Right you are MINI man. When the paint started to peel on my 2002 red Ranger pickup (fantastic, reliable truck), I had just seen “Italian Job” and those little Coopers flying around. I said, “If I can fit into one, I’ll trade my Ranger in for it and use my old Suburban for my truck/snowplow/driveabout beater.”
Not only did I fit in it, I felt like a hand in a furlined glove in it. So I bought our first 4WD Countryman, turbocharged, white — named her “Marilyn” (white dress, nice hips) etc. In a few weeks, friend wife expropriated it for herself, saying “I feel so safe — I can accelerate or swerve out of danger like never before”. So I started driving her Highlander. Well, not long after I sold the Highlander and used it to help buy our second Countryman — red, 4WD, turbo, sport suspension (named him “Marlon”, as he exuded attitude); so now we were and His and Hers Coopers.
And I would add our approval to MINI’s high customer satisfaction rating.
In Eastern AZ, we have a canyon (Salt River Canyon) with an ingeniously engineered road through it. Every time I drive a turbocharged AWD MINI through it, especially the uphill part, I feel like I’m driving on rails, pedal to metal.
No kidding, once you’ve experienced one you’re hooked. I told my wife after I bought it that I’ll never be without one.
Back in the early 2000s I bought a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 from a friend. It was probably my favorite sports car I’ve owned, until I bought the Cooper.
Are you talking about US 60 between Globe and Show Low? That is a fun road. So is US 191 (formerly 666, the Highway of the Beast) from Morenci up to Alpine. Long time since I've driven either one, though.