Day four was all about driving. We left the beautiful (yet tourist filled) town of Rothenburg and headed down the “Romantische Straße” (aka Romantic Road). The drive is dotted with picturesque German towns and villages with great roads in between. It’s not quite as a demanding drive as some of the roads near the ‘Ring but they are fun nonetheless.

The 2007 Cooper S has been fantastic so far. We’ve hit 1000 km and so far it feels as if it were carved from a solid piece of metal. No rattles, squeaks or other sounds that MINI owners might be familiar with. The drive-train has also been a joy to use as well. With such varied speeds on German roads (from the Autobahn to small villages) I’ve seen both ends of the odometer and often within minutes of each other. The only thing the car is really missing on the spec sheet is the sport suspension. While the standard kit is great for cruising, I can’t help but feel the car is missing some edge that would be appreciated in the twisties.

On the autobahn the new MINI is more of an effortless cruiser than the previous car. I lead a group (a 330d wagon and a new VW R32) for the better part of 20 minutes at very high speeds without a raise of the heart-beat whatsoever. And while the seats could still stand to be improved, the optional lounge leather is very comfortable over long distances. In fact we arrived in Munich with enough energy to hit the hotel gym and then the Hofbrauhaus.

[ Germany 2007 (Day 4) ] Flickr