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Showcase: Mini Cooper S Cabriolet
Topic Started: Nov 27 2013, 09:04 PM (1,060 Views)
mbx64
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Matchbox Collector
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Look! It is a Mini!

I always enjoy seeing a Mini on the road. They always manage to make me smile, because they are always so cute. The raging cute factor is really what makes Mini's so special. And it has another thing going for it, too: the name. 'Mini'. It is just so cute and petite that it brings a smile to my face, especially when it is said in a cheery, chipper voice.

"Mini!"

Okay, that is enough name cuddling. Now it is time to talk about aesthetics. As I just mentioned, all Mini's are cute, but some more than others. For instance, the Clubman is not cute by many means for a Mini, but for a car in general it is. There is also the Countryman, which is just in a whole other category, so I guess there is one Mini that is not cute, but a majority of them are. Do not even mention the Cooper Coupe. It is overflowing with cuteness, mainly because it is trying to be sporty and tough looking. It is like a little kitten trying to look mean and tough; it just does not work, but you will laugh at its adorableness while it tries. This Cooper Cabrio is cuter than ever (you like that alliteration?), with its racy dual stripes and its sports-pedigree 5-spoke wheels. You did not just hit the cute out of the ballpark, Matchbox, but out of the entire town.

So that is pretty much why I love Mini's. Basically, cute is the answer to my Mini obsession, and it is safe to say that I used the word at least 10 times in this review so far. Well, off to a good start then.
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Recently, at the LA Auto Show, Mini officially unveiled its next-generation Cooper, albeit the fact that the web was littered with naked pictures of it for weeks in advance. But we will pretend Mini, we will pretend. This is actually somewhat unfortunate, because it means that this version is already somewhat dated. If it is released again next year, it is a bit more dated, and never mind about 2015. This thing is old news! But on the positive side of things, the latest Cooper looks 95% like this one, so the children will not be able to point out any significant difference from the latest Mini to the older one. You got lucky this time, Matchbox!
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The Mini Cooper has a perky, attentive stance that, of course, makes it look even cuter (Alright, I am done with that word now. Promise). Our famous 5-spoke rims fit the S version's sportier side, and do not look ridiculous as I might have imagined before. British Racing Green metallic paint envelopes the casting, along with black trim and interior, making for a sharp looking hot hatch. If we take a gander at the windshield, we find clear, new plastic windows being used, which is becoming a trend at Matchbox, which is fine by me. I hate yellowy, recycled plastic more than anything else, really, so I am ecstatic to see it slowly disappearing.
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The front is the only area that is given attention by the tampo printer. I know this will put some collectors in a huff, but it is fine by me. Both the debut version and the second 2011 model received rear tampoes, so at least it has been done before. The grille, chrome trim, fog lights and headlights were all details done by necessity, and the fun rolls around with the racing stripes. If you know your cars, you will recognize these as being an option on a Mini, not an imaginative design by Mattel. Props!
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I am almost done with words. The last thing I need to mention is my appreciation towards Mattel at leaving off 'BMW' from the package label. It just seems like some weird form of gloating by BMW, because no other car manufacturer does this. We never hear of a Volkswagen Porsche or a Ford Lincoln, so I am glad that this odd naming-style was dropped.
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Here are some pictures of our latest Mini with some old friends:
2011 Debut version
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2011 Mainline version B
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2012 Mainline
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Cute, huh?

(I knew I could not do it.)


I hope you enjoyed,

Nicolas



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Diecastmania
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HUMMER
Another AMAZING presentation! I too like MINIs. I gotta get that one! Great detail! LOVE the British Racing Green.
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Stampede
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Team Canada
Great work, as usual!!! This is a very nice version, and I just might get it. However, we do see the lack of taillights once again.

Ky favorite version is the one that is in my collection, the red one. But, the yellow one gives it a run for its money.
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mbx64
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Matchbox Collector
Diecastmania
Nov 27 2013, 10:44 PM
Another AMAZING presentation! I too like MINIs. I gotta get that one! Great detail! LOVE the British Racing Green.
Thank you very much! :D

I forgot about how BMW rigidly insists on calling it MINI, not Mini, and I got a full-blown lecture from someone about it on another forum. It is something I won't soon forget.

Stampede
 
Great work, as usual!!! This is a very nice version, and I just might get it. However, we do see the lack of taillights once again.

Ky favorite version is the one that is in my collection, the red one. But, the yellow one gives it a run for its money.


Thanks! I agree that this is a very nice model. It looks substantially better out of the package than in it.

I just recently acquired the red version from a friend here on the Garage, and I have warmed up to it quickly! The yellow one takes it for me still, though, because it is the debut version, and I just have a bias for debut models. :P

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daniel60
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Personal Luxury Car
Nick you are amazing and this is some of your best work yet. Truly beautiful cars and photography. Five Stars *****.
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wall-e
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Station Wagon
Nice to see them all together. I have the yellow one.
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mbx64
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Matchbox Collector
daniel60
Dec 3 2013, 06:01 PM
Nick you are amazing and this is some of your best work yet. Truly beautiful cars and photography. Five Stars *****.
Thanks, Daniel. ^_^

The comments mean that-much-more when they come from someone with a talent like yours!
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