FOAK BMW 'Minis'

Driving up the hill towards the airport last Sunday I got stuck behind
four cars all unable to get going in the snow and all BMWs, as it
happens. Not surprising, thought I, rear-wheel drive, typical. And
slipping my front-wheel drive Suzuki into second I pissed past them all
on the wrong side of the road. Par for the course, I've been doing since
I got my first Morris 1100 in 19mumble-mumble.

However, one of those BMWs was one of the new ersatz Minis. Are they,
too, rear-wheel drive? if so what a travesty!

 

OK just a Jersey driver then.

 

My BMW is also shit in the snow, it just had to be pushed off the drive
to be parked in a place where my housemate can drive off on his own
tomorrow to collect his kids, cos I'm not getting out of bed to help
him.

They are FWD, and not bad in snow. The driver was obviously a fuckwit.



--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike
in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

V. likely, fuckwittery is endemic on Jersey roads.

 

They're FWD. The only one I've driven had slight traction problems in
the wet, but that was a modified example that kicked out 'slightly' more
power than a standard Cooper.

 

Oh.

<amends ebay & autotrader searches>

 

I followed the Morris 1100 with the '1300' GT (same engine as the 1275
Mini, I believe) close-ratio box that I had to re-build, I /loved/ that
car - had to give it up when I became a 'mature student' and couldn't
afford to run it.

 

<fondles Eaton M45>
Hmm... lovely.

 

That engine was closer in spec to the Mk3 Cooper S[1] and it had no
more of a close ratio box than most other A series had

[1] Same internals and head/carb spec, but the block was the less
braced version. The Cooper S block had no 'hole' in the casting above
the centre main bearing, whereas every other 1275 until the A+ block
had the 'hole'. The gearbox was just about the same on all 1100s, 1300s
and 1275 Cooper S's with minor variations. Most gearing changes were
done at the diff with a variety of ratios available.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike
in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

Christ. On. A. Bike.

 

<worried>

 

My Alfa is very competent in the snow, because it's FWD. Or Italian.
Or red.

Nothing to do with snow tyres, obviously.

 

http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/ProductsServices/PerformanceProducts/Products/
Superchargers/M45/

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, SIRPip

*You're* fucking worried!

 

Nah, FWD but almost certainly "over-tyred" resulting in zero grip on snow &
ice.

Tim

 

If they did an automatic diesel estate for under 3k, it'd be on my
list. But I don't think they do.

I'll have to get chains if I go for a 2wd, or keep the Jeep to use as a
snowplough.