Personal preference.

That’s crazy. A company in business trying to maximize profits?! Good for them.

Maybe they’ll stay around and continue to make not only cars like this, but inexpensive, obtainable cars like the Cooper.

Its starting to grow on me. i can’t believe its finished or that they won’t take our comments on board for minor styling tweeks. However, you can’t live without a rear wash wipe in the UK imho… so it will be hard to live with as a daily driver.

Doesn’t really need to be more powerful or look all that different from a stock car. Just be lighter. A LOT lighter. And many autocrossers and track-fiends would be willing to pay a premium for that.

However, that being said, there are likely some underlying reasons for the car being what it is. A completely re-worked MCS would likely need to be re-federalized here in the US which would increase costs (and lead-time) substancially. From what I can see, this car does not represent a big enough change to require that.

So… what we’ve got here… is basically an MC-40 of a different color. An option package that maximizes profits for MINI.

http://media.mysan.de/index.php?action=showgal&cat=312&page=1

Imagining the deletion of the wing on the rear view pictures, the ricer stigma melts away and it actually looks cool. However, 88lbs still isn’t enough savings to give up “removal of the rear seats and the air conditioning system, elimination of sound-deadening material, and replacement of the rear axle control arms with aluminum units”

When I 1st dreamed of this car, I imagined it being taken apart and major body panels (if not pieces) being recast in aluminum and carbon. That would be worth any fuss.

Front fascia – like the color-coded grille and lower grille blockoff. Not too big a fan of the brake-duct-things, unless they are functional. I do like the front lower lip.

Side Skirts – only way to make these look good is integrate the wheel arches (like others have said) and make the rear bulges functional, perhaps rounting side-exit exhaust through them? Otherwise, why have them?

Rear – kinda like the rear vent additions (look similar to the Oricari front cowl vents) and I do like the rear lip as well. Deletion of rear wiper is slick.

Wheels – Ugh.

Red Mirrors – CF would be better, or silver.

Badging – terrible. I do like the face, but it’s way too big. Numbering the roof is novel, but I’d rather have just a small dash plaque somwhere, especially if those numbers on the roof are just gonna be stickers. The highlight band around the bonnet scoop is ok, but the GP inside is not. I guess I’m biased, as I like to de-badge everything, but all that plastic lettering on the boot is unfortunate.

Overall, exterior is a letdown. Not nearly as integrated from the factory as I’d hoped. I dunno, I think special editions should make you drool, wishing you had changed your order or been lucky enough to get on a list or something. Hearing the original rumors of power and weight savings, that’s how I was feeling. Now, I’m very happy with my existing car!

RB

*The aerokit looks interesting, but it needs to be clarified. The chopping up of the wheel arches into blue & black gives the kit a tacked on look. Possible solutions: 1) color key the wheel arches, and 2) color key the rear diffuser moldings as was done on the front air dam?

*218 hp? A 10-hp gain does seem on the small side. I’m betting the gain is at least a little higher base on the up to 2004 SAE standards. Is BMW/MINI looking to the longer term, though? Meaning: is the 10 hp gain meant to keep the GP2 from intruding on the power levels coming from the next gen S?

• 4-spoke rims? They work–if the surrounding body parts flow around the wheel openings. This design doesn’t flow. (See above re: the aerokit looking chopped up). A 5-spoke iteration of this design, with each spoke slightly smaller would be a better alternative.

*IMHO 18’s are meant to fill the wheel opening–adding the vertical bump stop to the back end of the side skirt gives the visual impression of a larger wheel opening, which defeats the purpose of larger rims. Pull the trailing end of the skirt closer to the wheel, in a curve that follows the wheel arch?

:p

…and I’d say there’s a lovely bridge for sale in Brooklyn. ;)