MINI SUV to be Called the Crossman?

Rocketboy_X Dec 17th, 2007 Link

The Cross[Angry]Man? Please no.

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Greatbear Dec 17th, 2007 Link

The new MINI Jesus? Let’s hope not.

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Jon Dec 17th, 2007 Link

A fittingly bad name for what I still consider to be a base horrible idea.

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VMMVMMM Dec 17th, 2007 Link

I don’t like that name. We need to all try hard to distance ourselves from this “cross” prefix, as it is far too overused now with all the crossover talk.

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TulsaMINI Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Uh. No. Not good. Not good at all.

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Christina (lilcoopr) Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Please say it’s April Fools somewhere in Germany… That’s one of the worst names for a car!!!!! :(

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Jon Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Attention pessimists, cry-babies, nay-sayers and sticks-in-the-mud:

You may not like the name, or the vehicle, but it certainly will sell like hot-cakes! You might as well just get used to it now.

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AN Dec 17th, 2007 Link

I hope he’s joking. I pray he’s joking.

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drew Dec 17th, 2007 Link

crossman -as in cross country – cross the river – get across….

c’mon people. get it?

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Vanwall Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Like cross-bow? Like cross-the-universe? Hopefully not like cross-stitch? Sounds like a low-flying high-concept marketing name. Like cross-purposes.

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GSKChicago Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Yeah, I don’t think I like that name. Maybe it will grow on me, but so far, kind of lame.

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Jon Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Lol Jon,

Never have had the slightest doubt this ill concieved Mini will sell well. Just believe that BMW/Mini has turned their back on their community thats all. Just hope this counter-Mini doesn’t do as much harm to the brand image and community as I think it will.

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MeanMrMstrd Dec 17th, 2007 Link

I think it’s a good to try and leave all the old stuff-names- behind. I think it could have been much worse and find the name has a nice ring to it.

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M. Dillon Dec 17th, 2007 Link

…I’m sure,the good folks,at MINI,wanted to called their SAV the,”X-Man”;but,I guess the folks at Marvel Comics,had something to say about it…

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miniboss Dec 17th, 2007 Link

this new mini better have decent off road ability … otherwise it will be a waste like the rest of the sporte utes and suv’s out there

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lavardera Dec 17th, 2007 Link

I take it that this means Gabe thinks its for real?

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drew Dec 17th, 2007 Link

you actually think this HURTS the brand? reminds me of when people first heard about the clubman – and that doesn’t seem to be “hurting” the brand at all with rave reviews and a cool design…

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gokartride Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Sounds fine to me…if the car is great I think most will love the name.

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nuvolari Dec 17th, 2007 Link

The term “crossover vehicle” is bad enough when used in marketing copy, but to actually incorporate it into a car name… Well, let’s just say it’s not “ahead of the curve” thinking.

As I have said before, so long as you can delete the body cladding, lower the suspension and tweak the engine, something might be salvaged from this Crossman mess. I hold out hope.

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Chris W Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Horrible name. I fear this car will be MINI’s first failure. I guess they will learn the hard way. They should do all right though, GM & Ford have been learning the hard way for decades, and they’re still making cars.

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Vanwall Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Now, now, gang, no need to feel double-crossed – even if you feel perhaps their signals were crossed when they came up with such a star-crossed name, across the pond it may mean nothing more than a cross-cultural cross-up; across the aisle, there must be others who’ve got things in the cross-hairs, so this one won’t make me cross the street when I see a Crossman coming.

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MPETUOS Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Maybe BMW will call it the “New” MINI….. then they can rename the current model to the “Classic” MINI…. just like Coke did in the 19…..

…. no wait, that didn’t work for Coke either.

I’d like mine with a 3″ lift and 4 KC Daylighters across the roof. Now where is my Molly Hatchet album?

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nuvolari Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Molly Hatchet. Nice.

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Victor Dec 17th, 2007 Link

The Crossman is not bad what is better;

MINI H4? MINI Rubicon? “Trail Rated” of course.

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Seth L Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Terrible name.

Jon- Hotcakes would have been a better moniker.

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MINIme Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Well, chalk one up for Jon. Terrible name. If they use X-Man instead of Crossman it could work, I guess. Or they could give away air rifles with every purchase (wait, that’s Crosman). That way, buyers could feel like they are going hunting in the bush while they navigate their SAVs through the speedbumps in the mall parking lot.

I feel this concept slipping already. I sure hope they include the hill descent control…

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Jon Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Actually Drew the reasons why I still think this move can hurt the brand. To date the best sales advertisements Mini has had is its owners. I feel that the Mini community is already undergoing a shift towards more Mini drivers than Mini enthusiast. I believe that there are many in the community that not pleased by this development and feel betrayed.

I feel that Mini has also chosen to enter into a very crowded market. I feel that this development is 180 degrees apart from the spirit of the Mini brand. I have no doubts that it will sell fine but at what cost to Mini and its community.

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SB Dec 17th, 2007 Link

How far will they carry the “man” name? Will there soon be a subcompact MINI named Pokeman? ;)

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Jon Dec 17th, 2007 Link

Just can’t wait until they release a picture of the SUV so with two setting together that way it can be named Double Cross ;)

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Jim W. Dec 17th, 2007 Link

In America our pronunciation of the word “man” in this word does not have the same strong “MAN” of the german language…. I fear the BMW group got together over one stein too many when they came up with this one…

Was ist das?????

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bavarian racing green Dec 17th, 2007 Link

…as an enthusiast, i will enthusiastically buy one…

…while enthusiastically motoring, i will enthusiastically pull over to the side of the road…

…and enthusiastically remove the ‘crossman’ badging…

…drivers would never think of that…

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cze33r Dec 18th, 2007 Link

lol @ SB :-)

I still don’t like it, debuting an SUV type vehicle in 2010 … bit late. I was hoping the whole SUV/SAV thing would have died off by then. Mini, Please make us a lighter and more fuel efficient car, we know you have the talent and resources.

Gabe, any JCW Stage II news ?

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nervous Dec 18th, 2007 Link

Ooooo – maybe buyers will get a free fountain pen with purchase.

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Ian F Dec 18th, 2007 Link

First, I doubt BMW has ever “really” cared about the enthusiasts… because as a percentage, we simply do not represent the majority of MINI sales… For example, BMW “enthusiasts” have complained about Bangle-style sicne day-one… but sales figures mean more and the cars have sold quite well and have spawned a gaggle of imitations.

Second, car-making is first and foremost a business. And the business is selling more cars. Whether the car will fail or not remains to be seen, but I doubt it will. BMW tooks risks making the MINI in the first place.

Of course, it’s a fat-chance-in-hell that I’ll buy one…

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Dom Dec 18th, 2007 Link

If you go on the source page of this article here on http://www.auto-motor-sport.de and if you can read German, you’ll find out that they don’t mention that Dr. Segler said the car might be called “Crossman”. Instead they just say that some internal but inofficial source told them that this could be the future name of the Colorado.

So calm down everybody, I’m sure the car won’t be the new MINI Crossman.

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Mark Dec 18th, 2007 Link

Maybe they could call it Kriss-Kross and put all the badges and cladding on backwards, then at least we could smile when this abomination drives by.

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MINIme Dec 18th, 2007 Link

Why do my posts keep getting deleted? I am not trying to be offensive and certainly hope that I have not offended anyone. I a just curious…

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jakay11 Dec 18th, 2007 Link

4wd, and a JCW II kit, yes please. the name? Very Unfortunate. I seriously hope its a translation error!

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Jay9s Dec 18th, 2007 Link

How ’bout Cross-Dresser?

To me, “Crossman” means air rifle….

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Chris W Dec 18th, 2007 Link

Updated: For all those are aren’t fond of the name, it’s not set in stone yet. Crossman is ONE POTENTIAL name that is being considered.

That’s great news. Now, if MINI reads these comments, we won’t have to worry about them using the name Crossman.

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Jon Dec 18th, 2007 Link

Very glad this name isn’t set in stone, as horrible of a idea a SUV is believe this name would never fly in the US market.

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Mark Smith Dec 19th, 2007 Link

The name has no ring to it. What about the MINI Dakar or something along the lines of what the purpose of this new model is made for. If you could get it legally the Traveller name would be perfect. Then everyone would argue why the Clubman wasn’t named this. It really fits better for this model.

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Mark Smith Dec 19th, 2007 Link

How about Mohave?

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Nathan Dec 19th, 2007 Link

I have no issues with the SUV concept. With MINI’s rally heritage it goes pretty well in my mind. The “Crossman” name…yuck. I imagine a little sad face painted on the bonnet. Not good. Not good at all.

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Vanwall Dec 19th, 2007 Link

That would be Mojave.

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MINIme Dec 19th, 2007 Link

I go with Dakar!

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Jay9s Dec 19th, 2007 Link

Y’know, the more I think about it, the more I wish they could go with “Countryman”. 1- None of that Cross buzzword foolishness 2- It’s an old-school Mini name 3- contrasts nicely with Clubman (buy ‘em both & you get Country-Club…ha) 4- But really, it would be a good marketing angle: the regular mini MINI is more-or-less urban, whist the Countryman is perhaps more somewhat suited to a rural environment…

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Jay9s Dec 19th, 2007 Link

….Or, how about a MINI-Popemobile: The Clergyman! (ouch…but I had to)

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Jon Dec 19th, 2007 Link

No offense meant but think less less rally and more soccer mom. When I think Mini and rally I think of lightweight minimalistic small cars. As a matter of fact the R60 is likely to be more akin to the vehicles Patty raced against than any Mini he drove.

I agree that it should be named for what they have designed this for. Maybe the Mini supper rugged looking soccer mom edition

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Vanwall Dec 19th, 2007 Link

Never heard Pat Moss-Carlsson referred to like that, much less a Mr. Oh, pardon my parsing your ignorance, you must mean that wonderful Irishman, Mr. Hopkirk. P-A-D-D-Y never raced against anything in his heyday like the AWD MINI projected here, and the New MINI itself is much more like what he would’ve raced against, as it is a third bigger than the 1275S Mr. Hopkirk drove. If you must insist on name-dropping to bolster a specious claim, at least spell their names correctly, and if size is some kind of yardstick, you’ve already lost the argument, as has been pointed out ad-nauseum here. God forbid we should try to bring those soccer moms (even if a poor analogy on some folk’s part) into the MINI fold – the less-is-more camp, where the AWD MINI will surely be compared to real bloated vehicles – why, where would that leave the self-appointed arbiters of MINI-ness? Divisive talk has no place in my MINI world, which seems to be a nicer place without those spouting drivel about their measure of what makes a MINI owner.

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bavarian racing green Dec 19th, 2007 Link

…i don’t have near the knowledge some have about MINIs heritage, but I would like to re-iterate a statement…

…some make ridiculous judgments and claims regarding this vehicle and it’s style and purpose…

…NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE…

…THAT IS A CLUBMAN ON TOP OF A PROTOTYPE DRIVETRAIN…

…the ’soccer mom’ comments and even the ‘SUV’ references are silly upon silly…

…let’s review some dimension of some popular motor vehicles…

…Honda CRV = 4500mm overall length…

…Mazdaspeed3 = 4490mm overall length…

…Subaru WRX = 4572mm overall length…

…Honda CRX = 3775mm overall length…

…MINI ‘R60′ = 3960mm overall length!!!!!!

…though MS3 and WRX are close to CRV I don’t see anyone calling them SUVs…

…and i don’t see many ’soccer moms’ driving rally cars like the WRX…

…from this empirical evidence one would more logically conclude this vehicle from MINI will be a non-aggressive (MINI is fun and happy) rally-type vehicle with BMW grade suspension/drivetrain…

…20 inches shorter than a WRX!!!

…and the possibility of DIESEL!!!

…how can anyone who likes cars at all not be excited by this…

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bavarian racing green Dec 19th, 2007 Link

…breathe…

…breathe…

…SEVEN INCHES LONGER THAN THE FRIGGIN C-R-X!!!

…how is that not MINI???

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Jon Dec 19th, 2007 Link

Heh Vanwall you caught me, sorry all was at the end of a exceptionally long day. Still doesn’t change my view that this is anything that can be linked into Mini’s rally history. This is a luxury SUV not a rally car.

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Vanwall Dec 20th, 2007 Link

Well done, bavarian racing green!

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Bwana Yak Dec 20th, 2007 Link

So who says MINI should only make rally-style cars? Most of the original Mini models were made for ordinary working-class owners who used them for commuting and light-duty hauling. Just because they were also popular for retooling with a very small group of enthusiasts doesn’t mean the entire product line has to be tied to that criteria.

MINI came back as a performance car because they knew that would excite people and build brand recognition, but if you look at the bloodline that produced the current MINI, there’s plenty of room for variants that aren’t specifically designed for the track.

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Jon Dec 20th, 2007 Link

Completely agree Bwana, just was pointing out the exact same thing actually. The R60 development isn’t a rally car, its a micro luxury suv.

I do however have to say though that the new Mini followed along near perfectly with the original with their performance versus other cars of their time. The original Mini was designed as a micro commuter auto, but people quickly found that this little car held up with many other cars because of being lightweight and having exceptional handling.

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MINIme Dec 20th, 2007 Link

I like Countryman! That was one of my original votes. Yes, this is ideal. A MINI suitable for the gentleman farmer… Tool around the pasture or motor into town for a pint. Sounds perfect!

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Jon Dec 21st, 2007 Link

Better than Crossman for sure lol.

I don’t see this aimed at the gentleman farmer either. I see it being crafted for young urban dwellers that either because of outgrowing the current Mini or filling the thirst of drivers in the US market for larger vehicles. They have already said the primary reason for the development is for the US market which I think has more young urban drivers than gentleman farmers heh.

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bavarian racing green Dec 21st, 2007 Link

…i did say ‘rally-style’ vehicle…

…i did not say a true rally ready vehicle…

…no one who buys a WRX would dare engage in a rally w/o significant mods…

…my point was only to say that the real numbers, facts, and history about this vehicle point more to a WRX or small Forester type vehicle than a bloated land yacht used to ferry small suburban offspring to mildly organized socio-politically motivated sporting events… ;)

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O(=^=)OCapn Dec 21st, 2007 Link

BVR and Vanwall, I agree completely.

Is being a troll MINI-like? I don’t think so.

I vote for Dakar!!! that would be the best. Mojave is really good too.

Good Job Mark

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O(=^=)OCapn Dec 21st, 2007 Link

I meany BRG

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O(=^=)OCapn Dec 21st, 2007 Link

I Meant BRG. Fat Fingers

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MINIme Dec 21st, 2007 Link

Yea, not too many gentleman farmers out there. Oh well, I was attempting to romanticize the whole notion a bit.

I can see the offspring of the Range Rover set driving this. I have had valets fight over parking my car when Porsches, MBs, Range Rovers, etc. were flanking her, jockeying for a parking spot. Alas, they all lost as I always self-park (no joy rides in my baby). Also, the hip urban cowboy who has a kayak or mountain bike or a couple of Labradors. I don’t see the soccer mom driving this. Still too small.

I am praying for Land Rover LR2 capability.

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Vanwall Dec 21st, 2007 Link

Third time’s a charm, Cap’n! ;-) I imagine we’ll see these in the ski towns some.

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Jon Dec 22nd, 2007 Link

Heh why wait, my coupe plays in the snow already. No suv needed here.

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MINIme Dec 22nd, 2007 Link

Jon, what type of winter tire do you run? I have owned numerous front-wheel-drive cars over the years (mostly VWs) that did great in snow. It is probably just the tires, but my “S” scares the hell out of me in the snow.

I got stuck (high-centered) in the snow, on a two-lane road in the middle of nowhere once. I was driving a VW Rabbit Convertible. Other than that, the car ran great. I ran 60 series tires on 14 inch wheels in those days.

I look forward to the extra ground clearance in the SAV. Nothing like a sporty ride that can handle inclimate weather… I just hope we are not talking about 20 inch wheels and low-pro tires. Sure it looks “pimp”, as my Son would say, but will take away from the functionality of having an SAV/SUV. I am thinking 265/60/17. Maybe Avon will make their excellent Tech ST model to fit our needs.

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Jon Dec 23rd, 2007 Link

Having grown up in Colorado and spending months per year on every form of winter roads have always prepared my car for winter even though I live in the NW this is still the case. Over the winter I put on my factory 17’s (replacing the 18″ OZ’s) with Blizzak LM-25 RPT. This easliy handles most any issue with snow. I have routinly driven front wheel drive cars over the Rockies and Cascades over the winter months with no major problems. I also keep a set of lightweight “chains” in the car when I know I will be driving at the vehicles limits for clearance or grip.

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