>>>>Ah yes I forgot you told me before you had a Mini Cooper. Curious - did you test drive the Fiat 500 before you got the Mini Cooper? I've driven both and liked the Mini a lot better - but I haven't tried one of the turbo Fiats.
>>>>
>>>>I have driven nothing but Mini Coopers for the last 14 years :)
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>>>Pure curiosity: Was the first one already one of Beamer production or did you get the bug by an english original ? (not implying Andy, but the earlier Rover/Austin cars...)
>>
>>IMO one of the absurd things about the BMW mini is how big they have got. I used to regard my Volvo as a big car and it looks small next to some of the new minis.
>
>IMO the first new one was borderline, but the second new one is ridicolous to run as "Mini". Victor is correct in pointing out current security needs...

If by "security" you mean crashworthiness, you don't necessarily need a large vehicle for that. From VW, their original 1-liter prototype: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_1-litre_car

"The body and frame are designed with crush/crumple zones and roll-over protection, and the tandem seating means large side crush zones. Volkswagen claims protection comparable to a GT racing car. The car has anti-lock brakes, airbags with pressure sensors, and stability control." - in a car that weighed 290kg empty.