Mini News Most liked posts in thread: MINI USA INTRODUCES NEW CORAL RED EDITION HARDTOPS, EXPANDING BRAND’S SPECIAL EDITION...

MINI’s Design Development, Marketing and Sales summed up .

 

Funny but sad.

 

And the process of iterative design. Someone started with a mission of "Make a cool city car that is nimble, fuel-efficient and in the style of the classic Mini." After that was done and the product was launched, they knew they needed to do gen 2, so they started asking consumers for what they want. Unfortunately, the bulk of consumers looking for a small car will list items that are perfectly served up by a Toyota Camry. "The MINI is too expensive for a small car." "Why so many buttons/switches?" "It's too small for my family". The Gen 2 design team hears all of that and takes Gen 1 as the base, making improvements to meet what consumers want. Over time, all products in the market using that design methodology for a small car will eventually, around gen 5, build a Toyota Corolla... small, practical, efficient but uninspired. The guys in suits seek volume discounts and increased sales numbers and that's easiest/cheapest to get to by increasing your target audience... building something more generic that appeals to a wider group.

Companies like Ferrari keep themselves specialized... find a niche and serve that well. Hopefully for your check book, you chose a niche with customers who pay well. MINI chose a 'small, efficient car' niche, which isn't so well funded. Hell... even Porsche did it. A Porsche SUV would be abhorrent to a P-car lover back in the 1970-80s range who valued precision sports machines, but they make most of their profit in SUVs and giant family-haulers now.

Death of a corporate mission by 1000 tiny cuts...

 

I justa don't understand MINI. ???

 

Neither does MINI.

 

I can see a new tag on future MINIs....BMW MINI [minus the wings].

 

And THAT is the real insight here.

 

When you look at what BMW has done to their cars. I long for the Bangle butt days.

Dear God!