Comments on: MotoringFile Design Analysis: 2007 MINI

By: akwaba

akwaba — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:56:56 +0000

As woody...and others, the R56 design (int or ext) is really without subtilities. All parts suffers of botox injection, and as it, the result isn't really pleasant at all.

I have been waiting for the new engine during 1 year... and have been horrify by design in one minute when seeing the car . Could you tell me WHY ? i will ask the same engine on the R53...possible ? pfff no.

But it exist a solution for you woody ! the sidewalk, certainly the best (and last) car of the R50/52/53 generation, ext is so much fine as you know and internal is state of the art in term of retro design. personnally, i have odrer mine's.

By: Woody

Woody — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:23:43 +0000

What a shame that Mini butchered the style of retro design harking back to the classic Mini’s with a modern flare. Now the design is awkwardly slapped together for the sake of change. The elongated nose looks terrible and the side vents are totally cheap in every way. The wheel arches are too bulky and large, and whats with the Volkswagon Beetle style headlights? In my opinion, the interior has an updated feel but lacks the finesse that was captured so well in the R50/R53. I don’t mean to rip on it so bad but it just doesn’t compare to R50/R53 design aspects. I am glad I bought my 2004 MCS JCW when I did and will probably keep it forever. There are some Mini fans that will accept the new design but sorry to say I’m not one of them.

By: David

David — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:16:13 +0000

I just don’t like how the hood looks. That’s about it.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:10:21 +0000

a nice, well reasoned review here. the comment that the car reeks of a “committee” styling is spot on. i wish mr. stephenson had been in charge. on the whole, the r56 is very disappointing…

By: lavardera

lavardera — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 16:33:22 +0000

In reading back over this at the end of the year the one thing I have to disagree with is the assessment of what size wheel to roll on. After looking at many more photos of the new models since this was published I’ve come to feel that the car looks better on 16s with meatier tires. The proportion just looks better with the proportion of the car. 17s look too slim and contrary to the proportion of the bodywork.

By: MotoringFile » 2006 » December » 31

MotoringFile » 2006 » December » 31 — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:55:13 +0000

[...] MF Featured Articles MINI’s Future Models Revealed R56 Pedestrian Crash Analysis 2007 MINI USA Pricing and Options 2007 MINI In Detail (Part 2 / Part 3) 2007 MINI Official Photos (Part 2 / Part 3) 2007 MINI Drops Weight 2007 JCW Accessories Revealed MINI Names the R55: The Clubman MF Design Analysis: 2007 MINI Official 2007 MINI UK PDFs [...]

By: Ross

Ross — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 10:56:20 +0000

All these great posts. Someone really has to take my mac away from me. I just ordered 07 Pepper White Cooper S - delivery in March (:

Thanks for all the great detail on this web site.

By: coopermaniac

coopermaniac — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:01:35 +0000

i just bought a 2007 mini for $21550 MSRP. plus tax is 23k+. i deposited $500. it is a base cooper astro black. i just added a black piano dash and a moonroof and an all season tire. thats all i need . i dont need speed of cooper s that i hear will have a high insurance. i just like the mini for it’s exterior. there’s just something about how mini looks that got me and thats all i need. they say it will arrive on feb 07. cant friggin wait!, man! my question is: how can i know if it was REALLY an all season tire? tires all look the same to me. and did i over pay my $500 deposit?

By: coopermaniac

coopermaniac — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 06:58:20 +0000

I am buying the ‘07 model. no matter what u say about the center stack. i firmly believe it’s only the silver color that made it look ‘ugly’ and cheap. with the right color combination.. i know that design will rock. I just hope they have that option. I actually like the design… very futuristic. like im driving the car in space, man! i hope they have a black color center stack (instead of cheap silver plastic looking crap) and neon colors for the knobs and buttons… man yo!!! that center stack will rock the space. coz what will only be visible are the neon knobs and buttons! remember u read it here first,, if i see that idea be realized on my 2007 cooper, i will want a royalty fee!!! for stealing my brilliant idea. cooper rocks!! and so am i!

By: whiteroofradio.com » Woofcast #105

whiteroofradio.com » Woofcast #105 — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 04:09:34 +0000

[...] We re-visit Gabe’s R56 design review and give you our take on the R56. Some windscreen talk and Gabe also give us his review of the M7 Understrut System. [...]

By: GadgetGav

GadgetGav — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:41:53 +0000

Late to comment on this, so it's probably too late to enter the debate, but I was shocked to see how much I disagreed with you Gabe on the interior. I like the design of Motoring File and other work I've seen on your web site and we share the same appreciation for the current MINI and Apple products, but I am firmly in the 'dislike' camp for the new center stack.

I would have to strongly disagree that they've gone for a 'less is more' approach too. There seems to be more controls spread over more places now: some toggles in the roof, some buttons on the speedo and still a lot of buttons in the 'normal' place on the center stack. The materials, at least in pictures, look cheap and over stylized. The lone control knob in a sea of cheap black plastic in the standard, non-nav configuration just looks like an afterthought. I would have to get the nav pack just to get rid of that knob, but I still don't like the cluttered look of the new controls.

Let's hope my 2002 MCS keeps on running, because until they change the interior, I'm in no hurry to sign up for a 2007. Maybe the Clubman will have a different interior...

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:44:52 +0000

Finally made it to the Paris Motor show today... I'm completely happy with what I saw today, in comparison to what I saw over the weekend at Spa... But, it's an interesting comparison...

All of the questionable things my friends spotted seem to have been 'fixed', and there are MINIs at the show that aren't in the press photos that really give you a feel that this MINI continues with the evolution process that BMW has done with the current MINI from the original...

I love the new Aero kit, and some of the color schemes they displayed on the interior... Lots more choices then before...

They had the current version there as well, but not side-by-side, which is where you notice the size difference...

I'm still unsture about the center stack... It looks better with Sat Nav on the speedo, and the radio controls down below... Otherwise, the empty space seems strange...

My current 2005 Cooper S is almost 1 year old now, and I'm seriously considering the R56... Can't wait to spec it out...

By: Miles

Miles — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 17:33:32 +0000

Great review Gabe… One thing I will say is that I definitely dig the new JCW equipment, including the bumpers.

By: FrankInMiami

FrankInMiami — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:31:54 +0000

Had Frank Stephenson been responsible to overview the R56 design development, some of the "details" of the new car would have never seen the light of day, namely the "Rubbermaid" center console.

I think there is more of a "Committee" appraoch to the design of the R56 MINI than there was for the R50/53 design, in despite of its difficult birth and convulated history during the BMW/Rover days.

While there is much to like about the R56, in my eyes the R50 generation will always be the "one" that nailed all the design aspects of the car just right.

By: The Seeker

The Seeker — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:01:34 +0000

How young is MINI’s design team ? I think the center stack looks like it was designed by Dr. Suess. Are the buttons soft and do they squeak when you push them ?

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 04:22:17 +0000

here is what I am thinking: Let’s rewind back to 2001. If you saw a pic of the R53 and the R56 together, which one would you pick? For me, the R53 for sure. There are some nice touches on the R56, but it just doesnt seem as authentic. Any word on if the new turbo engine will fit the R53s? :)

By: Rawhyde

Rawhyde — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:38:24 +0000

Great writeup Gabe! Thanks for your efforts!

The new New MINI is growing on me, but those halogen headlights look horrible. Talk about el Cheapo! Those things will increase sales of xenon headlights more than perpetual darkness.

These lights and the Cooper side gills are letting the cost cutting shine through a little too clearly.

Rawhyde

By: gokartride

gokartride — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 23:22:43 +0000

Early reports referred to it as non-functional and so we assumed it to be so. Apparently even MINI wishes it were more functional for cooling. We’ll see…I hope it can be pressed into useful service, but for now, it appears to have been left in place primarily to visually help differentiate the Cooper S from the Cooper.

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:45:48 +0000

I don’t understand why everyone seems to think the new scoop in the Cooper S is not functional. If it is completely blocked off and no air flows through it THEN it would be non-functional. This one IS functional, as I’ve read in several articles. It just doesn’t have the SAME function as the current Cooper S. From what I understand it feeds cool air to various places in the engine bay. I would expect that this is quite necessary to help reduce under-bonnet temperatures due to the new turbocharged motor.

By: gokartride

gokartride — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:17:56 +0000

As a long-time Cooper owner, I must say that I have been quite pleased with how R56 has turned out on the Cooper side. The cleaner look of the front end is welcome, and I do personally like the back end as well…it seems cleaned-up, direct, and simplified. Given this and the contoured side-skirts, one might almost compare these elements of the R56 Cooper to the outgoing MCS. I do prefer the Cooper side vents, too. They are more honest and less confusing than complex chrome optics of the MCS. Speaking of which….I regret sometimes that MINI feels compelled to try so hard in skewing the MCS towards what they feel is a more “aggressive appeal.” These attempts seem fake and overly self-conscious to me….from faux surfaces (once again on back) to a faux scoop. Let the MCS mechanical bits speak for themselves, I say, and let the curious look for the tell-tale “S”. Lastly, I’ll say that I have also been won over by the R56 interior. It took some time, but I am totally on-board.