Sunday, March 23, 2014

Gran Turismo 6: Timeless Classic Icons

The Mini Cooper, the VW Beetle, and the Fiat 500, classic icons that changed the automotive world through the years and now, it's time to find out which of these three timeless classic icons is the most iconic.




The place? Brands Hatch. The layout? The short Indy Circuit. The rule? Fastest time wins.




The Mini Cooper is a product of Sir Alec Issigonis and remains a purists' favorite over the Germanized modern Mini while the classic VW Beetle is the worldwide phenomenon that gave Volkswagen the reputation of being the "people's car" and the Fiat 500 is...well, it's one of Italy's contribution to the world. Mr. Bean drives a Mini, the Beetle is Herbie the Love Bug, and Lupin the Third drove a Fiat 500. They're all part of the pop culture craze but still, this is a GT6 science experiment and we're finding out whose the most iconic.

Although the Mini has the highest power of the three, it's heavier than the Fiat 500 but lighter than the Beetle, so it's a well-balanced classic city car that not only it looks good on the city streets but it's a good track-day car because the classic Mini has a racing pedigree. From the racetrack to the dirttrack, the Mini is always the David that trumps all the Goliaths in the motorsports history. The Fiat 500 may have a very low output but because it weighs over 500kg, you can find this car to be more maneuverable and more enjoyable to turn thanks to its lightweight bodywork. The Beetle though...it maybe the best of both worlds but even though it has more power than the old 500, it's heavier than the old 500.

After a lap round the Brands Hatch, here come the results...

1:06.219 - MINI
1:15.592 - Beetle
1:22.898 - 500

It's proven that the original and British-made classic Mini Cooper is by no means the most iconic of the three timeless classic due to its motorsports pedigree and a very high popularity among car enthusiasts and historians. Maybe that's why most purists prefer this more than the modern Mini that is made by BMW.

 

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