MotoringFile MINI USA Working to Create a New Brand Awareness

Why? Everyone knows the brand and what it has turned into. Many people don't like it.

 

I like my MINI....

 

Been a couple of years since I went to MOTD, but is there a step in the registration process where you identify what you are driving? Would be interesting to see the break out between generations to see how many owners of the F-generation are participating.

 

There is no breakdown by anything but the state people are coming from.

 

I predict that MOTD, MTTS, etc. will start to resemble the BMW MINI version of today's classic Mini Meet East / West / East Meets West. That is, the bulk of participants will continue to be the old, die-hard cast of original, outgoing enthusiasts for whom MINI is their hobby, and who've cultivated long-running friendships with other regular attendees, most of whom are driving R-series MINIs with some combination of performance and aesthetic mods. There will be a sprinkling of the F-generation for whom their MINI is their passion but few of them will end up becoming multi-year participants. Most will feel, or be made to feel (rightly or wrongly) like they just don't quite fit into the established R-fraternity. [At my first MMEMW in Winona, MN back in '09, there were plenty of classic Mini owners who overtly expressed displeasure with the R-series MINIs who showed up.] Like the Mini Meets, over time the total numbers will gradually decline as fewer of the R-series cars remain serviceable and the old circles of friends steadily dissolve as Father Time takes his toll.

In fact, MTTS seems to be the last bone thrown to the traditional enthusiasts community by MINI USA. When you look at it, not much happens in MTTS that helps D. Duncan promote his "premium-ness" and "compete at the next (i.e., $$$) level" messages. How long to you suppose MINI USA will continue to support a national event in which the F-series cars--their principal product--will almost certainly fail to show up in any credible numbers?

 

It'll be interesting. There is a fairly large number of F56 owners on LXM, and very vocal. But it's an entirely different demographic, mostly delving into the cosmetic rather than performance modifications, and most of those done through BMW rather than aftermarket (they'll describe the car as a perfect driving machine, they can get everything they want/need from MINI). So I suspect the MINI community is or maybe has morphed into style, comfort and refinement over performance, with the exception of us ever dwindling people here from R53 and R56 crowd.

I think the community will survive, but the performance will go--it's basically a social club that doesn't appeal to us and probably doesn't want us anyway.

 

And yet many people do.

 

Not from sales reports an dealer inventory on the lot. :ihih:

 

Not sure why you insist on poking the bear. :frown2:

You say "many" but clearly it is also fewer. Just look at the past six months of U.S. MINI sales figures compared to the prior year, rounded off to the nearest percent:

Oct '15: New - Down 23% Pre-owned - Up 19%
Nov '15: New - Down 11% Pre-owned - Up 10%
Dec '15: New - Down 24% Pre-owned - Up 9%
Jan '16: New - Flat Pre-owned - Up 2%
Feb '16: New - Down 24% Pre-owned - Up 22%
Mar '16: New - Down 18% Pre-owned - Up 16%

Sure there may be a zillion wink contributing factors to these sales figures. Not all pre-owned sales are R-series but it's safe to say the vast majority are. IMHO there is a reflection of the preferences of the U.S. buying public in these numbers (even if it's just for cheaper MINIs).

 

The fact that BMW is spending so much time working on MINI perception in and of itself is an indicator that not all is well...

 

No convertible inventory since August, Countryman is outdated, Clubman didn't roll out until December, and MINI didn't go hard on the marketing front in the last quarter of 2015.

So, 2016 got off to a slow start.

FWIW, I've been seeing a HUGE interest in the new Clubman All4. I've personally sold nearly every one we have coming in so far.

I approve of that car much more than I do the Countryman.

But yeah, sales are down a bit - but they haven't tanked.

I think the cheaper MINI thing is definitely a thing... the new F5x cars are not cheap. Overall, about $1k more if you compare a 2013 to a 2016. Not a huge jump, but it definitely makes it less palatable.

Still, everything's gone up in price. $30k is the new $20k, whether you like it or not.

Better than pretending all is well and resting on their haunches, like GM did for years. :nonod:

Look, I know I drink the kool-aid, and I know you guys hate the new cars, but there's plenty of good to be had along with some of the bad. The R-cars had plenty of shortcomings, too.

 

I've owned both gens of R cars and see them in the shop daily. :lol:

And looks like I'll now be replacing the wife's R56 with an F56. :crazy:

 

I'm afraid of the R56 nickle and diming me to death. 84k miles, and CPO runs out in 10 days. And she drives cars into the ground. My job is to keep them alive.

The turbo 3-cyl engine is a gem, though - that engine in the R56 or R53 would be amazing.

 

Let's give that 3 cylinder turbo some time, see how it holds up....

 

My wife's car is a '98 Volvo V70 T5. I just fix things as needed, it has 225,000 miles on the clock and still only burns one quart of oil between oil changes.
I expect no less from my MINI, if I keep up on maintenance and repair like I've done on the Volvo.

 

Well, that's why I opted to certify the car to 100k.

We're gonna see just how good these new F56 cars are.