The Dodge Challenger Message Board

This one should scare all you big block guys.

I have owned two Minis over the years. They have a huge fan base.
You joke about fitting a BB in it but i have seem Minis with over 350bhp at the wheels.

Driving them is like driving a Kart. Great fun.
Working on them is a pain in the arse though. Not much room for your hands to get in. They also tend to let water in up behind the dash. You always check the floor for rust with these.

But they are a timeless and quite amazing design. They came out the same year I was born! 1959.

Watching the original 1969 version of the film "The Italian Job" is a MUST if you own one of these.

That was a great movie! I like those cars. The new ones are powered by Neon 2.0's?(Chrysler Engines)? Ive never seen one just what I hear.

"You're only supposed to blow the bladdy doors off"!

Classic.

dave-r wrote:Driving them is like driving a Kart. Great fun.

And they're just about the only car I've seen which can enter a turn with any trajectory and get away with it...

Watching the original 1969 version of the film "The Italian Job" is a MUST if you own one of these.

Great movie!

And yes, the new one does have a Chrysler-inspired engine, although there's not one single common part (engine was scaled down, so every part is smaller than its Chrysler counterpart).

fbernard wrote:

dave-r wrote:Driving them is like driving a Kart. Great fun.

And they're just about the only car I've seen which can enter a turn with any trajectory and get away with it...

Watching the original 1969 version of the film "The Italian Job" is a MUST if you own one of these.

Great movie!

And yes, the new one does have a Chrysler-inspired engine, although there's not one single common part (engine was scaled down, so every part is smaller than its Chrysler counterpart).

Really? I didnt know that Fabien, I thought it was just speced out with European spec emissions strategy and equipment, pulled from the 2.0 'parts bin'..what size is the new Cooper's engine?

I thought the Mini was bought by VW or someone? Have they not got enough small transverse engines already? Why would they use a Chrysler engine?

dave-r wrote:I thought the Mini was bought by VW or someone? Have they not got enough small transverse engines already? Why would they use a Chrysler engine?

According to wikipedia you are right Fabien. They use a 1.4 tritec engine co-developed by BMW&Chrysler! I guess we were all right,lol. Either way I love those little bugers! I never ridden in one but drove a fast go-cart once! I assume the driving experience would be the same. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritec_engine looks like Fiat will be taking over or the Chinese company Lifan.

Ah! It was BMW that bought Landrover and the Mini. That's right. I knew it was german.

Bought the Mini today. No rust in floors or behind dash. I drove it for the first time. It is a fun little bugger. The guy put Honda seats in it which are comfortable but obviously not original. It's nice to buy a car for the same money as a very good paint job on a Challenger. I will pick it up and put in storage until the Chally is done. Thanks for all your comments.