Comments on: All-Wheel Drive MINI Now in Development

By: petsounds

petsounds — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:41:01 +0000

Um, no. The SUV is not the modern station wagon. The modern station wagon is the Audi A4 Avant, Audi All-Road, or another brand's take on that concept. I would wholeheartedly embrace a MINI with that design focus. The SUV is the modern-day 1970's big boat car, whose single purpose is to cruise in a tank-like vehicle and assert their dominance and aggression over other cars on the road. You may say that it's for the utility aspect, and some people do for that reason, but that's the minority and more often than not people buy it to feel "safe" or empowered. And for drivers of smaller cars, it makes the roads more dangerous, not only due to their massive weight, but also because they block the view of the road ahead.

I'm not sure why anyone thinks me walking away from a brand for changing their brand philosophy is crazy. It's called being an active consumer. Too many people just accept what they are given by companies. I speak with my wallet. If MINI follows through with production of an SUV variant, they will know that they paid a financial price for the decision by losing some of the early brand adopters.

By: Dr Obnxs

Dr Obnxs — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:57:09 +0000

This is funny. Mini needs to grow the brand or it will die. Now, as most of us already bought Minis, it's pretty obvious that the current car hit our sweet spot and a different form of it probably wouldn't. But we arleady bought. The marque needs variety to get those that DIDN"T buy to get one.

As far as the anti-SUV thing. People need more perspective. I actually have owned SUVs, and they are basically the modern station wagon. They're shrinking into crossovers, because that's a better design. But I gotta say that after the second kid came out, lots of trips that would have been Mini are now MDX.

Don't hate the brand just because they're trying to bring to the market that which the market will buy! Sure, we could keep it a small hatch/convertible, and leave sales numbers what they are. Then Mini would turn into Lotus, selling a few niche cars (not as small volumes for sure, but you get the idea).

Matt

By: Squaregarte

Squaregarte — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:42:30 +0000

Let's face it, the market segment targeted by the Beefier Clubman are not the Mini loyalists, it's the segment that do not read these columns.

To the loyalists, the news of an AWD beefier clubman is either neutral or a betrayal. Very few here will buy that thing, some will move away from the brand, while most will stick to the coupes. What most of the readers here want, I assume, is to have a fast, small Mini that has better handling and can handle some snow. Like an R56 S with AWD, that would be the perfect AWD car for most mini loyalists.

Having this news out and the little likelihood of ever getting an R56S with AWD, I will be moving on to a Lexus. At least they are not too big, not an SUV, with OK performance and can handle some snow.

By: Chrissy

Chrissy — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:09:13 +0000

I think the SUV/cross-over market is too diluted. There are so many on the roads that I don't even know all their names anymore! When I hear talks about a "beefier" MINI, I'm just picturing that new Mazda thing, whatever it's called.

I agree that they should just put AWD in the R56 and Clubman. I would support a roadster idea more because I think it fits better with the brand. I picture MINIs zooming around Europe and big cities on tight, small streets. I think that adapting to trends in the American markets that don't really follow your brand's initial direction will not work out as planned.

I think the way for MINI to succeed with something like this would be to come up with something SO different and SO unique that it creates it's own niche in the market. Something to really draw people away from the countless other similar vehicles floating around. I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed....

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 06:20:00 +0000

Love the Moke, but this project they are talking about is a long long ways from being anything like the Moke. They are talking about a beefier Clubman with 4 doors, ie bigger/longer, with AWD which equals heavier, and finally giving it more clearance which is quite opposite of the Moke. I truly fear that what they are aiming at is a Micro SUV, which even at its lowest is going to a beefier “aka a bloated warthog” imo

By: charlie

charlie — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:53:58 +0000

I want the MINI Moke Now ….that would be my next MINI purchase along with my dinan cooper”s” Now that would be a hella good time ..

By: zack

zack — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:43:38 +0000

AWD is cool (except the fact that it’ll be on a not so mini MINI), but i would rather see DSG.

By: Nigel

Nigel — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:00:31 +0000

Mmmm honestly none of these developments surprises me in the least. In order for MINI to survive they need to become a full line car company instead of a boutique brand made up of enthusiasts and wannabe's. And part of that strategy calls to offer models that some of the hardcore MINI enthusiasts will find questionnable or less palatable. If some of these folks are already up in arms about the R55 Clubman, imagine the outcry when MINI releases their first ever SUV? (Which the R60 appears to be headed in that direction).

I personally don't like some of the "rumors" and chatter coming out of the powers that be at BMW/MINI. I do not like the design/product direction the company is taking, but I see where they are coming from and what needs to be done to justify MINI as a long term business case and ultimately ensure its survival in the fierce auto industry.

-Nigel

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:51:24 +0000

And I thought an AWD 3 series coupe was hard to swallow… Anyway want to take bets on how many years it’ll take the MINI Cooper to grow as long as the 3 series? The 5 series?

By: BobbyS

BobbyS — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:43:06 +0000

I’m with Bwana. I can put 2 people, their luggage of four days, 2 bikes, helmets, and two sets of wheels in the back of the R53 JCW. And, just because it has all wheel drive doesn’t mean you will drive better in the snow. My 17″ snows do pretty well. Ground clearance is another story – if you can put a 4″ lift on the new MINI (moke/colorado), then that would be really cool. Hey, a new JCW kit for the dirt and rocks!

By: cct1

cct1 — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:57:34 +0000

We might as well get around to coming up with names for this new contraption...

I think we should call it something unique, since this type of vehicle has never been done before--how about "Subaru Forester"? Oh wait, that might already be taken...

With each new model, the Mini is looking less and less Mini like. If you compare the original Mini to its wagon version, they both look like a Mini--there is no doubt about the close relationship between the two; they appear to be siblings. They both look like Minis.

With the current generation, thats not the case. The Clubman looks more like a cousin than a sibling--looking at it, the best I can say is it sort of looks like a MINI. I'm not opposed to the Clubman, but the madness should stop there. Or maybe make the Clubman four wheel drive, then concentrate elsewhere.

A beefier version of the Clubman? Not liking it. Sounds like BMW has asked BALCO for help on the project. Maybe Barry Bonds will buy one...

By: bling

bling — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:42:43 +0000

Having both the Clubman and this ‘beefier’ Clubman sounds rather redundant. As is the Clubman isn’t all that different from the standard Mini besides being stretched out a bit with an extra tiny door. If they wanted an additional, more utilitarian, model they should have just concentrated on this one.

By: AN

AN — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:16:14 +0000

Personally, I wish they’d just put the wings on the X3 and bring it out this year. Whoo hoo.

By: MINItron

MINItron — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:09:19 +0000

Personally I would welcome the addition of the R59/60. Having the ability of an AWD with better ground clearance, and possibly a tad more cargo space would suit me to a "T", as a second MINI.

As it stand now I have family members back home that I could never visit if driving my MINI. I would have to park out at the end of the road and hike in. The MINI just doesn't have the clearance necessary to negotiate their driveway. As it is, I sometimes have problems with lack of clearance on the horrible roads up here in Maine.

I would love to have a car with the soul of a MINI, but the capability to load a small table, or similar sized object, and still be able to handle rough, unpaved roads. Give it soul, give it style, give it ability, give it great mileage, and keep it MINI. That would be my advice to the design team. I would still have to have a coupe or cabrio, but if this comes out we can finally become a MINI-only family.

By: Fiat boss

Fiat boss — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:42:51 +0000

I think it wood^nt be much pretty one. Maybe Fiat 500 made 500 rather best

By: Bwana Yak

Bwana Yak — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:21:27 +0000

I've been using my '06 MCS as a MINI SUV ever since I bought it, which it has managed to do quite admirably. Two kayaks and a bike on the roof rack with all the camping and kayaking gear I needed for my wife and myself to spend a weekend in the mountains, and we still had room to spare. The best part of it is that I didn't have to sacrifice that fantastic MINI handling or any of the get-up-and-go either. We were passing Honda Elements (laboring up the mountain highways) as if they were going backwards!

The only problem was negotiating some of the roads/trails to get to the rivers for paddling. The MCS doesn't have enough clearance to handle the seriously scary one-lane rock-slide dirt tracks chiseled into the mountainsides leading to the best whitewater put-ins.

I'm all for the beefed-up MINI. I don't believe it will dilute the MINI brand as long as it stays true to the MINI size, handling and style, and I'll be in line to get one as soon as they hit the market!

By: goonery

goonery — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:59:30 +0000

Why oh why do you guys think because its 4×4 it has to be bigger?. The Fiat Panda Sisley 4×4 was the same size and had a great AWD system for a Fiat !!, the rest of the car was a Panda and quickly fell apart, but it proved it could be done in a small package.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:55:54 +0000

I can understand why Mini would want to build a small SUV (yawn) type vehicle; money, money, money. What i hope is that once the AWD layout is complete, they can transplant it into a Cooper S & create a vehicle that i personally would trade my R53 on without a second thought. Here’s hoping.

By: KLF230

KLF230 — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 07:33:17 +0000

Someone mentioned the MOKE as a precedent of Mini making different versions and how this follows that example. My MOKE is 3m long. This is the same length as the classic cooper. It was NOT bigger than a standard Mini. My MOKE actually has less ground clearance than my MINI. As far as I know, there has never been a production variant that has increased the ground clearance and increased the size other than the estate and vans. (Now there is an idea – how about a panel van!) The MOKE is a very lightweight vehicle – somehow I doubt this SUV will be.

I obviously won’t be buying a MINI SUV – no matter what it’s called, but I hope they DON’T call it the MOKE! I still want to see a miniMINI though. Not much bigger than the classic, but with some of the safety and features of the MINI, able to take corners with the slightest turn of the wheel… I can dream…

By: El Mini de tracciÃ³n integral serÃ¡ una realidad

El Mini de tracciÃ³n integral serÃ¡ una realidad — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 06:00:56 +0000

[...] el sitio especializado en Mini, Motoring File, se informa acerca de que se agregarÃ¡ un nuevo modelo a los modelos especiales R55 Clubman y R57 [...]