is MINI a chick car?

[TheDeep]

A friend of mine bought a new MINI last week. He's 6.1", 200lbs. I've been giving him a hard time, saying that it's a chick car. He's busy trying to defend his choice.....good engineering, good handling, easy to park in tight spaces, good fuel economy since he drives 120 miles every day etc etc.

I've been checking out MINIs on the street and invariably I see women driving them. What do you guys think?

[Roffle Waffle]

depends on the color

[MWhip]

If it is stock YES :)

[Jademonkey]

stock definitely

[sachin528]

A Mini is less of a chick car than say a Sunfire, and New Beetle.

Oh and the only defense that he needs is that the Coopers are so good they had to redo them for the Italian Job. The wouldn't do the stunts. (BTW if the women that drive the Mini look anything like Charlize Theron, well, I'd love to drive a chick car)

[ken_vs_ryu]

yes it is modded or not.

[bayerische]

I don't think so, go drive an S and you'll understand.

[6i9]

:rolleyes Not a chick car stock or not. (well the MINI One is kind of)

I think it's funny how people brand the under-powered, fun handling cars as "chick cars" ie: VW Beetle, Mazda Miata, BMW Z3 and now the MINI

[M52 POWER!]

My friend has a Mini S that is black and has a few lil mods on it and it's pretty cool. I still kill him in acceleration though :)

http://www.hondaofthousandoaks.com/used-cars/WMWRE33454TD83057.JPG

[alanhenson]

If it's not an S and he is that big he might as well be a tranny. I think they are right on the edge.

[gato]

It looks like a chick car, but doesn't drive like a chick car. :)

[sachin528]

A friend of mine bought a new MINI last week. He's 6.1", 200lbs. I've been giving him a hard time, saying that it's a chick car. He's busy trying to defend his choice.....good engineering, good handling, easy to park in tight spaces, good fuel economy since he drives 120 miles every day etc etc.

I've been checking out MINIs on the street and invariably I see women driving them. What do you guys think?


Better he bought the Mini than a H2. I'd rather driving a practical car, labeled as a chick car, than drive a man car, that is monstrosity to everyone.

[6i9]

drive a man car, that is monstrosity to everyone.

read: piece of shit

[M52 POWER!]

Better he bought the Mini than a H2. I'd rather driving a practical car, labeled as a chick car, than drive a man car, that is monstrosity to everyone.

Yea really, and the H2 is supposed to be a mans car but I see more soccer moms and teenie boppers driving them around than men.... :rolleyes

[TheDeep]

Better he bought the Mini than a H2. I'd rather driving a practical car, labeled as a chick car, than drive a man car, that is monstrosity to everyone.

we're not comparing a mini to an h2. there are soooo many other cars out there. what compels a 35 yr old man with good money to buy a MINI? He also wants to NAME his car and he sent out an email to all his friends asking for suggestions. WTF. I find that really gay.

[sachin528]

we're not comparing a mini to an h2. there are soooo many other cars out there. what compels a 35 yr old man with good money to buy a MINI? He also wants to NAME his car and he sent out an email to all his friends asking for suggestions. WTF. I find that really gay.


um, yeah, that part is just not cool. (Well naming rides is okay - but asking friends is pretty lame)

[bayerische]

He also wants to NAME his car and he sent out an email to all his friends asking for suggestions. WTF. I find that really gay.
Now that's gay.

[ken_vs_ryu]

i'd rather drive this and save money and not be in this debate all the time

http://www.kris.1000lecie.pl/civicpics/Honda%20Civic%20Type%20'R'_%20v1.1.JPG

[6i9]

we're not comparing a mini to an h2. there are soooo many other cars out there. what compels a 35 yr old man with good money to buy a MINI? He also wants to NAME his car and he sent out an email to all his friends asking for suggestions. WTF. I find that really gay.

Okay yes, the naming email thing is pretty homogay.

But the car itself is not. Have you driven an S? It's no joke, it can hang with STi's in corners (driver ability given).

My brother went to a MINI vs STi shootout at a local autocross almost a year ago and the MINI's only trailed behind in the straights.

[sachin528]

we're not comparing a mini to an h2. there are soooo many other cars out there. what compels a 35 yr old man with good money to buy a MINI? He also wants to NAME his car and he sent out an email to all his friends asking for suggestions. WTF. I find that really gay.


I was at BimmerFast in 2002. I remember seeing and talking to a gentleman piloting a Mini Cooper. Not a S but a base. He had some of the best times. (BimmerFast is held at Road America by Badger Bimmer Club)

The Mini is a phenomenal car. I wouldn't bash it.

[Armo95]

Some consider the S2000 to be a chick's car... :rolleyes

[sachin528]

Some consider the S2000 to be a chick's car... :rolleyes


I never made anycomment like that Levik. Usually I try to defend Honda engineering. (Please disregard the comment if the rolleyes smilie was not directed at me.)

[sachin528]

FYI
http://www.planetout.com/content/slideshow/splash.html?coll=290&order=9&navpath=/topics/living/auto/

huh?
http://www.planetout.com/content/slideshow/splash.html?coll=290&order=10&navpath=/topics/living/auto/
:eek: :confused

Some other sources
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/Guy-Chick-Cars/

Interesting
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1925608

[Armo95]

I never made anycomment like that Levik. Usually I try to defend Honda engineering. (Please disregard the comment if the rolleyes smilie was not directed at me.)

Nah, man, it wasn't directed at you :)...just a general comment I've heard from people.

[sirtiger]

its a unisex car :)

[MandaBoo]

In my area, I am the only "chick" that I ever see on the road in a MINI and I have a JCW MCS and go auto-xing every weekend :)

[Armo95]

In my area, I am the only "chick" that I ever see on the road in a MINI and I have a JCW MCS and go auto-xing every weekend :)

My kinda girl ;)

[sirtiger]

pics of the chick & the car pls. :)

[MandaBoo]

I need to get some good pics of my car since we put on my M7 springs...looks much better. But no pics until I can wash it and it's snowing here today :confused

[mpayne]

Drive a MINI and call it a chick car, outperforms most of our 3 series.

[DriftingE30]

Hey People,

I just wanted to put my two cents in on this. I work for Mini here in the Bay Area. I also own a 88 325is.I bought it before I was switched from the BMW side of our dealership to the Mini side.
I see a major difference in the people who buy Mini's and BMW's. Both men and women. Most of the people I've seen on the BMW side buy the BMW for it's status symbol and knowing they are buying "The Ultimate Driving Machine". A few buy for all the safty and reliability and the sheer fun of driving a BMW.
The people buying the Mini's like the Mini cause it's different, fun and not a snooty brand name.
As for people asking if a Mini is a "Chick Car" . A bone stock Cooper it's about 50/50 budget plays a big part in these Mini's, A Cooper Conv. yeah more I've sold more to women than men. Any Cooper S HT or S Conv. Thats about 60/40 men to women.
Now a VW Jetta is a chick car. :thumbdown A Mazda Miata is a chick car:thumbdown . A VW Beetle is a chick car. :thumbdown

[cheechthechi]

The only way you can make a stock mini a chick imo is to add hawaiin seat covers and flowers in the cup holders...

Its debatable whether the car is a chick car in stock form.. as for cooper s, theres no doubt that it is a mans ride!!

[MandaBoo]

I used to think that a Miata was a chick car. I even told my husband that I would prefer that he buy his EVO over saving money and getting a Miata. Until we started auto-xing. There are always several Miatas at any auto-x we go to, always driven by guys, and they all drive their cars REALLY well and usually come in fairly close to FTD. :eek:

As for what gender car the S is, I think it depends on how its used. If someone just bought an MCS over a MC for no good reason other than they thought it was "better", then I think its a chick car in the sense that they probably got it b/c it was cute, regardless of the gender of the driver. On the other hand, if they got the car b/c they love its handling abilities and the nice little whirrr when they go WOT, its a tougher, more sporty, OK...man car. So, I got my car b/c I wanted a fun sporty...and yes cute, car that would be good at auto-x and that's exactly what i got :D

[///MINI]

I debated this question when I was picking something with which to re-enter the driving world. Having come from NYC where my feet used to be my cars, I used to see how efficient and practical a car like the MINI would be in tight quarters. The MINI was little. The MINI was cute. I liked that...kind of like how I like my chicks. But, knowing the MINI had a long racing heritage also made the car more appealing to my adrenaline-soaked, inner urges as well. Mind you, I used to own both a Stage III supercharged M Roadster that pushed damn near 400 rear wheel horsepower AND a TurboXS Stage 4-equipped WRX that romped around with 280 all wheel horsepower. So, I'm not unfamiliar with owning cars as toys that are more geared for men. In the end, I went with the MINI because I drove one and marveled at how fun it was to throw around.

[sachin528]

Now a VW Jetta is a chick car. :thumbdown A Mazda Miata is a chick car:thumbdown . A VW Beetle is a chick car. :thumbdown


MIatas are not chick cars. Miatas own.

[oo=II=oo]

I feel that the older body one's are better and more fun. Certainly the new MINI's are larger than the older ones. It looks feminine, I see myself driving the old one. My friend's civic is smaller than the new MINI. Z3's are 100% for women, I haven't seen a man driving one up till now. I'm really not impressed with the new MINI's.

[Mblaster]

A friend of mine bought a new MINI last week. He's 6.1", 200lbs. I've been giving him a hard time, saying that it's a chick car. He's busy trying to defend his choice.....good engineering, good handling, easy to park in tight spaces, good fuel economy since he drives 120 miles every day etc etc.

I've been checking out MINIs on the street and invariably I see women driving them. What do you guys think?
No but a Boxter or a SLK is.

[witeshark]

I don't see Mini being a chick car at all. But then, I feel that way about all cars. :cyclona

[oo=II=oo]

you are totally right about the SLK and boxter. lol.

[Glenn 328is]

I don't see it as a chick car. If MINI made one with AWD, I'd get the JCW addon and love the hell out of it. I love how it drives.