I enjoy my 03 Cooper EVERYTIME I get in it. I love the perfomance, handling and the design. The lines of the body evoke a classic but not nostalgic appeal. They combined the best of the past with the right mix of novelty and found that sweet spot between boredom and chaos in a form that I will enjoy for many years to come.

So many cars on the road today look and feel the same. I used to be able to tell a Chrysler from a Ford, from a Chevy right down to make a model just from the headlights at a distance. Now I can’t tell them apart in broad daylight. This is not because I am not capable, but because they are all so boring and samo samo that I am not drawn to them anymore. But a 1965 mustang reamins a thing of beauty. Car makers don’t always know what makes their cars appealing. How many Mona Lisa’s could Leonardo paint?

As for the future of MINI it is the engineering and art that will tell. The Traveller may serve a different function, but if it can be innovative without being too unpredictable and can keep from looking like everything else out there, it will succeed. That is a fine line to walk for any business.

I like the small, efficient, peppy fun of my 03 Cooper. I just ordered an 06 Cooper S. In the future, regardless of the looks or size, if the MINI’s don’t have the fun of the models of today, I will look for something else or keep mine going for as long as I can.

[ New MINI/PSA Engine Range in Detail ] MotoringFile

It’s a different matter for me with engine, brakes, transmission, etc. By all means continue to update the mechanicals.

For me, the Classic Mini never looked the same once they replaced the original downcurved radiator grille with the hexagonal-shaped one. And that’s a lot less change than I see in the new Minis already!

Woe was me. I experienced everything bad you ever heard about that pos. Sold it at at a tremendous loss (had to wholesale it)this year when I got my 05MCS.

I shudder to think that I was so brainwashed by the VW mystique, that in January of this year, when they were selling GTI VR6s at $5000 below msrp, in spite of all of the forums like VW Sucks, My Lemon VW, a dealer network of complete idiots, and abandonment by VWOA, I still considered buying one.

Fortuitously, I test drove an MCS first, fell in love, and the rest is history.

I love my MCS like I loved my Beetle and Rabbit.I too fear for what the future holds. I’m seriously thinking of trading it in for an 06, just in case. MINI may well go the route of VW. BMW is very unpredictable. They’ve made serious marketing blunders and there’s no assurance that the MINI will be immune to various upsizing, upscaling marketing ploys if they abandon their present market and try to capture a larger share of the upper income market.

Keep a low-spec car available. Lighter is better than more powerful. I love my Cooper – all 115hp of it. I love that people think “1.6 litres and 115 hp? How can you stand to drive that?” and then I go flying around the track at HPDE events.

I don’t like the thought that all the MINIs will end up being heavier, and more powerful. Sure, a majority of the on-line presence loves their 200hp hopped-up MCSs. Not for me, though. Keep building “the underdog” please.

And, as a dream, a light weight, 2 seat, removable hardtop speedster.

Keep it light, keep it simple.

I’m probably not your typical MINI owner, if there is such a thing. I put two kayaks and a bike on top of my MCS and it was beautiful sight. Two days worth of camping, kayaking and partying gear stuffed inside for me and my wife, and we still had more than enough power to leave everyone behind on the interstate as we accelerated up the mountainsides of West Virginia.

The only thing I miss with my MCS is that I can only share the fun with one other person at a time (back seat passengers just don’t enjoy the experience for some reason). That’s why I am eagerly anticipating the Traveller, because it is everything I love about my MCS, with room to share the fun with my friends and/or family.

I don’t understand the folks who cringe whenever the Traveller is mentioned. The Traveller is a separate product that appeals to a different group of people. It won’t replace the current MINI any more than the MCS or Cabrio did. But there are plenty of folks like me who are looking for the unique qualities of the MINI while needing a more (dare I utter the word?) utilitarian vehicle. If MINI needs to grow market share, they should do it by offering new models to appeal to new markets rather than trying to redesign the current models to please wider audiences. Keep the MINI Cooper true to its original concept and bring on the MINI Traveller!

BTW, you’d be surprised how much driving an MCS and paddling a whitewater kayak have in common.

BwanaYak

Raises hand.

My concerns remain that…my concerns, not yours or anyone elses for that matter. Re-read the question at the begining of the post and state your concerns…don’t argue with other people’s.

The original Mini probably made little or no money over the course of its life for the various marques that made it, something that is not BMW’s plan for the new MINI. Yes, part of that was management price-point errors, but even so, they all ended up close to banco and eventually were bought-out.

VW found itself in one helluva hole in the seventies after changing direction away from the Beetle, until the FWD Golf and its derivitives, basically big Mini designs, saved their asses, and continued to do so for a long time as they were updated. Citroen’s 2CV rather agricultural factory was running on last gasps for many years, and was not an asset at all at the end. FWD cars that owed a lot to the Mini were their salvation as well, and are kept very modern.

I don’t see how the new MINI can survive as a fly in amber like the old days – the market has changed, and the MINI must adapt as it goes along. I have faith in BMW’s management, they’ve done a fantastic engineering job with the MINI, and if they can get over the service issues and the demographic marketing tweaks without too much trouble, I see a long life for the brand. As long as they don’t get complacent. ;-)

           BCNU,
         Rob in Dago

The current Jetta is another dismal sales failure. A pig of a car that resembles more a Toyota Corolla. The MKIV Jetta was more akin of a BMW 3 series for the masses. Can you see what is wrong with the picture?

The current Passat is a run of the mill car. Not a sales success either. The current MKIV Golf, while a decent car in most respects is long on the tooth and also obsolete. VW has delayed the introduction of the MKV Golf in America. The MKV Golf has received very mixed reviews since its dayview introduction in Europe last year.

VW killed the resurrection of one of their signature products: The VW BUS (Van).

VW needs to address the following problems:

1) Quality and reliability. VWs rate lower than most Korean makes!

2) Lousy dealer/service network

3) Abandon their stupid and blind persuit of markets where they have no business being in (Phaeton). VW will always be “The car of the people”. VW will never be perceived as an alternative to a Mercedes, BMW, Lexus or even Audi.

4) Address the quality problems and dismal resale values of their upscale Audi division. Audis have the worst resale values of any luxury car in the United States.

5) bring back the “spark” that made the aircooled beetle, rabbit and golf cars desirable among consumer at their respective time periods.

No amount of “smart” and “Cool” ads will pull VW away from the brink of the cliff.

Keep in mind, the original Mini has manufactured, virtually unchanged, from 1959 until October 2000. Think about it… a very successful design that had not seen a major revamp in 41 years. How many new cars designed in the 1950’s can you buy brand new today?

For BMW it was a daunting challenge to update this iconic classic automobile. The classic Mini while a beautiful, charming, great handling little car, lacks key safety features (In despite of offering front airbags in the mid-late 1990’s Rover Minis), ammenities, etc.

Without me accusing you of being another “Jim in Ohio” for the MINI to be successful in the USA and elsewhere in the world, the car had to offer all the latest safety features. In a country like ours, where small cars (specially hatchbacks) carried a stigma of being death traps until the arrival of the MINI, the car would not have sold if the safety features would not have been there in the first place. Sure, 2,600 pounds is a lot for a Classic Mini (Whose weight probably was in the 1,600-1,800 ballpark) but I think it is about perfect for a modern day MINI. A VW Golf weighs close to 3,000 pounds and more.

Sorry, this maybe contradictory to your “purist” views but after spending quality time in and around classic Minis, I can say with confidence that MINI did their homework with the current car and it shows.

Basically, what I’m tring to say is this…think of your favorite car, the sleek beauty you dream about. Is there anything gimicky about it? Doubtfull. Most “classic” cars are classic because they have a timeless beauty to them that defied the generational crap that has long since burried their competitors. MINI needs to stay simple and consistent with their designs and overall message. Stay away from over-kitchy, overweight, over-pretentious cars. MINI’s are small, simple and humble…keep them that way, period.

VW lost me as a customer the minute the abandoned their heritage. I am convinced that they did this INTENTIONALLY because they wanted to distance themselves from their “cheap” heritage. If you don’t believe me, go ask on any aircooled VW forum if they feel supported by VWAG or VW of America. VWOA has sued enthusiasts and actively tried to sabatoge the classic community. I know, becuase I was (well, I guess I still am since I continue to own a classic VW) part of that community. When VW started going after vendors that were making parts for the old aircooled cars that VW didn’t make anymore, it was obvious they didn’t want those cars on the road anymore.

MINI is in a little bit different situation, since they are really a new company now. I don’t think they owe brand loyalty to the “old” Mini made under Austin or Rover. It’s nice that they do nod their head that way and actively acknowledge their roots though.

So I think in a very real way, MINI must stay true to the ideals behind the current “New” MINIs. That means performance, fun, individuality. Not so much cost though. I think the base $17000 Cooper is the most fun you can have at that price, but lets not pay so much attention to the cost of the MINI.

I agree that the worst thing MINI could do is try to woo a much larger audience. Don’t make it quieter, softer, more comfortable, more convenient, more appealing to the masses. Let the masses buy Corrollas. Let MINI stand for what it is…. always.

== Jay

I understand the mentality. Start small and gradually start feeding followers of the car with more and more stuff so that a bigger sticker can be justified.

With our MINIs we don’t need or want that (IMHO). BMW unfortunately just did that with the 3-series to the extent that they had to put a version of the 330 engine in the 325 instead of the 2.5 liter engine. So now the 3-series looks as big as the old 5-series.

The MINI is now the perfect size. Let’s not grow it or it won’t be a MINI!