New old Mini. Please tell me about the pulse turbocharged N18 Prince engine

[vavavroom]

Why in the world would you need a gauge that shows how long the top is down?

I don't need it. It's the automotive equivalent of an appendix or of an earlobe.

 

[vavavroom]

Could that be how much the top is down? As in if it were partially still up and you went too fast it could be damaged?

No, it shows minutes and hours of top down time. The gauge is called the openometer. The hand indicates the minutes and LEDs indicate the hours. Once the top goes up the gauge resets. I think there's an all-time top down counter in a menu in the MFD. I wonder if one of the designers was a hobby dermatologist/oncologist.

 

[MCompact]

Well that was concise. I have owned three BMWs, still have my 328i, I'm familiar with the price they come at. That's alright. I do have a good mechanic for the repairs I don't want to or can't do myself.

benjy has never owned a BMW- which makes him an expert here on BITOG.
I have an R55 Clubman with the N12 NA motor. I use it for my DD and I love it. For whatever reason, Mini engines of that vintage tend to need a few repairs around 100k miles(timing chain/guides, vacuum pump, VANOS, gaskets, etc.), but once you pass that milestone you should be good for another 100k miles.

 

[930.engineering]

Which ones hydrolock and ruin the engine if you drive through a puddle?

I don't think the S has that low-mounted plenum behind the fender.

Not an issue on these cars. Unlike e.g. the E46 the air inlet isn't part of the brake vent but sitting next to the driver-side headlight.

.

 

[vavavroom]

An update: I have put 2,000 miles on Miss Moneypenny since April. The odometer is now at 4,000 miles. So far no problems.