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Walkaround
The first impression of the Mini comes from its broad brow and challenging demeanor tempered by an appealing wonder-eyed look. The distinctive body shape is recognizable even in black paper silhouette. In the old days we dubbed the Mini The Flying Toastmaster." That description would apply to today's Mini as well if that toaster has a bulldog attitude and can cling to the counter as if suctioned in place. Tenacity is built into today's Mini visually by its a slightly splayed stance. The wheels are set as far out to the four corners as possible thus enhancing stability in turns and reducing hobby-horsing on bumpy straights. The wheelbase at 97.1 inches is longer than some small cars though the Mini's body is shorter at 142.8 inches (less than 12 feet). The wide-across, short-in-depth hood is the product of unique design and manufacturing techniques. It might well hang on the wall of some corporate offices along with other shaped sculpture and not betray its origin. The round, large doe-eyed headlights (which go up with the hood) are partly responsible for the common reaction of "Oh-h-h, isn't it CUTE!" Actually, this response was by intent, not chance. Mini designers also threw in what they consider to be some voluptuous feminine curves and some masculine muscular bulges to cover all the visceral reactions. Thus the Mini is neither Guy Wheels nor a Chick Car. It is an engaging automotive device that has a wide appeal stretching across gender, age and economic status. By the way, that toaster-body shape of the Mini is functional: it gives anyone riding in either back or front seats adult headroom, something that arch-shaped body designs (such as the Beetle) cannot do."
Interior Features
It is said that Alec Issigonis, designer of the original Mini, sat four adults in straight chairs, drew a line around them and thus determined the size of his passenger compartment. The box tacked on at the front housed an engine set in sideways to take less room. This Mini is a third bigger, wider, taller, longer, so a car full of adults need not be tight. Try the Mini on. It may well surprise six-plus footers. The seats are handsome to look at. When it comes to sitting you might feel as if you are sort of perching on the standard seats. The sport seats are more receptive. If you prefer seats that you sit in rather than on, opt for the sports seats. Be your own judge; seats are personal. To allow rear passengers into the back of the two-door car, the front seats slide and lift out of the way with a memory that returns them to position. That makes loading to capacity quick and easy. Any notion that a car celebrating a popular icon of old has to be retro is dispelled forever by the with-it modernity of the Mini's interior. Materials and shapes are as cheery as sunshine and balloons and as now as a new magazine. The prominent circles are as much a design statement as a function, including the tach perched like an add-on immediately before the driver's eyes. Toggle switches reflect the older Mini while looking very today and feeling quite driverly. That large circle in the center of the dash, equally visible to anyone in the car, is the speedometer. The positioning was borrowed from the Mini of old and might seem a tad precious to those who don't smile in recollection. However the press-briefing explanation that the speedometer is in the center to celebrate the rally tradition of the Mini (so that the co-driver can see it clearly) is balderdash. It was there because that central position made it cheaper to build cars with either right-hand or left-hand drive. The first 850cc Mini with its 10-inch wheelbarrow wheels was a response to a mid-east war and resulting oil crisis (sound familiar?), not anything else. The car's sporting future was not anticipated until John Cooper took a fancy to the tidy little machine, lent his magic and sent the Mini hurtling into history.
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