MINI Press Conference
MINI is having a live online Press conference happening now. The press conference has ended and I will be posting photos and videos as they become available.
8:06
Jim McDowell talking about sales numbers and credit problems.
8:09
MINI is the new black, everything is getting smaller. People trading in SUVs for MINIs.
8:10
Why get a MINI. Better mileage, more modern, green and want to use less oil.
8:11
MINI is social, practical and owners are enthusiastic. This is an important group.
Typical MINI has $4K – $5K worth of options, half are sold with Leather interior. Bluetooth prep becoming more popular.
8:13
50% of dealers are increasing in size, adding 13 dealers over 13 months.
8:14
39K MINI Convertibles sold in the US. Most important market for convertible.
8:16
Adding JCW Convertible by April.
Here come Vincent Kung
Vinnie is going over new features of the convertible.
Top opens and closes in 15 seconds. Rear seats are split folding to allow access to rear cargo area.
Boot hinges moved inside and opening is much larger.
All new interior compared to last version of the convertible. New openometer counts top down while engine is running. Keeps info in computer.
Top can be closed at 18MPH.
Reviewing safety including reinforcements and roll-over protect.
118/114lb/ft, 0-60 @ 8.9 sec. 39MPG for the cooper.
172hp for MCS. 34 MPG with Manual
JCW has 208 HP, 0-60 6.5 seconds, 34MPG
Reviewing JCW features, including those that are included on the JCW car.
Pricing. MC @ $24,550, MCS @27,450, JCW @ 34,950. All include $650 D&H
**8:25**
Time for a break.
**8:27**
Introducing Trudy Hardy
Talking about marketing for the Convertible, starting with the Openometer. Creating a microsite for convertible owners to upload open times and pictures.
Working with iPhone, Android phone and Blackberry for website.
Might open to other markets and use for possible new owners.
Print advertising will continue with inserts in key magazines.
And new Billboards.
Talking about doing more marketing online. Working with weather.com with a widget. Another that shows your car in different environments. Banner that plays up, very clever.
**Marketing plans for the year**
MINI is instigator of optimism.
Mini turns 50. Talking about MINI United at Silverstone. Expecting up to 30K participants.
In the US, August 26th is the actual birthday, watch for dealer events.
**Back to Jim**
MINI will grow, not trying to become the largest car company on earth, always hold true to brand values.
2 special products coming to celebrate 50th anniversary.
A quick touch on the R60.
**Wrapping up**.
Who has questions? Send those to @dbwilldo on twitter or comment below.
**8:41**
Talking about MINI D. What it is going to take to get it here. Still no time line.
Keep production lower to help keep residual value higher as well.
No national TV ads planned.
MINI E applications are being reviewed, none have been delivered.
MINI sales are being affected by the recession, reducing the demand for cars. MINI is anticipating a reasonable result for the year.
2008, Cooper was more popular. Average MINI prices typically is $US4K over MSRP.
Convertible top will be available in 3 colors, no roof graphics available.
MINIs on the Big Screen…nothing coming up. Rumors of IJ sequel are only rumors.
Question asked about a hose-out interior. Not recommended.
New dealer to open in San Diego County in about a year by BMW San Diego.
Conference is over. I will be posting it later today.
<p>Is this published somewhere we can watch a replay</p>
<p>It’s not yet been published. As soon as they put it up I will post it here.</p>
<p>“Average MINI prices typically is $US4K over MSRP.”</p>
<p>WHAT? People are paying 4K over MSRP on Minis????</p>
<p>That means people are ordering cars with options that average $4K over the base MSRP.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-252947" rel="nofollow">txdesign</a>:</p>
<p>I’m guessing that’s related to this tidbit:</p>
<p>“Typical MINI has $4K – $5K worth of options, half are sold with Leather interior. Bluetooth prep becoming more popular.”</p>
<p>so nothing about a new interior for MY2010??? dammit</p>
<blockquote>“adding 13 dealers over 13 months”</blockquote>
<p>Please be one in Boise, Idaho….Please be one in Boise, Idaho….Please be one in Boise, Idaho!</p>
<blockquote>New dealer to open in San Diego County in about a year by BMW San Diego.</blockquote>
<p>Okay, 1 down, 12 to go….Please be one in Boise, Idaho……..</p>
<p>Sorry I missed this but will look forward to hearing from Jim about the R60. Expecting the standard company line that the Mini community is demanding this development. I would love it if they would actually recognize what this development is doing to their community. Sad to say that for me personally Mini has been heading away from their original brand values for a while and with the R60 they have driven a spike into the heart of everything Sir Alec stood for.</p>
<p>DB, did Jim list which 13 cities will be getting new dealerships? Please let us know. Thanks.</p>
<p>So far, the video hasn’t been republished, but as soon as it is I will be posting it here.</p>
<p>Also, no details on what cities will be getting new dealers <em>except</em> San Diego, which is supposed to happen within the year.</p>
<p>Awesome write up. Can’t wait to see the video!</p>
<p>I’m rooting for Boise Idaho.</p>
<p>Comment 8.09 “everything is getting smaller”…
Am I on the same Planet? I had this perception MINI was growing in size with every new model.
Replies to 3rd rock from Sun.</p>
<p>“2 special products coming to celebrate 50th anniversary” … product does not necessarily mean car, I suppose. Hey look, we have this amazing 50th anniversary pen!
;)</p>
<p>So what is the MPG on the Cooper Convertible? This report says 39 MPG, but the miniusa site says 36. While not huge, that is a 10% discrepancy.</p>
<p>And is there a list of those new dealerships? A local newspaper ran a story a few months ago that the Raleigh/Durham, NC area is getting a dealership, but I’d like to get some independent confirmation.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-252993" rel="nofollow">J</a>: No list. Like I mentioned above, only 1 dealer was confirmed in San Diego. Otherwise, we <strong>do not</strong> have a list. Yet.</p>
<p>Still waiting for the video to get posted. As soon as it goes up I will share it here.</p>
<p>Great write up, db. Almost as good as an Apple simulblog feed ;-)</p>
<p>Crossed fingers for a Mini dealer in Santa Barbara…</p>
<p>“MINI is the new black, everything is getting smaller. People trading in SUVs for MINIs” – so why are MINI planning to put into production the biggest MINI ever produced – the crossover?</p>
<p>I can see the appeal of launching a 50th birthday limited edition MINI (if this is what they are planning) but are they actually going to be able to shift them?</p>
<p>Here in the UK it feels like the last thing we need right now is more variants of the MINI – concentrate on what they are already selling and dump this crazy MINI crossover idea.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-252990" rel="nofollow">Ian C.</a>: We’ve already reported on both forthcoming products coming this year.</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up.
Everyone looks good in the red/black puma/MINI rep jackets. Very cool.
I have one just like Jim’s for the Convertible Launch in 04′ , just no red sides.
Looks like Yo Vinnie in So Cal w/ new Vert’?
MINI silverstone edition maybe.</p>
<p>J,
MPG difference is probably due to UK and US differences in the gallon.</p>
<p>@Gabe … about “already reporting” on the special editions … see the bit in that post where it says “We’ll have more information soon” …</p>
<p>What is up with hammering Mini for coming up with new variants? It’s a business of selling cars and if there are buyers, there will be more Mini’s. Why can’t everything be mini? (small ‘m’, as in small) I would love to ride around in the Mini XOver. i.e. Smallest XOver. I don’t think I’ll buy – not because I’m against Mini’s vision but because they will price it out of my league.</p>
<p>One dirty little secret is that many of us w/ Coopers (I have a manual) are seeing mpg #s way above the EPA estimates. Given the car’s collection of other strengths, it’s really a great little car!!</p>
<p>The problem I have with the R60 Pat is that instead of trying to improve its prime product to be more competitive. Against a wide selection of ever growing competition Mini is throwing a huge amount of money towards making a car that is going to face a lot of very tough competition at release.</p>
<p>They are following the BMW path which is not really any surprise. BMW believes in basically building something for every possible buyer. I also think this is a prelude into the BMW pattern of making evolutions of cars bigger and heavier within the brand. What can I say I remember when the 3 series was a small car not to dissimilar to the current Mini. Also spend any time learning about Sir Alec and you will find one message that rings pretty clear he would be aghast at a micro luxury overy heavy and complex SUV like the R60.</p>
<p>Believe it or not I don’t believe every brand needs a SUV.</p>
<p>When BMW brought out the Mini they developed a new market. My issue is that they have done little to keep the same excitement and buzz about their cars as they are pressing to continue to broaden the brand. Instead of making their prime product a clear leader in its class they are focusing on going into direct competition with a large number of very established brands directly that are already making class leading products in the small crossover platform.</p>
<p>Meanwhile the Cooper and Cooper S are sitting idle becoming less and less dominating in their class.</p>
<p>For me personally I love small sports cars. I can say that depending on what they do with a possible GP2 I will be comparing it to the many other strong cars out there.</p>
<p>Currently I am watching the Alfa MiTo GTA seeing a car that will leave the JCW Mini in the dust.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/24/alfa-mito-gta-confirmed-with-230hp/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/24/alfa-mito-gta-confirmed-with-230hp/</a></p>
<p>Right on JonPD. I can see you and I think alike.</p>
<p>What is the point of making an SUV when the market is dropping off? There are already plenty of smaller SUVs being offered in Europe and Japan. Why add to them?</p>
<p>BMW is using the MINI as a replacement for the small Rover brand cars that they bought and then ditched for 10 pounds a few years ago and is upsizing MINI to suit. Also, because they have a philosophy of “no BMW will ever be a front-drive car”, this saves face.
The same BMW philosophy of not wanting to build a V6 engine.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-253081" rel="nofollow">GregW</a>: @<a href="#comment-253044" rel="nofollow">JonPD</a>: @<a href="#comment-253024" rel="nofollow">Pat C</a>: This was a press conference primarily for the convertible, stats and pricing with a little bit of marketing thrown in.</p>
<p>Let’s keep the R60 talk <a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2009/02/16/mini-crossover-prototype-spied-undergoing-cold-weather-testing/" rel="nofollow">on the latests R60 post</a> if we could.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I think an AWD option would be an added plus for those living in the nastier climates; so just take the Clubman and add AWD and forget about all this other whoopla. Seems like the MINI-BMW team got caught up along with everyone else in the SUV craze, except it is now dying out; so they should now cut their losses and scale it back to an AWD Clubman. They could call it the Clubman Quattro! ;)</p>
<p>Actually think I should just shut up about the R60 generally, its not like BMW will do anything but push forward on this anyways. Still think the decision between a possible new GP2 and the MiTo GTA will be my next step if/when either comes about.</p>
<p>Over and out.</p>
<p>J, there is a store coming to Cary in 2010. I work for Flow in W-S and we’re opening our second store in Cary next year… sales and service but not connected to a BMW store. I don’t know about any other stores though.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-253094" rel="nofollow">JonPD</a>:</p>
<p>No worries JonPD. The worsening financial crisis will take care of the R60/X1 just in time to shelve these projects away in the closet.</p>
<p>blah, blah, blah… financial crisis, global warming… Whatever! Bring on the R60 (the big, gas-guzzling, over-priced, behemoth that killed the MINI brand). I love it!! You guys can go drive your micro cars of the future with room for your A$$ and a gallon of gas (or some other alternative fuel source). Me, I’ll be Motoring in the latest greatest not so mini MINI over many kinds of terrain! Cheers.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-253226" rel="nofollow">MINIme</a>:</p>
<p>That is pretty comical. Do you really think the R60 is going to be some kind of refined all terrain Jeep Wrangler?</p>
<p>I hope this blob gets killed by the declining markets. Oh and it will.</p>