Mini - New Four Door

[rossybee]

That picture Ross is really quite a shocker. Does not entirely suprise me. I wonder if the next niche "Mini" will go for will be the compact car.... oh, wait, they had a concept for that (rocketman IIRC) that they ditched. Pity.

This gives a good indication of evolution.

[rossybee]

I liked the "Spiritual" concepts which preceded ze German's efforts

[Mr Momo]

Whoever designs these for MINI really has no style

Give it another two design cycles and the MINI will be as big as the original Range Rover

[Dominic]

Funny you should say that, I remember reading somewhere (poss on here) that the first gen of the "new" mini has a longer wheelbase than the Landrover Discovery.

[Stevoraith]

What is it the cool kids say these days? "Haterz gunna hate!"

Some people have a bee in their bonnet about the BMW Mini and are never going to let themselves like it.

The thing is, the argument generally centres on the belief that a mini should be small, then the pictures of originals next to the new one are wheeled out and people gasp and shake their heads.

But think of any other car that was first made 50 years ago and the modern equivalent is huge by comparison.
Even new Firsta is nearly 2 feet longer than a mk1 from '75.

The other problem with the size is that people are hung up on taking the word 'mini' literally.
Think of it as a brand name and not as a comment on the size. You don't hear many complaints that a basic Suzuki Swift isn't swift enough or that a Skoda Superb is merely very good.

Car enthusiasts like us should rejoice that a manufacturer makes a 'compact' (albeit relatively expensive) hatch that makes driving enjoyment one of its key selling points.

I do agree that the hatch seems to be getting uglier with every iteration though!

[Mr Momo]

My dad had a '63 Morris Cooper and I had a '02 MINI Cooper S - I was smitten by the new MINI's short overhangs, handling and performance, but the MkIII MINI is just pig-ugly in all forms ( esp the Countryman) i.m.o.

Retros are tricky to get right (e.g. Beetle, MINI, 500, Morgan 3W) so the designer best be careful

[jason]

That picture Ross is really quite a shocker. Does not entirely suprise me. I wonder if the next niche "Mini" will go for will be the compact car.... oh, wait, they had a concept for that (rocketman IIRC) that they ditched. Pity.

This gives a good indication of evolution.

Ignoring the original (since there's no way a 4-seater car that small - in all 3 dimensions - could be built to meet today's safety standards) I think this pic is a great illustration of pedestrian safety regs dictating ever-inflating bonnets.

Roofline stays same, windscreen letterbox evolves. Which makes the car look fatter/wider.

It's certainly spoiled the lines compared to the original 'New Mini'.

[rossybee]

[PieterA]

Speaking of ugly, does that 5 door hatch mean the Clubman is discontinued? In which case we're driving a future classic!

No, but it will return as a six door car instead of the five door it is now.

[Sanjøy]

Even the G now has 6 wheels

[Jeremy]

What is it the cool kids say these days? "Haterz gunna hate!"

Some people have a bee in their bonnet about the BMW Mini and are never going to let themselves like it.

The thing is, the argument generally centres on the belief that a mini should be small, then the pictures of originals next to the new one are wheeled out and people gasp and shake their heads.

But think of any other car that was first made 50 years ago and the modern equivalent is huge by comparison.
Even new Firsta is nearly 2 feet longer than a mk1 from '75.

The other problem with the size is that people are hung up on taking the word 'mini' literally.
Think of it as a brand name and not as a comment on the size. You don't hear many complaints that a basic Suzuki Swift isn't swift enough or that a Skoda Superb is merely very good.

Car enthusiasts like us should rejoice that a manufacturer makes a 'compact' (albeit relatively expensive) hatch that makes driving enjoyment one of its key selling points.

I do agree that the hatch seems to be getting uglier with every iteration though!

This is the most sensible post on this thread.

All cars have grown in size. Get over it. Does that automaticall make the modern version 'bad' ?

Some more examples here http://www.carthrottle.com/10-images-th ... ve-become/

If I was in the market for a small town car then the Mini would be right up there at the top of the pile by virtue of what it does and the ownership experience it offers, what they made 50+ years ago is of no relevance or interest to me.

Regards,

Jeremy

[Dominic]

What is it the cool kids say these days? "Haterz gunna hate!"

Some people have a bee in their bonnet about the BMW Mini and are never going to let themselves like it.

The thing is, the argument generally centres on the belief that a mini should be small, then the pictures of originals next to the new one are wheeled out and people gasp and shake their heads.

But think of any other car that was first made 50 years ago and the modern equivalent is huge by comparison.
Even new Firsta is nearly 2 feet longer than a mk1 from '75.

The other problem with the size is that people are hung up on taking the word 'mini' literally.
Think of it as a brand name and not as a comment on the size. You don't hear many complaints that a basic Suzuki Swift isn't swift enough or that a Skoda Superb is merely very good.

Car enthusiasts like us should rejoice that a manufacturer makes a 'compact' (albeit relatively expensive) hatch that makes driving enjoyment one of its key selling points.

I do agree that the hatch seems to be getting uglier with every iteration though!

This is the most sensible post on this thread.

All cars have grown in size. Get over it. Does that automaticall make the modern version 'bad' ?

Some more examples here http://www.carthrottle.com/10-images-th ... ve-become/

If I was in the market for a small town car then the Mini would be right up there at the top of the pile by virtue of what it does and the ownership experience it offers, what they made 50+ years ago is of no relevance or interest to me.

Regards,

Jeremy

Going by that link, the only two cars that look noticeably larger than the originals are the mini and fiat 500. So it actually goes against the point you are trying to make. Yes, of course all cars are getting bigger, with that comes increased safety and more space - except the mini, which gets less rear space and boot space than the original. Great progress!

[Fluoxetine]

I find the MiNi hate on car forums amusing - Jethro Bovington of Evo fame hit on it when he ran a Cooper S as a long termer.

"There are some cars that really struggle to be accepted by people who, on the face of it, should love them. The Mini Cooper S is probably the ultimate example of this. It’s a car that has clearly received the attention of a gifted chassis team, a car that has pounded around the Nurburgring not just to find elusive tenths of a second but also to hone subtleties of feel and response. It’s one of the greatest front-drivers of our time, yet I bet at least 70 per cent of you wouldn’t give a second’s consideration to a Cooper S.

To describe it as an undiscovered gem would be absurd, but it seems to have been discovered by too many of the ‘wrong’ people for it to gain true credibility amongst enthusiasts. Yet while its cartoon-cute looks mean you do see a few too many beauty therapists driving Minis, when judged purely as a tool to take a road apart, it’s a mighty little car. And besides, I bet there are a few Ferrari owners out there wearing too much fake tan and questionable jewellery, but you wouldn’t say no to a Scuderia, would you?"

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolong ... per_s.html

I've really enjoyed my JCW - It was a toss up between it and a Clio 200. I'll contend the Clio may have been more fun to hussle at 10/10ths, but as an overall ownership prospect the mInI is far better to spend time in.

[Dominic]

I find the MiNi hate on car forums amusing - Jethro Bovington of Evo fame hit on it when he ran a Cooper S as a long termer.

"There are some cars that really struggle to be accepted by people who, on the face of it, should love them. The Mini Cooper S is probably the ultimate example of this. It’s a car that has clearly received the attention of a gifted chassis team, a car that has pounded around the Nurburgring not just to find elusive tenths of a second but also to hone subtleties of feel and response. It’s one of the greatest front-drivers of our time, yet I bet at least 70 per cent of you wouldn’t give a second’s consideration to a Cooper S.

To describe it as an undiscovered gem would be absurd, but it seems to have been discovered by too many of the ‘wrong’ people for it to gain true credibility amongst enthusiasts. Yet while its cartoon-cute looks mean you do see a few too many beauty therapists driving Minis, when judged purely as a tool to take a road apart, it’s a mighty little car. And besides, I bet there are a few Ferrari owners out there wearing too much fake tan and questionable jewellery, but you wouldn’t say no to a Scuderia, would you?"

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolong ... per_s.html

I've really enjoyed my JCW - It was a toss up between it and a Clio 200. I'll contend the Clio may have been more fun to hussle at 10/10ths, but as an overall ownership prospect the mInI is far better to spend time in.

Well put! I guess it's all those who buy the image/brand not the product, who by association create negativity.

[Corranga]

I find the MiNi hate on car forums amusing

I think there has been a bit of a thread drift here though. I'm not a massive fan of the MINI, maybe I should be as I list the original Mini in my top 5 favourite cars, and love the time I've spend in Minis including 6 years as my only car and I've only been driving 15 years.

My issue isn't really with the normal MINI, it's more with all the crazy and pig ugly spin offs that they create. It's the change of ethos from the original car, and it's failings on most levels.

The quote from evo reinforces my thoughts to a degree.
The original Mini was a proper classless car, it was good enough that pretty much anyone would buy them.
It was cheap enough for the masses, practical enough for the family, cool enough for the rock stars, fun enough for those named Enzo, good enough for the farmers to use (in van, estate and pickup form anyway), quick enough for the track and rally drivers...
The new one isn't.

It was small.
The new one isn't (and before we start talking about safety standards etc, take a look at an Aygo (etc..), VW Up (etc..), Vauxhall Adam all of which manage to be smaller, and not much less spacious - heck even my Panda...

The old one was affordable.
The new one isn't.

I think that's more or less it.

I love that they can be individual, I take other peoples word for it that they drive well as I fear not being able to afford one and buy a Panda instead

All that said, I'm on the verge of deciding that my love affair with classic Minis is over, as I'm verging on stripping mine for spares as I don't have the time or money to restore it, so I guess in a few years when the 100HP comes up for replacement, I too will join those who drive a MINI..