Paul over at MINI2 has a great review of the 2005 Cooper. He asks some tough questions and, while he find the driving experience superb, other conclusions he reaches aren't all positive. Here's an excerpt:

Overall the pros (few but significant) do outweigh the cons for me (many but all quite minor), but I am still concerned for the future of the MINI. I'm worried it will become too dumbed down and diluted in an attempt to pander to as wide an audience as possible, and that special certain something could be lost. But if BMW can pay as close attention to to the overall design and vision of the MINI as they seem to be working on the driving experience, things should be fine.

You can read the entire review here.

MotoringFile Analysis:

Some of the design changes Paul is concerned about were also mentioned on MotoringFile when the car was introduced last year. While he takes it a bit further than I did, I do agree to some extent that the 2005 Cooper has lost a few exterior design touches that were endearing enough to make the car a modern classic. I also agree with some of Paul's thoughts on the interior. An example is the door armrest which now directly comes in contact with my leg while driving and makes the storage almost useless. This means that MINI decided that a subtle driving obstruction was less important than comfort, quite an ideology change really.

I've always thought that the MINI did a good job of instilling motoring values that many US owners historically have been less familiar with. The fact that the car didn't come with an armrest meant that you were suppose to concentrate on driving and not relax like it's a living room sofa. The reason it didn't come with an automatic is that there should be no need for one. And now both of those will be options come January 1 2005. Again, seemingly quite a change of thinking from MINI.

Granted many owners have very valid reasons for both of those options and I certainly don't want to pass judgment on them for the spec they choose. However it does at the very least signal a clear change in thinking in terms of options that are appropriate on the car. The dealers I've spoken to recently are expecting at least 50% of MINI Cooper S US production to now be automatic. That could create a shift in the way the general public sees the MINI and specifically the MCS. Put plainly; street cred is an easy thing to lose.

So do all of these changes signal a shift in the ideology of MINI product development? While I'm somewhat concerned like Paul, I think the answer is both yes and no. It would seem that several of these new features directly answer some of the concerns raised in recent JD Power survey results, something MINI had previously mentioned they'd be working to improve. That being said some of these changes like the MCS automatic or the armrest are optional equipment and easily passed over on the spec sheet.

At the end of the day it's important to remember MINI, as a car company, has to walk a fine line between appealing to the enthusiasts and designing something that panders to the masses. They are, after all in the auto business to make a profit. And as the thrill of seeing a MINI is wearing off so too is the potential of increased sales. MINI is probably approaching some of these spec changes as a necessary evil to keep numbers high until the next generation car arrives. When you consider that dichotomy, it would seem MINI is doing an admirable job with the updates.