umhlanga Car Review
The MINI just grows and grows words Richard Webb
To understand the context of the Mini Countryman, one has to delve back into the murky past of Britain’s crumbling automotive prospects in the late 1960’s. Lord Stokes, the new chairman of the then named British Motor Corporation (BMC) was desperate to leverage the success of Alec Issigonis’ complete brilliance that was the Morris and Austin Mini. Over fish and chips, brown ale and cigarettes, BMC management worked out that they needed a more profitable brand extension to the fabulous and wholly worthy Mini. So they wheeled Alec Issigonis to create homage to the Mini. He created a monster called the Maxi. This beast was launched in 1969, in an expensive blaze of futile publicity. It boasted front wheel drive and a five speed ‘box. It was a truly horrid thing, but on the positive side, it was known as the 100 mph bed, because it topped out at a wheezy 160 km/h and the front seats folded flat to create a bed like experience. Hopefully not at the same time though. Fast-forward 40 years and BMW have leveraged the success of the their highly profitable MINI. The MINI Countryman is meant to leverage the success of Alec Issigonis’ completely brilliant Morris and Austin Mini. Sound familiar? The Countryman ALL4 Cooper S feels immediately bigger than the ‘regular’ MINI. The engine is very willing and if you have never experienced the normal Cooper S, you’d never know that the weight of the four-wheel-drive technology has blunted the cars’ performance. The car does feel smooth and very urgent when it is called upon to perform. Do you need four-wheel drive with this chassis and engine combo? Nope. Not unless you live in the Ceres mountains in the winter. The handling is superb, gripping tenaciously and allows for hooligan behaviour to be rewarded with
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indecently quick progress along twisty roads.
The third generation of BMW’s MINI, which will arrive in 2014, will also serve as the
Inside, the car is not that convincing for my tastes. The switchgear is over the top; the speedo is bigger than a dustbin lid, the evocative rocker switches are located low on the centre console and difficult to locate without taking your eyes off the road. The car will happily fit at least four adults in the car and drive reasonable distances in manageable comfort. But tell your mates to leave most of their luggage at home. This car is 4 097 mm long, pretty much on a par with your typical supermini and its boot is just 350-litres. Inside, though, the MINI’s obsession with circles made me feel like I was trapped inside a giant Aero chocolate bar. Too many bubbles for my liking. So has Mini created a monster worthy of its Austin Maxi grand dad? No, the Countryman’s not a bad car. This time MINI have managed to keep much of the original Mini zest in place. The steering is direct and responsive, making the Countryman a keen performer, and while the ride is sometimes unsettled on South African roads, it does settle down nicely at higher speeds, particularly in sixth gear. It’s costly but oh so trendy and the pretty yummie mummies will absolutely love it.
base for the next generation Countryman. It is one of BMW’s treasured sources of profit as it offers almost limitless potential for expansion. Power will come from a range of BMW’s three cylinder petrol and diesel engines. Expect the dustbin lid sized speedo in the centre of the car to be consigned to; you guessed it, the dustbin.