I thought that was what the Clubbie and Countryman are for??? :confused5: It is almost like they are trying to screw up a good thing and kill the MINI brand by making it NOT a MINI anymore. BMW used to be king of tradition and brand, but it seems they are losing their way. Even their line looks like a bunch of Honda's now... Sad.
I met a guy at the store the other day, who told me he had an R53 w/ everuthing. He also said that he only drives it in the summer, when the weather is nice and it has never been rained on. In about five years that car will be worth a fortune, if BMW keeps this up. :lol: Jim
I'll throw some gasoline on the fire and point out that the "bigger" Mini isn't really all that much larger. The wider/longer stance should improve handling. They also state that wieght will be reduced. That improves efficiency which IS what the Euro market is looking for. I'll reserve judgement until I actually see/drive one in person.
Ye...we don't seem to get it for the most part in the US that weight and overall efficiency is the driving force in design and engineering these days. I look forward to the Gen 3 MINI and what it may offer. I'll too reserve judgement until I actually see/drive one in person.
Judging by the photos, looks like there's still a lot of confusion and consternation over the audio controls. :crazy: Driver and passenger seem to be fixated on it :lol:
Yep the new 3 series whilst being longer, wider and taller is lighter than the iteration before, and it is a fantastic looking automobile if one is looking for a family size sedan...which is not what the 3 or the Mini Cooper is, no matter what the weight. Alas, us back woods Americans just have a hard time getting up to speed sometimes and get stuck on our small cars....
OK, as the owner of a Clubman, which I love, I will join in reserving judgement too. Just yesterday the owner of a Coupe told me that my car is too big and that I need to downsize. :frown2: I did downsize when I bought my Clubby! I am a bit worried though. Change is hard to accept.
Mark, remember back when the wave of foreign cars hit the U.S? That is exactly what they we called them "Foreign Cars". They caught on for awhile and sold well. It was a status symbol, of sorts, to own one. Then they just faded away. I think the new DOT safety regulations helped kill them. Jim
Meh, I'd have told him I'd see him at the track. When you unload your whole track-day (jack, stands, tools, track wheels/tires, chair, cooler, etc...) AND whoop him on course he'll re-think "downsizing". :cornut: I've said it before but I almost bought an '09 JCW Clubman before I ordered my '10 MCS. Enjoy that clubby. In as far as the new F56 chassis I will note that the increased size isn't that much. There isn't a ton more interior room (two guys are kinda cramped in there). Beyond that look at the exterior pics. You can see a Mazda 2 in one shot. It makes a decent size reference. The F56 is STILL tiny.
I get ya with the bigger thing.. but things are going smaller too.. It's just two separate markets going in to opposite directions at the same time ! How nuts is that LOL ! Honda just came out with the CRZ a two seat throw back to the CRX (pretty tiny) and everyone of the Honda street crowd says if it came out in a non Hybrid model with a bit more whp they would def be interested. But then the Corolla is getting so big each model year it's soon going to be hard to tell it from a Camry. Ford & Chevy are both out with pretty tiny commuters. Now if you read my intro thread I'm not coming at the MINI from a totally traditional mind set. (Although I admire and respect heritage of any motor brand & MINI is no exception) The lightning response, ultra low power lag turbo, precises handling, and the tuning potential and yes it's size makes it a fantastic option and my ultimate choice for a city street machine. If the market was not so set as how the auto community looks at MINI the Clubman S or with JCW trim would def be considered in the "Hot Hatch" category with the likes of the Speed3 or the GTI ! I know with a little thinking out of the box I do ! Now I know enough of MINI heritage that many traditionalist see the MINI as a Motor for the wide open winding road... I mean it comes from a Rally background... And trust me that totally intrigues me ! So yes there is a market to be had for larger MINI's but I think instead of making the MINI larger across all production models perhaps a slightly dif added multi advertising campaign might be more effective. A good example of this multi approach is the current marketing campaign of the Ninja motorcycle believe it or not... LOL One commercial they have is the typical expected Ninja add spot of it going through the mean city streets at night winding through empty urban streets and mercury lit tunnels, with techno music blaring in the background. A totally different add has the same bike a Ninja winding through New England like country roads leaves falling on the ground driving under wooden covered bridges no less with some Enya like voice/music playing dramatically. If MINI (BMW) perhaps esp in the US promoted the cars as city conquers they would be more exposed to a growing market that is in fact looking for cars right now comparable in size that don't have nearly the performance, options and well street cred the MINI does.