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SIZE COMPARISON - MINI VS MGB

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GMB3 Avatar
GMB3 George Badger
Soquel, CA, USA   USA
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1965 Jaguar E-Type Coupe "1QUICK E"
1968 MG MGB "1QUICK B"
I was going through some pix today and discovered a photo I took after I took a friend to pick up his new Mini, a few years ago.

Ya know, the Mini isn't.



---
GEO


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13401h Greg Mouritz
Mentone, Victoria, Australia   AUS
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That's not a Mini. That's a BMW.

I have previously owned a 1967 Mark 1 Cooper S. The MGB is a more comfortable car to drive. Both have similar storage space. The road grip of the Cooper S was definitely superior.

Overall I am happier with the MGB.

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vagt6 Avatar
vagt6 vagt6 K. Brown
Charlottesville, VA, USA   USA
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MINI weighs a bit more.

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lawmann Avatar
lawmann Gold Member Shaun Johnson
Kathleen, GA, USA   USA
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1972 MG MGB MkIII "Old Blue"
In reply to # 3815933 by vagt6 MINI weighs a bit more.

MINI weighs a lot more...by approximately 800 lbs. I have a 1972 MGB, 2006 MINI R53, 2007 MINI R52, and a 1976 Austin Mini.



Shaun Johnson
1972 MGB Tourer, Second Owner

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BigIg Avatar
BigIg Ian B
Hornsea, E. Yorks, UK   GBR
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1980 MG MGB GT
1999 MG MGF
Some of the BMW Minis are bigger than the 1970's Austin Maxi.

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MGUK Paul Wiley
Watton, Norfolk, UK   GBR
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For me the sad part is that the heavier a car is the more fuel it uses. The original Mini in its most basic form weighed about 12 cwt or 600 Kg. So a rather simple and basic little engine producing about 35 hp could get you to the shops and back with little fuss or bother. I had one when a student and it wasn't luxury motoring but you could fit a heater and the sliding front windows worked.

Now if that was possible in 1960 why do most cars now weigh well over 1 ton? With modern materials I see no reason why it wouldn't be possible to produce a modern 'Mini' weighing about 1/2 ton or possibly less. I ma reasonably confident that use of modern high strength materials at strategic points could result in this car meeting all current safety standards and being very economical.

The other advantage of the original Mini was it could be parked in any little space which in towns and cities is a real pain if you have a large car (I know 'cos I have one).

The only car that gets even close to this objective is the descendent of another 1960's car - the Lotus Super 7. There is now a version with a tiny Japanese motorbike engine. I won't claim it is the safest car on the road, egg boxes are stronger. But for fun on a budget there is little to beat it. More powerful versions of the same car are very popular in the UK for Sunday amateur track racing.

Going back to the MGB, I love the way you can drive between gaps in the traffic that defeat most modern cars. I live in a rural part of the UK where there are many tiny roads - often only about 8 ft or 2.5 m wide. No Problem!

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Chalky Avatar
Chalky David White
Coventry, Warwickshire, UK   GBR
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In reply to # 3816152 by MGUK Now if that was possible in 1960 why do most cars now weigh well over 1 ton?

A lot of the bloat is to do with legislation and changing fashions. In the 60's most cars had very rudimentary crash protection, now you have a very high chance of surviving a crash with little or no injury. Legislation had driven lot of driver assistance features and emissions control which adds weight and takes up space. Also most of the younger generation see a car the same as white goods and want lots of features - touch screens, blue tooth, connectivity. All of this adds weight and takes up space.
A 1960's luxury car had electric windows, central locking, leather seats and a wooden dashboard. Modern cars have far more stuff /features in them to weigh them down.

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Bernd Kamenicky Avatar
Bernd Kamenicky Bernard Kamenicky
Altlengbach, Lower Austria, Austria   AUT
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1966 MG MGB GT "The Red One"
1971 MG MGB MkII "The Blue One"
MINI? That is a huge BMW!!!!!!!
I owned Mini 850 '76 and 1000 '73 and '75 in the early 80s.
And I own B '71 and GT'66, both heavily tuned since early 90s.
I built up 2 Mini Pick Ups, one Mini 1250 Limousine and a race Mini for slalom races.
What I can say:
The MGB has lots more space for the (long legged) driver but though homologated for 4 people even the GT is not suitable for more than 2 people (even presuming ideal weight).
You get as many beer crates in the Mini (if not featuring right fuael tank) as in the GT, the roadster w/o spare wheel takes more.
The MGB (standard and tuned) will always be the better long distance car - especially with O/D or 5speed conversion.
The Mini will always outhandle the B. I really tried hard but you can spend a fortune on MGB suspension goodies (poly bushes, telescopic shocks, neg chamber wishbone arms, anti tramp bars, Panhard rods......) and still the Mini in standard tune goes circles around you in the twisties.
As- btw - does the modern BMW-Mini, but IMHO it is too big, too heavy and you sit too far in the back. I hate to be miles away from the front windscreen. The feeling is like in a van.
Still I am glad BMW interpreted the Mini from new as it broght back cars that handle from nature - without having to exploit all those electronic assistants.
Cheers
Bernd


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noahvale Avatar
noahvale Butch Ammons
Baton Rouge, LA, USA   USA
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1971 MG MGB GT
1973 MG MGB
Love them all - see my signature..



https://73-mgb.blogspot.com
https://71mgbgt.blogspot.com

IMHO, YMMV, and any other applicable acronyms apply...

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