Not even Professor Dumbledore could have envisioned a spell so powerful that here in 2013 we have not just a Mini Cooper hatchback and convertible, but a three-door Mini (Clubman), a roadster Mini, a cargo van Mini (Clubvan), a two-seat coupe Mini, a two-door SUV-like Mini (Paceman) and a four-door SUV Mini (Countryman). Minis come in all shapes and sizes, with different powertrains and available all-wheel drive. There’s a John Cooper Works version of almost every Mini. Minis roll off production lines in Oxford, England; Graz, Austria and Chennai, India (formerly Madras). Last year, Mini delivered a record 301,526 vehicles to customers worldwide. Sales were up 5.8 per cent over 2011 and 2013 will likely carry on down the same road. No one can be sure why and how a Bavarian car company like BMW has conjured up Mini magic, but it’s happened. Back in the early 2000s, everyone at BMW swore up and down that Mini sales of 150,000 a year would be brilliant. But double that in 2012? Breathtaking. Full Article - What is it about Mini that makes it so popular? - The Globe and Mail
Thanks Nathan, nice read. We were VERY concerned, and still are with the quality of the Mini brand compared to others we have owned(Honda/Toyota). We started taking it for granted that today's automotive brands just don't break much anymore. I am scared to death that the turbo or some other extremely expensive part will let go at 50,001 miles. For all of these people to look past several sources reporting sub-par quality(as we did), there must be something more here, and there certainly is. Mini flies in the face of a conventional car company in so many ways, from their marketing/PR to that gigantic speedo in the center, to the very British look and appeal of the aesthetics. The glaring differences from other brands really makes you want to be a part of that rebellious attitude, a very deep and interesting racing heritage, and design departure-even if it means your car may be in the shop more than other brands you could have chosen. Human emotion, who can explain it?
Why do people like Minis that's easy. Everyone wants a cool car like the R53. :devil::ihih::lol:opcorn:
All other sidebar stories aside, the BMW mini is simply a very good-looking car and has been since its inception. All the other reasons are lagniappe.
Scotty.... David.O is our little lagniappe to the MINI community... Is he good looking.... Well, that would depend on the eye of the beholder....