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As we’ve reported MINI is releasing several variants of a lower-spec MINI One and One D in specific markets for 2010. Meant to work with either Government scrappage programs or to simply offer the MINI at lower price points and with less CO2 emissions, the cars are the lowest spec models released since the launch of the new brand in 2001. In the case of the models above, they are also meant to combat the lower price points of the subsequent sales success of he Fiat 500 in the Italian market.
The MINI Ray D, Trigger D and Abbey Road D are all exclusive to the Italian market and use mostly off the shelf parts.
+ MINI Ray D / MINI Italy
+ MINI Trigger D / MINI Italy
+ MINI Abbey Road D / MINI Italy
<p>Love those side scuttles on the Ray D.</p>
<p>exclusive to the UK market? Did you mean Italian?</p>
<p>“Trigger”
Bring that edition name to the States. We all would love to play the part of Roy Rogers, riding around on (in) our very own “Trigger”s</p>
<p>So are we thinking the NRA and MINI USA will do some co-marketing of the new MINI Trigger D in the States? :)</p>
<p>All that special edition stuff aside… does the 1st MINI shown just look heavy, sluggish, piggish……. fat?</p>
<p>The “MINI Ray D” is very dull and monochromatic, and those ugly wheel covers are a big part of the problem, very boring.</p>
<p>Falling asleep looking at them. What a snooze!</p>
<p>lol italian “special ed”ition</p>
<p>Why would you care if it doesn’t look flashy initially. Most people personalise their mini’s after anyway so it will look exactly the same as yours in the end.</p>
<p>People on this website only ever look at the negative side of life.</p>
<p>I agree with complainmore…most of the comments are negatives and full of criticism. I love my Mini and wanted for several year…I see a n extraordinary little car with the high fun factor I even experienced</p>
<p>Is it just an illusion or is the Abbey Road PW/W? If you click the link to the Italian site you can see its sexy cream and piano black interior with cream-trimmed seats.</p>
<p>I don’t understand the wheels on the Trigger, though. Why would you put heavy 17″ wheels on a low-power, low-spec car?</p>
<p>What’s interesting to me, more than the specific color schemes and the like, is the fact that deconteted versions are being pushed to stave off the competition from other cars that are appealing to a sizeable part of the Mini market. There are a lot more of these competitors in Europe, but there will be more here in the US. Decontenting is a stop-gap measure, and won’t turn the tide. Lower overall pricing is really the only thing that will. This is the tip of quite the economic iceberg for MINI….</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-265437" rel="nofollow">Dr Obnxs</a>:</p>
<p>Doc, as usual, excellent analysis. MINI has priced themselves out of their respective market.</p>
<p>@<a href="#comment-265415" rel="nofollow">complainmore</a>:</p>
<p>I have a great an positive outlook in life, thank you very much.</p>
<p>However, I don’t drink from the BMW corporate supplied Kool-Aid any longer.</p>
<p>I am a free thinking American, Not a MINI-BOT fanboi.</p>
<p>HERE, HERE.. C4 & Dr O!!!! I totally agree.</p>
<p>As far as complaining more… read below… “SUBMIT COMMENT” is what it says, not “SUBMIT”!</p>
<p>If you like them great, if not that’s great also! 1965 hubcaps aren’t what I call MINIlicious…. nor attractive.</p>
<p>Lower prices arn’t everything when it comes to business. The uniqueness of the MINI allows them to sell at a premium. Brand name , toyish characteristic, fast( especially the jcw etc..) which no other company can provide when all of them are combined.</p>
<p>I don’t think mini has priced itself out of its respective market at all seeing it provides a unique car which people are willing to pay a hefty premium to own one. I bought my MINI knowing it wouldn’t be as practical/fast or even perform as well as other cars in its price range but it has the toyish characteristic no other car on the market can currently match.</p>
<p>As for this car in specific, MINI is probably just trying to target customers who they were not initially. Its no different to BMW and it’s 1 series coupe… targeting people who wished they could buy a BMW but couldn’t afford the 3 series.</p>
<p>I have bought 4 new MINIs since their US debut in 2002. The price increases since the second generation came out in ’07 are mind boggling. Last year I paid a little over $28K for my Clubman S out the door. Mind you, the only options that car was ordered with were the auto transmission, metallic paint, rear fog light and that’s pretty much it. These cars with sunroofs and other doo-dahs are leaving showrooms for well over thirty grand!</p>
<p>In early 2005 I custom ordered my current R53 S. The car retailed for $22K and left the showroom door for $24K and change. Today, $24K barely buys me a new Cooper, not an S.</p>
<p>You can make the MINI “Premium” all you want. But keep in mind that this is still an entry level car into the family of BMW brands. These cars with each passing year are getting more and more expensive. Exactly for what, I am not sure. The value for the dollar equation that was the hallmark of the first generation cars has been effectively lost. I love my Clubman S, but it just does not convey the look/feel of a $30K automobile.</p>
<p>When new MINIs are priced in entry level BMW territory, then we have a problem Houston (Or shall we say, Oxford). I do not care how fun “exclusive” cool, avant garde whatever you wanna call it the current MINIs are. Nothing justifies the astronomical prices. Consider this, for the price of a fairly equipped R56 S, R55 S or even a JCW factory car, I have BMW 128i and even BMW 328i options within my reach.</p>
<p>The MINI is a great $20K-$26K tops car. Beyond that is a ridiculously overpriced vehicle. Once you break the $30K-$35K price threshold, mighty fine car machinery comes into play.</p>
<p>In a depressed global economy, the MINI asking prices are becoming a tough sell.</p>
<p>C4…well said. I couldn’t agree more. I custom ordered my R50 on 8/22/02, waited until 1/21/03 for delivery (WOW), and paid 23K for everything but nav, leather, and the cold weather pack. I feel I have gotten my money’s worth now 6&1/2 years later and 54000 fun miles of motoring. Would I buy another one? Absolutely. Would I spend more than 25K for it? No way. There are too many other options out there for that coin, especially in today’s stressed economy. MINI and BMW are pricing themselves out of the market, but I have a feeling that they don’t care. We know that they were losing money on the first generation Mini’s (2002-06), so I guess they are playing “catch-up” now.</p>
<p>Mmm maybe this is more a regional problem because in Australia, you can’t buy any decent BMW car with the price of a JCW mini. I don’t really consider a 118/120i etc.. a decent car… off course that’s my opinion tho ugly, not half as fast and well i must state a second time.. ugly. The coupe 125(base). is a good 8K+(pounds) premium over the jcw and the 3 series is even more.</p>