MINI Reinvents Itself
Another great article from the Paris Autoshow.
It’s a genuine world debut, but you need to look twice — and in this case that’s actually the best news they could have hoped for, because although virtually every panel has changed significantly, and lots of hardware under the skin has changed with it, the new MINI is still totally a MINI, and that was just how they planned it.
It seems interesting that the big thing everyone is picking up on is the fact that this is an entirely new car, yet still retains the same look and charm that makes it a MINI.
[ MINI Reinvents Itself ] MSN Autos
I approve of the evolutionary path that the R56 has taken; small fixes and horsepower bumps here and there are the way to go in my book….look at the success of the Miata, for example.
I don’t think anyone here wants an edgy Cadillac CTS-esque look with 20″ chrome wheels and a NorthStar V8.
While I agree with Ben that the evolutionary design changes for the MINI is a good thing, I disagree in that an edgy CTS-esque looking MINI, sans 20″ wheels and NorthStar V8, doesn’t sound like a terrible idea. You’ve got to remember that with the classic Mini there were a myriad of derivative designs, like the Moke and the original Clubman, along side the methodical evolution that led up to the ’99 model year.
I for one would love to see what Prodrive would do with the MINI chassis and drive train.
I am highly impressed that MINI also went back, not just to R50/53, but to the classic Mini for R56 design cues. Some of the features in the update look a bit foreign coming from a MINI, but not so much from a Mini. In addition, there’s lots of little features that add up to real improvements. The center console remains baffling to many, though.
I was fortunate enough to be near Paris this week and spent a day at the Mondial. The MINI area was swamped with people … of course, it WAS the very first display inside Building 1!
Given the crowding it was difficult to inspect the car in much detail. That said, I was left with the feeling that, yes, the car has (visually)evolved … but that a few liberties were taken that, in my opinion at least, went just a bit too far from the original. In person, up close, the front end-overhang is just not quite right. On the inside, the center stack and the monstrously oversized speedo detract.
Don’t get me wrong though, in all likelihood I’ll probably still buy one.