Comments on: MINI2 at the MINI R56 Preview Event

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:38:22 +0000

I really liked Liquid Yellow. I was afraid the new yellow would be more "in your face" and less mellow.

It is, even if they call it Mellow Yellow.

By: qwerty

qwerty — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 05:21:27 +0000

The center stack is a silly mess. Someone said it looks like a Fisher-Price design and that captures the feeling perfectly. The speedo jumble is freakishly TOO big. The integrated radio controls are a busy look and a bad ergonomic design.

The fake scoop truly cheapens the spirit of the car. I absolutely HATE that! I can hear it now..."Look at that little toy car with the pretend hood scoop". Even GM has learned that that stuff embarrasses enthusiasts. At least make if functional as a heat dissipater for the engine compartment. This is definitely a step backward for the purity of the car. Bad, bad, bad. A delete option would be wonderful.

The other exterior changes are mostly evolutionary, but I don't like the wider plastic wheel surrounds. Why add more plastic? I do like the rising belt line, it gives the car a pleasant rake.

I don't know. I'm sure it will grow on most of us and mechanically it may be a more advanced car, but the 1st gen may end up being seen as a more honest design.

By: lTZMTOR

lTZMTOR — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:40:57 +0000

These S-lites look a little lighter?

By: mr.abulia

mr.abulia — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:20:05 +0000

As in all things, I think the car will look better in person than in pictures, but right now I'm not loving the pictures! The increased beltline gives the whole car more of a "hotwheels" toy-car look, with huge wheels, a huge bottom and, oh, a top part just plopped on for show. Not even the gorgeous new colours can hide the fact that the new proportions are just "off" by enough to make me think that they tried too hard for "cute" and not hard enough for "aesthetically proper". I'm also really disappointed by the do-nothing hoodscoop and the "compromise" of putting the engine in backwards. Honestly! A mass marketing decision because their partner wanted engines mounted that way? Please. At mini production levels, they had enough justification to come up with a way of adapting the engine to their needs and desires.

As for the interior, I love the new seats, but I'm not loving everything else. My biggest complaints about the current mini interior is that it looks more cramped than it is because of the dark and cluttered portions below the beltline. With a higher beltline and more clutter (bigger speedo with tons 'o buttons, mini logo ac, etc) things have not imporved. Maybe it will grow on me with no camo.

I'm still thinking of picking up one of the last of the '06 cars after this.

By: Justin Montoya

Justin Montoya — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:01:35 +0000

Told you it wouldnt be much lighter if any! Too many DAMNED SUV’s on the road… they had to make it safer… compromise this!! I love my 05 even more everyday!

By: Lee L

Lee L — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:58:58 +0000

I meant exterior in the first paragraph, not “enterior” ;) D’OH!

By: Lee L

Lee L — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:58:10 +0000

I too like the enterior more and more the less camo it has. I need to see tee back in person to be sure, but it looks much less of a change that I feared a year ago. I truly do think that the exterior looks more like a freshening. Teh one thing I really don;t like is the creased in line on the side of teh scoop. If they had just kept that as a genle curve, it would have been much better and in keeping with the rest of the car IMO.

I like the engine and exhaust note and like some things about the interior, but the center column is not yet one of them. I guess they were going for a retro look of the parts inserted into holes cut in a metal dash and it looks like they got it, but something just does not ring true there. Even the manual A/C seems to have lost its "driver in control" look.

I do love the 2 sets of toggles though.

By: drew

drew — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:30:31 +0000

i’m now officially a fan – of the exterior.

i’m now also officially in mourning – of the interior.

By: eto

eto — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:43:47 +0000

Overall, I am still impressed with the new car. I am very disappointed that the weight losses previously reported are not true. An increase of 10kg isn't bad to what happens to other small cars changing from generation to generation (i.e. the Dodge Neon went from a 2400 lb lightweight to 2700 lbs in its second gen only to be replaced with the 3100 lb porker called the Caliber).

I was extremely excited about the weight loss, because MINI seemed to have reversed the trend of ever fattening compact cars. The reported weight loss with the slight bump in power was thrilling. While the weight gains may be minor, they are weight gains none-the-less.

I do absolutely love each of the new colors. Even the subdued Sparkling Silver has some character, and it will be fun responding to color inquiries with "Gold... no wait... Silver... no wait... Gold!" ;)

By: Marko

Marko — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 11:03:28 +0000

Agree with nearly all said above, it is hard to 'see' an improvement anywhere. Especially compared to the visions we all had for the next mini.

BMW should have listened to their customerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s opinions and evolved the current design, 'its a mini - they evolve, slowly'. The after market guys will have a field-day providing replacements for all those tacky interior assemblies.

it's a huge disappointment! but not a surprise.

By: Tub

Tub — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 09:45:59 +0000

What a relief! I went back and forth on buying an '06 or waiting for an '07. Bought the '06. My heart fell when I read about the 180 lb weight savings for '07, but when I compared the BMW data sheet on the new motor with the tritec data sheet from the tritec web site, the dressed weights of the PSA turbo and the tritec supercharged were nearly the same.

The only thing that I like about the '07 is the aluminum suspension arms.

By: Eelke

Eelke — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 09:36:01 +0000

Well, to contradict the previous poster, I actually let out a sigh of relief when seeing the new yellow. Going by the name, Mellow Yellow, I was afraid it'd just be an overhauled liquid yellow, which, although nice, is actually the mellow one of the two, and too much so for my taste.

Also, what I have been afraid of since seeing the very first picture of the Mini3 interior seems to be coming true. I dearly hope that with different materials it will not be so bad and I might actually grow to like it, but as it stands now, with the tacky silver accents in the center console (might be bareable if everything were in black, although it lacks the tasteful blend between good design and playfulness), and the horrible integrated controls on the centre speedo (I doubt I will ever find bareable), I think this might actually keep me from getting another Mini when the time comes to trade in my current one (which, luckily, will not be for another few hundreds of kilometers).

The rest of the interior is kind of OK, although the notion that storage space is reduced worries me a little; it's not like there is an overwhelming amount of storage space available to begin with.

But please, Mini/BMW, why did you change the centre part of the dashboard area, with the centre speedo, radio and climate controls? It is the one part of the interior that was almost perfect, apart maybe from finish (too plasticky, especially the downtubes).

By: David

David — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 08:28:18 +0000

I can’t believe no one has said terribly ugly new yellow color. The new blues look good, though.

By: sandm4130

sandm4130 — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 07:18:58 +0000

patience is for the unsure dreamers awaiting a better tomorrow the joys of today only wet the lips of the desperate few

the few with pre 2007 mini coopers.

that car is UGLY!

I am kidding, though it just is not the same class act. Wacthing it seems like watching Aliens 4/Rambo 7.

The great originals always generate inadequate sequels.

Attack of the clones?

enjoy!

By: Joris

Joris — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 06:34:26 +0000

Some new photos have been revealed at the following website (sorry the text is all in Dutch):

http://www.autoweek.nl/newsdisp.php?ID=5112&cache=no

By: Timothy

Timothy — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 06:13:10 +0000

Please, MINI, let us delete the faux air scoop in the build list.

By: Wetworth

Wetworth — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 04:57:52 +0000

the key… can I still call it a key?

By: nrkist

nrkist — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 04:43:54 +0000

The new model somehow feels more mature, more composed than its outgoing predecessor. The "baby BMW" isn't really a hyperactive little child anymore, more so a slightly crazy uncle that all the family enjoy being in the company of. The engine feels more refined than the Tritec units, and the car feels more controlled all the way from cruising up to the extremes. It's still very much a fun car, but it seems a little more nonchalant when going about its thrill ride business. Not quite so desperate to please, but more solid, and all the more assuring for it.

My worst fears confirmed.

By: lTZMTOR

lTZMTOR — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 04:41:30 +0000

I do like the tail lites but they probably won’t make it to the states. The J-Lo boot… Note sure of… gotta keep the Scoop.. That center stack is pretty diff… The front end… not me cup o tea… I do like the new yellow and the sort of electric blue.. S lites not sure of yet… I see nothing so far that makes me want to lose my ‘04 MCS but might upgrade to an ‘05-’06 someday.

But… I remember back to when Porsche changed to the 911.. I think 1963-64, hated it then now I feel different as G Harrison said Al Things must Pass.

By: Aurel

Aurel — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 04:12:52 +0000

Amen, I just realized my car will still have a high resale value after seeing this.

I really, really wanted an 07 ... and I like the performance that it will offer ... but the interior, where I will be spending my time leaves me scratching my head ... why did they F with things that were perfect to begin with and make them worse ...

I will have nightmares tonight about the the center stack and integrated speedo/radio ... hehe