The collected works of ScottyB

As some of you will know, Obsession was off to the doctor’s office today for her check-up (primarily a pink slip - which ironically, isn’t pink anymore). I couldn’t organise a lift to or from work, so it was up to Klosters BMW to provide me with a suitable means of transport after drop-off and for pick-up.

This was accomplished with a BMW 120d.

Immediately, some of you will be saying ‘Diesel?! Pah!’. While others may be going ‘Oooohh, I say!’ and taking another sip of your tea. There are probably other responses, but due to sheer tiredness and what could easily be an endless myriad of options, I won’t go into other possibilities.

Rob led me outside to give me the once over on ‘operation’ of the 1-series diesel.

There is no ‘key’ per se for the 120d. Just a little plastic fob with the usual lock/unlock/boot controls on it. It’s basically a fancy rectangle of plastic. Insert it into the dash however and suddenly this feels like a much more special piece of plastic. The lights on the dash flare up, the radio starts. Press the brake pedal slightly, tap the ‘Engine Start/Stop’ button above the fob slot, and the engine booms into life.

Very ‘jet fighter pilot’.

Its a gutsy little engine especially down low (as expected of a diesel) and mighty quick off the line. Great for getting away at roundabouts and fast-moving intersections. 330Nm of torque - and it feels like it too. It really is a great town car and I can see the merits as a daily commuter with a good fuel consumption too.

On the topic of roundabouts though, I have to admit to it feeling very go-kart like. It was incredibly poised, balanced and flat through the corners; quite an impressive level of feedback from what is essentially a spacious four-door mini-MPV.

I’m not completely convinced on the styling however. It’s a pretty car, sure, but not a beautiful car.

But then the post-Bangle-era BMW’s are always going to raise that debate. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

It still managed to raise a smile when I got out - and at the end of the day - that’s really all I’m looking for at this stage of life!

…

The new new MINI.

When I went to pick up Obsession this afternoon, prior to taking her home, I was thrown the keys to a brand new ‘Mellow Yellow’, Black roofed, R56 Cooper S.

Immediately the colour stirred something deep down inside. The yellow.. the black.. decidedly… ‘bee’. Bumble Bee. Hmmmm.. Bumble Hill. One of the greatest hills known to MINI-owners. The hill that will go town in time as the hill. And this time around, they’ve really got the yellow right. It’s a deep, high contrast yellow that looks quite sensational - and definitely turns a few heads where it goes.

Like the 120d, the new MINI has the ‘fob in the slot, push the engine start’ setup, so I was experienced in its operation by now - but it didn’t nullify the coolness at all. Its very special.

The interior is somehow even wackier that the previous generation. Its gone from retro to downright futuristic. I’d seen pictures of the car and the new details before, particularly the interior and quite liked it, but the full effect of the changes really can only be realised when sitting inside the car. The attention to detail is great and the position of everything is refined and neat. Some have said its too cluttered, but I think its in the MINI spirit, they’ve kept the soul alive.

Out driving and immediately the extra power down-low is noticeable. It has more get-up-and-go than its Supercharged cousin, but that Turbocharged sprinter glory comes at the cost of that fantastic supercharger whine. A minor detail sure - and probably a mere change for the added benefit you receive - but I would certainly miss that noise.

All over, the car feels great. Its still tight, balanced and the build quality feels the same. Its still a solid little go-kart with a huge heart. Its still a MINI.

I didn’t have the chance to really give it a squirt and the performance through the corners can’t really be compared to my daily driver, as the conventional tyres and front strut brace give it a very different feel to a stock car anyway, so although the R56 I drove today felt a little softer than my car, its probably marginal taking into account the afore mentioned factors.

My only annoyances were; firstly, the foot rest beside the clutch pedal. It seems to high and too close to the clutch pedal in the R56. More like a fourth pedal than a foot rest. I managed to plug the ‘rest a few times while changing gears. I’m sure you’d get used to the positioning though - and even by the end of the drive I had adjusted. And secondly, the speedo now being in the centre of the dash (where the tacho used to be). I found myself looking down (initially for the revs and then for the speed) quite often. Again though, one of those things you’d adjust to - and pretty quickly I imagine.

Other than that, I really can’t fault it - its a great car. I love the MINI.

They faced a big task when they set out to redesign the new face of the new MINI. And I think they have succeeded exceptionally.