The tide has turned on large, mobile real estate-hogging vehicles here in the U.S. and the new trend is small OK, mini.
And one of my favorite vehicles of the past decade has been the MINI Cooper.
It was love at first sight (and drive) when the millennial Cooper hit U.S. shores in 2000. Built by BMW, this is one of my favorite overall vehicles and they offer one of the most enjoyable driving experiences of any sized car. MINIs are available in hardtop, convertible, supercharged, Clubman and, coming soon, full four-door Countryman variations. Our most recent time was spent zipping around town in a convertible with the John Cooper Works (JCW) package.( While sharing the name with the funky little car that became an overnight hit thanks to the Beatles, the new Coopers are much larger and more lavishly equipped than the historic model of the 60s. Smooth, comfortable, quiet and surprisingly roomy inside, the MINI Cooper offers the latest in automotive technology on the road wrapped in a fun environment complete with the biggest speedometer on the planet.
The body of the latest generation MINI boasts evolutionary development from the iconic 1959 Classic Mini, while the interior styling cues are evocative of the original and contain the latest technological advances found today.
Performance plays a major role in providing driving fun and the four-cylinder engines of the MINI hardtops deliver.
Our tester John Cooper Works MINI convertible is one wicked weekender good for every day of the week. Take it to work, take it to the mall, take it to the lake, take it to the drive-in (yes, they still have those), take it to the track you can take this funster just about anywhere. And its size makes parking a snap.( Base MINIs are powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine (118hp and 114 lb. ft. torque). The turbocharged 1.6-liter version in the Cooper S produces 172 horsepower (177 lb. ft. torque), eclipsing the magical 100-hp-per-liter measure revered by enthusiasts. And then there is the car we drove, the John Cooper Works edition with power boosted to 208 ponies and 192 torque. The engine is fitted transversely under the bonnet (hood, to us Yanks) and powers the front wheels, and despite its high level of dynamic performance and sporting character, even our supercharged MINI returns superior fuel economy of 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway.( The MINI Cooper and the MINI Cooper S both come standard with a six-speed manual transmission but both models can be ordered with an optional six-speed automatic transmission. The JCW version only comes with the manual.
A low center of gravity, wide track and the wheels moved to the extreme corners of the car guarantee agile and nimble driving behavior (that go-kart feeling). Compared with the MINI Cooper, the MINI Cooper S and JCW have a more aggressive suspension set-up and as an option both models are available with sports suspension and Sport button for an even higher standard of driving pleasure and excitement.
The Electrical Power Assisted Steering helps to make the MINI more nimble and agile on the road, its speed-related assistance ensuring low steering forces when parking and precise control at high speeds (not to mention less drag on the engine). In conjunction with the optional Sport switch, EPS increases steering forces for an even more direct driving experience.
Combined with the horizontal geometry of the interior and, in particular, the dashboard, the displays in their purist, round design characterize the overall design theme of the cockpit. The central element is the MINI-signature center speedometer, even larger than before, with an enhanced range of functions serving far more purposes and requirements than on the former generation. The displays and controls for the entertainment system as well as the display for the optional navigation system are integrated in the speedometer, while the tachometer remains a separate unit positioned, as befits a sporting car, behind the steering wheel in the driver s line of sight. Convertible models even get a funky "exposurometer" that measures open top time compared to the sun's intensity.
The vertically arranged rotary knobs for the ventilation, the two cupholders integrated in the bottom section of the center console and the racing-inspired toggle switches are typical of MINI.
Indeed, these characteristic metal toggles, operating the fog lamps, the power windows with express, one-touch up and down introduced in 2008 and central locking are larger than before and, in the new generation, are joined by duplicates in the roof console for convertible top and sunroof and interior-lighting control.
A round transmitter finished in typical MINI style replaces the conventional door and ignition key, with the driver controlling engine operation via a start/stop button. All instruments and controls are very smooth and easy to operate, positioned at the right point for optimum ergonomics.
The new generation s revised interior lighting reflects typical MINI style and class, with the addition of ambient lighting which can be varied in five stages from warm orange to sporting blue. Serving as discreet waterfall illumination from above and as indirect illumination of the roof lining, door storage bins and door handle recesses, this illumination scheme creates a unique atmosphere inside the latest MINI.
MINI Coopers continue to offer a wide range of options and special equipment to meet the demands and personal preferences of virtually any buyer. Wood, leather, various trim-and-color combinations mean adjusting the interior can be tailored for that right fit.
MINI offers a wide array of body colors, including metallics. The external look is further customizable thanks to additional color and graphic options for the roof on hardtop editions.
Optional on MINI Cooper and Cooper S and standard on JCW is the Chrome Line featuring chrome surrounds on the instruments and a chrome bar on the lower air intake in the front air dam, on the fog lamps and the rear fog warning light on the MINI Cooper, plus, on the MINI Cooper S, chrome bars in the air outlet on the rear air dam and on the rear lid handle.( Reflecting the premium standard of the MINI, all models come with a wide range of safety equipment, including six standard airbags to enhance occupant safety. The convertibles feature automatic Active rollover protection bars.
Active safety is enhanced in critical driving situations by the standard ABS braking, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Cornering Brake Control and Dynamic Stability Control. Brake Assist detects emergency operation of the brakes and builds up maximum brake pressure very quickly and Hill Assist, in conjunction with DSC, maintains brake pressure for up to 3 seconds after the brake pedal has been released and before the clutch has been engaged, to prevent the car from rolling back when setting off on an uphill gradient.
Pricing for the John Cooper Works convertible at about 35 grand and as in our test version, goes to just under 40 large with a few personalized add-ons.
Do not let the name MINI fool you in the case of the Cooper (and specifically this John Cooper Works edition) it means more more fun, more functionality, more power and more performance. Oliver Twist finally gets his wish.
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I attended an event May 3 at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Arlington, Texas, that gave me cause for deeper reflection. Chevy is celebrating the 75th year of the Suburban model. A single product with three-quarters of a century lineage – now that is something. It got me to wondering in this modern era of "here today, gone tomorrow" and disposable lifestyles what new products would be able to survive 75 years. Sure, brands can live long lives but what about the individual nameplate, the singular moniker.
Probably few things within our reach at this very moment can boast such survival skills. The concept, such as a pen, a wallet or even a motor vehicle, may stand the test of time but what about the individual model name?
On hand to assist in today's celebration was four-time champion NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson who took the wheel of the 2010 Chevrolet Suburban 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition as it rolled off the assembly line, led by a vintage 1936 Chevy Suburban Carryall.
The Diamond Edition Suburban is based on a top-of-the-line LTZ Suburban package and adds unique roof rack rails, 20-inch chrome wheels, special exterior badging, 75th anniversary embroidery on the headrests, special badging on the steering wheel center cap and unique front door sill plate graphics and will be available this month in select Chevy dealerships, most of which will be right here in the Lone Star State where all Suburbans are now built (and a third of ALL Suburbans are sold).
“Times have changed, but the Suburban remains a fixture in the industry for private and professional customers who need truck-like towing capability with maximum passenger and cargo space,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “The Suburban’s core capabilities and dependability have remained constant for more than seven decades and generations of people know that a Suburban will haul people and their gear.”
Here are a couple of significant dates in the Suburban timeline:
1935: Suburban Carryall introduced with a signature two-door body style that would last through 1967. Power came from Chevrolet’s stalwart “Stovebolt” inline-six that produced 60 horsepower for the half-ton chassis.
1973: A new generation of Chevy trucks is launched, with Suburban offered in a conventional four-door body style introduced for the first time. Its 129.5-inch wheelbase was only 0.5-inch shorter than the 2010 model’s. Also debuting is the Suburban three-quarter-ton model, which could be had with a 454 big-block engine that delivered 335 lb.-ft. of torque.
Pricing will begin at just over $55,000 for two-wheel-drive models and a tick more than 58 grand for 4x4 models.
Seeing the transition of styling from the early model Suburban to the latest was a unique experience today, and I wonder just how archaic will my iPhone look in a little over 70 years from now.
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With spring now in full blossom many are beginning to plan for summer vacations. My suggestion is (as has been for some time now) spend that time checking out the Lone Star State. Texas has much to offer, features a variety of climate and geographic regions and is awash with historic and natural wonders.
It has been 10 years since I embarked on an intensive 10-day, 3,100-mile journey circumnavigating the massive state. Along the way I visited 28 state and national parks and natural areas, discovering just how unique Texas is. General Motors was kind enough to loan me "LoneStar IV" for the trip, a special edition 2000 Chevy Suburban designed in a partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife at the time. That new version marked the 65th anniversary of Suburban for the automaker and May 3 they will mark 75 years for the model with NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson driving a special edition Suburban off the line at the Arlington GM assembly plant.
The paint scheme of LoneStar IV was quite unique and would soon be replicated by a certain "reporter" who travels the "Texas country." A state flag design was painted onto the sides and hood with decals in the shape of longhorn cattle horns all around. I felt like a Texas ambassador and my arm got so tired from returning all the waves of passersby.
I drove in a counterclockwise direction around Texas and even at 10 days I did not hit all five corners – I had to sort of round off the furthest points west and south. I was snowed and sleeted on in the panhandle region and got sunburn just two days later in Big Bend. I almost lost a wheel coming down a mountain road near Fort Davis got uncomfortably close to live alligators in the wild near the Texas coast.
FM170 (aka the river road) near Big Bend remains one of my all-time favorite byways to travel in Texas and the road leading into the Chisos Basin in Big Bend is tops for sunsets. During winter there are bald eagles near Lake Buchanan and the Colorado River, with sightings also around the lakes of East Texas. Springtime, of course, is best spent in the Hill Country and its annual floral displays. The Pineywoods of East Texas help tame the summer sun and autumn shows its colors around Lost Maples State Natural Area west of San Antonio and the Guadalupe Mountains out towards El Paso. Galveston and Matagorda Island state parks are a great way to enjoy the beach and Garner State Park offers peaceful floats down the Frio River.
Palo Duro Canyon is Texas' mini version of that big famous split in the ground out west and history almost comes alive in Seminole Canyon or the San Antonio missions. Scuba dive the clear waters of Balmorhea, sled down a sandy slope at the Monahans Sandhills or stare as a starry sky at McDonalds Observatory.
Texas has plenty to offer. See for yourself but I advise going a more leisurely pace than I did 10 years ago. Split the state into regions to explore on subsequent adventures and say "Howdy" to parts of the Lone Star State you never knew existed.
