Motoring Monday Mini

Those that know me, know that I've owned and driven a number of cars over the years, and one of my favourites was the car that took me to and from Uni, and a few years beyond. And last week for the first time in a long time, I got to relive that experience, albeit in the far more modern version.

Back in the days of late 2000/early 2001, I was looking to move on from the little french hatchback that had served me as my 2nd car, so had looked at a lot of options. Then the news of #BMW relaunching the #Mini brand with the One, the Cooper, and not long after the #Cooper S. My order was placed (Mini One, Chilli Red, with the Salt pack), and I waited mostly patiently for it to arrive. The day came, and shortly after the 1st of September, I was driving one of the very early Mini's that was delivered in Edinburgh.

Over the years I had the car, I was surprised that it could swallow the entire contents of the uni accommodation I was in, how much it would turn heads, but most of all, but most of all just how much fun it was to drive overall. It was planted, more than fast enough to enjoy without actually getting into trouble, and you could feel the "BMW" in the car with how it was put together.

The design was iconic, I still remember the day I parked next to an original Mini. You could see the styling brought forward to a new age from Alec Issigonis' original, grown but not lost. There have been other companies that have followed this trend, and over the years the Mini line-up has grown to include the #Countryman, 5dr Hatch, and #Clubman, all of which have found a place in people's hearts and driveways, models that meant that people had a car that reflected what they wanted in a Mini, but also practical family cars with more doors for dogs and children. It had been a while since I'd truly had a chance to spend time in a Mini, so being handed the keys for the Mini #Electric for the night was a chance to drop back to those days of being an owner. A lot has changed from the days of my One, with the iDrive platform integrated with Apple CarPlay. A big improvement from the MiniDisc I had in my old car!

With the electric model sharing it's platform with the regular models, it was fun to get that feel again, driving exactly how I would expect a Mini to in rush hour traffic, a familiar view out a steeper windscreen than you would expect in a car it's size. That ride that is just the right side of stiff to be used around the city centre, and direct steering. The size is just right for a modern city, and the drive train meaning it was easy to "one pedal" drive, lifting off and letting it use the motor to regenerate the battery to maximise the range. For a city car, the range is just right, the small frame of the car meaning that it isn't going to rival it's big brothers in the BMW range, but if you live in a city, or commute into one, this is the ideal car to have on your drive. With up to 142 miles, and more power than the original Cooper S, it absolutely will put a smile on your face when you are out of the traffic in town.

While driving this version, built for the change we've seen in how we use and think of our vehicles, I cruised past one of the more unique versions of the earlier Mini's - the #redbull version - converted to a pick-up, oversized Red Bull can perched on it still. There's a reason they chose the Mini to use, eye-catching and iconic. While I can't help you convert to something like this, I'd love to help businesses to #drive something that helps you stand out, while still making sure you are making the most of the #ESG benefits of having electric vehicles for your business. Whether you are running #lettingagents, or #designagency, or just want a car that will help your #business. The smiles from #driving an Electric Mini come free of charge!