Yet another review from the recent MINI R56 Prototype prevew. Here’s an excerpt:
>As soon as you pull on the distinctive door handles and the frameless window jumps down half an inch, you get on overwhelming sense of just what BMW has done with the second-generation Mini.
>The whole car exudes a sense of polish and precision that the original just didn’t have. True, the first car — mostly developed by the old Rover Group in the UK — had immense character and endearing eccentricities, but it was also riddled with quirks and outright faults.
Settle in behind the wheel, and although the interior of this pre-production car is disguised, improvements are clear. The driving position remains straight-ahead excellent, and there’s noticeably more room in the footwells.
>The seat is a massive advance: wide enough, sensibly bolstered and fitted with slickly smooth adjustment. The door trims on our car seem showroom-ready, are very well made and fitted with stylish aluminium trim.
>The new dashboard uses the same design theme as before. The central speedo is even bigger and houses (rather small) fingertip controls for the radio and trip computer. The new climate control panel is also small and uses distinctive rocker switches for fan speed and temperature control.
>To fire up the car, you push the large, circular key into a slot in the dashboard and press a button.
>All the controls, indicators, rocker switches, handbrake and the control weightings are immediate step forward over those in the old car.
You can read more below:
[ Mini Hatchback Hatchback Mini 3dr ] Autocar
Did anyone else pick up the fact that it sounds like Mini is trying to appeal to a wider customer base by making the car “more civilized”, lessening steering feel, increasing lock to lock turns from 2.5 to 2.7. Translation, less diver involvement.
I surely hope Mini doesn’t follow the path of Nissan (Datsun) Z or Mustangs of the past in order to try and please everyone, but satisfying no one in the end.
The steering wheel issue is actually pretty big. There are many smaller women/older people who have a hard time turning the wheel as it is. Hard enough that there were more than a few sales lost because of it. I heard there is a button to “sporten” up the steering response but I can’t remember where I read it. I also read about a telescoping steering wheel in the same article.
Gabe? know the answers?
> I heard there is a button to “sporten†up the steering response but I can’t remember where I read it. I also read about a telescoping steering wheel in the same article.
Yes the sport button (near the shifter) will be similar to the one seen on the Z4.
<blockquote>The new Cooper S is smoother, more refined and very quick, but it does lack the visceral thrills of the old car.</blockquote>
Said thrills being one of the best things the V1.0 Mini has going for it.