Designed to delight, engineered to drive

For some there is still some magic left in the world. I have ruined most of it for myself. Sometimes I think I've gone a bit overboard in my quest to know how stuff works. So much so that I sometimes catch myself explaining some of the magic of the world away to others. I don't mean to, because I know it's nice to not know why or how something works or why and how it makes you feel things.

One of those things recently crossed my path. And before I go on, I have to tell you it's not something great, big or amazing. Instead it was something really small. Like so small I don't think my body would physically fit in it, which would be a shame to say the least. I'm talking about a good ol' classic Mini.

Weirdly and a bit magically, this specific one came to me at a time my mind kind of drifted towards thinking about the classic small cars a bit too much again. I don't know why. I have however always loved the tiny things. When I saw this Wood & Pickett Mini by Callum, it immediately struck something in me, I haven't felt in a long time with cars.

Don't ask me what it was. Maybe some kind of magic. This car gave me a kind of energy and admiration only few machines ever give me. I can't put my finger on why specifically, especially since at first glance nothing about this Mini is that special. I mean it has a nice paint job, some cool rims and a few modernized elements, but that is it.

Maybe it's the fact it's clean, not overdone at all. No carbon, active aero, wings, stickers, or other weird shit. It's tasteful in a world where taste seems to dying slowly but surely.

Maybe it's the fact this car showcases craftsmanship at its peak. A relentless eye for detail combined with the best materials. I've told you I like cloth, leather, metal and wood. Guess what has been used in this special Mini. I think Wood & Pickett and Callum went over to California to visit Singer just to see how things should be done. It's that good.

Or maybe it's the fact the old mechanics are updated to modern standards with joy in mind. The small Mini has a Stage 3 tune on the engine, which now pumps out 11 horses. Just typing that makes me smile. The suspension, steering and breaking have all been updated to match the increase in power and improve handling an steering. I don't know about you, but I'd take this little fun machine over the just released Audi RS3 Competition Limited any time.

So maybe I do know why this car struck something in me. Just look at the title of this piece. It's exactly that. Designed to delight and engineered to drive. Two things I feel car makers increasingly don't do anymore because it means taking a financial risk. That would be very unwise at this time.

Yes I know I've raved about the Land Rover Defender Octa last week as the perfect car. That probably doesn't match up with the musings you've just read about a completely different car. The Octa is huge and way too powerful and a bit tasteless. The Mini is the complete opposite in every thinkable way.

But I still stand by what I wrote last week. First off: I get to have different opinions here and there. You do too. Second: when you boil it down to the essence, I talked about the same things. The Octa delights me. I love the looks, the interior (up to a point) and the roar of the V8 is the cherry on top. To me it's also engineered to drive the way I love to. I like to fight a car a bit, the Octa bites back, maybe a bit too much.

It's just so sad delight and drive have to cost so much. Maybe I should dedicate my weekends to learning an actual skill and build my own project car that delights and drives me, and only me. What do you think? Let me know.

In other news:

I found myself blowing tea out of my nose when I read about insurers. Funny, because those fuckers usually make my blood boil, but this time I found allies in them. They also think autonomous cars will never be as good as Elon promises they will be. In fact, it's expected that car insurance isn't going anywhere quick when driverless cars take over roads. They'll keep crashing into each other, us and cyclists. That last one might actually be a good thing.

I don't want to talk about this one, it's that amazingly stupid. Just watch it.

A Tesla Model 3 is a good car. Nothing to delight and not engineered to drive, but fine for daily needs. Unless your name is Martin Oetting and you've been brought up next to a VW factory and have to come to terms with the fact that buying a Model 3 when you live near a VW plant might have been a mistake. As depressing as that sounds, Oetting makes it even worse by telling his life's story by drawing it on the car and filming the process. He quite cleverly called it his AUTO-biography. That triggered me to try and watch it. Fun idea, I thought. But there is nothing fun about it. Half we through I caught myself nibbling at my wrist. It's amazing owning a Tesla can evoke so much negativity into someone's life.