will have problems after four to five years later and a 50-50 shot you'll be mistaken for driving your girlfriend's car, which is also probably when you'll realise the world isn't much. Of course, this isn't the fault of the car. It's the people, and their lack of traditional tastes.

Old doesn't necessarily have to be gold. But sometimes evolution, as necessary as it may be, makes a prostitute out of all of us. And yet we still ask, "Where's the spirit?"

All that glitters is not gold

The Mini has come a long way since the British Motor Corporation (BMC) produced the first car in 1959. Back in the old days, the Mini was marketed under BMC's two main brand names, Austin and Morris, and the one being featured on the other side of the page is the Austin Mini. It was also often associated as Mr Bean's car, and was considered a British icon. It still is today.

Fast forward to today, the new MINI Cooper has grabbed attention all over the world for its clever styling, excellent handling and reasonable ergonomics for such a small car. All of which sounds familiar to long time fans who remember the debut of the original supermini 53 years ago. Now, if you think the good old Mini really stands out from the crowd, think again.

Many people have argued that the new MINI Cooper has lost its heritage and is veering away from that teeny-weeny, cutesy look. Yes, I agree that the Austin Mini is as small as an ant but the new MINI Cooper isn't really that big either. You would still be able to go up the ramp of Liang Court's car park or do a parallel park in cramped spaces, without much difficulty.

Based on their sheet metals, there isn't really much to differ except a little design tweak and larger dimensions for the new MINI Cooper. Despite the change in size, the two cars share a lot in common. The new MINI Cooper still has the same old bulldog stance, with the four wheels at the extreme corners of its body. It still uses the front-wheel drive system, and the superb handling of the car doesn't disappoint.

With the rapid advancement in technology, you can't help but to admit that you have to keep up with the constant upgrading or updating of your 'software' and 'hardware'. Take the Short Message Service (SMS) for example. The first SMS was sent in 1992 from a personal computer to a mobile phone. Today, it has become one of the most common ways of communication. Isn't that amazing? This logic applies to cars as well.

With barely a litre under its hood, the old Mini may face some problems with overtaking newer and bigger cars nowadays. On the other hand, its successor is powered by a 1.6-litre engine, making the job, a lot easier.

Conventional twists to start the engine are a thing of the past, almost every new car now comes with a Start/Stop function, including the new MINI Cooper. Oh, and did I forget to mention that doing a U-turn in the old Mini is like turning the corn mill? There is no power steering included!

More relevantly, the integrated audio system in the modernised MINI will belt out your favourite track without that door panel vibrating. Unlike the old Mini, where even shutting the door makes your heart drop, the new MINI Cooper sports top notch fit and finish, assuring you that the door card will not fall out of its place when you close the door.

You may have seen a couple of classic Minis on the road and I don't deny that they are definitely head turners. Well, the new MINI Cooper does make heads turn too (especially the ladies). It is after all, still a Mini. From the facts and figures, you may realise by now, that evolution is necessary and brings about an improvement to efficiency, convenience and performance. The new MINI Cooper is a worthy successor of the Mini, for which crazed fans of pocket cars can be thankful.