Mini News Most liked posts in thread: MINI To Scale Back Number Of Variants For Fourth-Gen Cooper Family

Hummm who would have thought less would be more in the end? :ihih:

Now if they could only get rid of all the "BMW influences" they could get back to making MINI's again.

Less is more, unless you are in bed.

 

If they go that route, the BMWfication of the MINI brand will be complete. Might as well put a Roundel on it and be done with it.

 

^^^ Yup and they will have succeeded on turning MINI to the dark side of the evil empire.

 

^^^^ and that's why I am a buy one and done MINI owner.

I got the best version minus the original GP.

 

There is hope.

 

I thought the Clubman was dead now they are keeping it again. UGH

 

The nice lovable sensibly sized clubster will be gone.:frown2: To be replaced buy a much larger Country Squire 4 door clubster.

I'm glad they are rethinking the million models of MINI. Yes there may be hope.

 

I too thought the Clubman would be cut from the lineup, seeing how the new Cooper keeps growing it is almost as long as the 1st year Clubman. Hey yellowbritishrocket if I could afford a M4 Series ( which I'm guessing will be 60+ ) I probably wouldn't be driving a MINI now. I'd be in a M1 which are still selling for 40+ used...

 

The Clubman just....doesn't....look....right. From the side it doesn't resemble a MINI at all.

The Countryman, on the other hand, I WANT to hate. I want to hate it in the worst way, I want to loathe it, spit on it, rub animal entrails on it, and generally make as many rude comments about it as a lifetime will permit. But I (and it hurts me to admit it) like it. I had one as a loaner for a week a year or two ago. It's underpowered, but it's interior is very nice, it's fun to drive, and more importantly, although it's too big, it looks like a proportionally oversized MINI, rather than a stretched MINI, which just doesn't work as well. It's overpriced; it comes in close to my Acura MDX when the Countryman is specced out, and the MDX is the better of the two, but still, I have to admit, I could be seen driving around town in one--it wouldn't be a fate worse than death, like being seen in the general vicinity of a Clubman.

 

The one variant they made that I was REALLY excited about, the Rocketman, doesn't go into production; figures. Profit margins aren't going to be there going smaller, it's so much easier to add a bunch of money making options to larger cars; this is the route BMW has chosen with the MINI brand.

 

That's what seems to happen every damn time with popular cars. I've said it before. Look at the RX-7. First, it was a nice sporty economical car with minimal options. At first you couldn't even get power windows. Then the second gen came along and it got fatter and more options and became more expensive and less popular. The last generation RX-& was a damn fine car. Great power, nice looks and super handling. Problem was it was BIG and EXPENSIVE.

Why is it manufacturers get a good model and screw it up by adding mega options and making them larger. Look at the civic. Wildly popular up until the last few models. Big and more luxurious. Why must they always screw up the favorites?

 

Well.... We can only hope for the Mazda RX-7 return......



Mazda RX-7 set to return in 2016 - Fresno Car Buying | Examiner.com

 

There is a litany of cars you can add to that, and at the top of the list you could add the 3 series. It would be so nice if they did both (and occasionally they do, just not near enough)--go ahead and add the bloat for the majority of people, that's what most car buyers want, but keep a few stripped down lightweight models out there for the enthusiasts. Everyone is happy, except for a few of the bean counters, but it's not going to set them back that much to sell a few cars at low margins.

It's just frustrating that these companies, BMW in particular, advertise on their "passion" for the automobile, then proceed to water down that passion to the extreme.

 

Here's the original AutoCar source article that MotorAuthority was referring to:
BMW targets smaller range for fourth-generation Mini | Autocar

I'd argue that the 4th generation is too far out and plans will be a moving target depending on dynamic trends in the marketplace.

There is a disturbing comment:

 

honestly at this point it seems they are hell bent on 4 door minis...and again the direction they are going... BMW 4 series M is in my future methinks

 

The Paceman is growing on me, but them Clubman and Countyman not so much.
They are just weird looking and have too may doors.

I know BMW is thinking more doors = family and family = more money.

 

Same feeling here. I would be interested in something even smaller than the 1st gen, but they keep growing the size. Small size is critical for me here in San Francisco.

That's part of the reason, but it's more complicated than that. BMW will not create a Rocketman sized platform just for MINI. They might consider it if they share the platform with a new BMW Isetta (or even share the platform with other manufacturers).

 

If it ain't little, it ain't MINI... IMltHO. :biggrin5:

And I happen to LOVE my s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d MINI Clubster!

(We gotta stick together, Crashton! We're obviously in the minority around here! :frown2

 

I feel sure that some folks within the company agree that it could be done, put on the market a pure enthusiast model. I'm just sad that it seems like the marketing/branding department always wins. That it would dilute the premium moniker they strive for to justify the higher MSRPs and attract the affluent and aspirational. Can't disagree that the money made pays for the engineering and technology and overhead. But it does make a lie out of the ultimate driving machine tag line.