A simple, fun antidote to tech-laden road test cars

ILLYA VERPRAET

I’ve had this 2005 Mini Cooper S – an ‘R53’ for the chassis code fans – for almost six years now. I didn’t think it would be a keeper when I bought it, but despite quite a few life changes in that time, it still fits very well. It’s gone from being my only car – a sort of combined daily driver and fun car – to being on standby for when I don’t have a test car, or simply for when I get tired of the assorted tech nonsense in modern cars. In that time, it’s had the odd bit done to it, mainly on an ad-hoc basis of keeping a cheap car going. Compared with all the brand-new cars I’m exposed to, the 105,000-mile, 19-year-old Mini was starting…

You're reading a preview of

Autocar (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 13, 2024

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.