3rd Generation MINI to Debut at MINI United 2012?
The 3rd Generation MINI (known internally as the F56) will debut late next summer at MINI United. And if you feel like you’ve heard this news six months ago on WRR and MF, you’re right. However with several sources recently confirming our original report it’s now 100% clear to us that MINI plans on making MINI United a bigger deal than even usual.
We’ll have much more on the F56 in the next few days. And you can look for more event information leading up to MINI United late this fall.
<p>hyundai grill?…</p>
<p>drop the “r” and add an “s” and presto — the missing design detail de-encrypted to read Hyundai gills! And don’t forget the Hyundai name badge. Let’s just call it the MINI Accent with the British accent.</p>
<p>they always add lots of fake details, here the whole front looks fake :)</p>
<p>The pic shows a heavily camoed tester, but the roof, shoulder line, A-pillars, side profile and (unfortunately) hood profile look very R56. I was really hoping for some Rocketman DNA to make it into the new hatch. This looks like an R56 set on low simmer. Can we at least go back to having more pronounced fender flares and hood/headlight/fender assembly in one piece a la R53. The hood cut line over the front fenders on the current car drives me nuts. It’s such a fussy detail.</p>
<p>TX, we are insync as I totally agree with your assessment. I would also like to see a return of the beautiful R50/53 curvilinear glass C-pillars, but as we both know that likelihood is more remote than Ice Station Zebra.</p>
<p>If you look at the drivers side A pillar, you will notice how much it sticks out from the glass. Somebody is doing their job….</p>
<p>I don’t understand your comment. Are you saying that’s a good thing?</p>
<p>He means that it’s camouflaged.</p>
<p>is MINI UNITED happening … when???</p>
<p>is MINI UNITED happening … when???</p>
<p>is MINI UNITED happening … when???</p>
<p>is MINI UNITED happening … when???</p>
<p>is MINI UNITED happening … when???</p>
<p>The camouflaged car in the picture is not of course the F56, but a ‘mule’ made up from an extended R56 to facilitate real-world testing of the UKL1 platform and ancillaries. As we have observed in other pictures taken of the interior, the dashboard is from a BMW to test the planned electronics for the front-drive BMW F45.</p>
<p>Basically it’s the closet thing we have right now to a visual of the F56. Autocar has a rendering but it’s off enough (based on my sources) that I’m not entirely sure I want to have it on MF.</p>
<p>Basically it’s the closet thing we have right now to a visual of the F56. Autocar has a rendering but it’s off enough (based on my sources) that I’m not entirely sure I want to have it on MF.</p>
<p>I nearly sent you a copy of Autocar’s rendering of the F56 last week, but I too was disappointed with it.</p>
<p>Basically it’s the closet thing we have right now to a visual of the F56. Autocar has a rendering but it’s off enough (based on my sources) that I’m not entirely sure I want to have it on MF.</p>
<p>Well in that case I retract my above statement. I feel a little better.</p>
<p>Even dressed in Halloween costume, this gargoyle would make a mule blush. If fat is fashionable, MINI 2012 is ready to sashay down the runway. Perhaps a box or two of Gas X would help to diminish the bloated appearance. And the headlights are an eyesore. As disguised at it is, the design still manages to look grotesque. Admittedly, my assessment may be excessively harsh. It is also brutally (and regrettably) truthful. I dearly wish I could express a more positive opinion. A one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater shouldn’t be too far back in the debut queue.</p>
<p>This is a mule. It’s an R56 body on a UKL1 chassis (basically). To make any judgement on looks, size or weight is not recommended.</p>
<p>Thank heaven U.S. Borax isn’t hitching their wagons to these critters;) Thanks Gabe.</p>
<p>Yes, its’ coming into focus. The image in the photo is actually a mirage far from the oasis of reality that may appear on the horizon as a refreshing new MINI sometime next year. Perhaps we can count on a commemorative 3rd Gen Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey game set in the boot ;)</p>
<p>How can anybody judge anything from this photo? It is designed to deceive, not inform.</p>
<p>You’ll never know until you try.</p>
<p> It’s a mule and disguised. Your judging something that is not meant to look ANYTHING like the final product.</p>
<p>Obviously disguised “mules” do not depict exact resemblance, but to suggest that they do not look “anything” like the final product would be grossly inaccurate. The vehicle pictured can unmistakably be identified as a MINI ergo: it does look “something” like what it is attempting to disguise, namely the 3rd generation hatch.</p>
<p>No, it doesn’t. Stop trying to know everything.</p>
<p>No one knows everything except God. That said, the best we can do is seek to know more. If neither of us knows exactly what the F56 will look like how can we be absolutely certain that the mule fails to bear any resemblance to the 3rd G MINI. The answer is we cannot. We can, however, clearly recognize that the vehicle is unmistakably a MINI and that it looks “something” like the final product. I mean it surely does not look like a VW Beetle! The operative terms are “anything” versus “something.” I hope I’ve helped you to recognize this significant semantic discrepancy. Thank you for your reply.</p>
<p>What is significant is your insistence on showing that you’re incapable of accepting that your critique is misdirected.
As you’ve read many times on this thread. That car is not an F56, its and R56 on a UKL1 chassis.
So, again, that looks nothing like what the F56 will be.</p>
<p>Thank you for, hopefully this time, understanding.</p>
<p>Gentlemen – let’s keep it civil.</p>
<p>[So, again, that looks nothing like what the F56 will be.]
I did not state that the car is an F56 and am fully aware that it is test bed for BMW. Nonetheless, the photo was presumably selected to relate to the copy therefore it is reasonable to conclude that the mule may exhibit some, however scant, F56 design cues despite the fact that it is an R56 body on an UKL chassis. The headlights may be an example. No one knows for sure, including you, my friend, what the F56 will look like. You cannot say that something doesn’t look anything like something else if you haven’t seen “something else,” … or can you? If you can, congratulations! You are incredibly gifted with supernatural ability. I can only marvel and hope that we all acquire similar clairvoyance. Such talent is rare even among motoring file commentators.</p>
<p>This man is certainly analytical and detail oriented. Perhaps kind of stuffy, but right on regarding semantics. Wish there were more posts of this caliber.</p>
<p>Hey, this guy’s got a sense of humor and adds some zing to the generally drab verbiage. I think the people eater was a classic rock song, but I’m not sure. Keep up the good work.</p>
<p>Best news I’ve heard all year (re: MINI United!!!)</p>
<p>So MTTS 2012 will be around with MINI United 2012. Thats going to be one busy planning year for RA Performance Group ( Ray ). Unless one of the legs is MINI United.</p>
<p>I thought for planning reasons MINI United was not on the same year as MTTS?</p>
<p>But I guess since this years MINI United got the scrub.</p>
<p>This question may be entirely conjectural, but are you “the” Mike that ran Alpina in Mission Viejo many moons ago. If it is, don’t wish you had stashed away a few of those federalized M1s?</p>
<p>I hope that we’ll still get a MTTS in the US next year, maybe they’ll use that to launch the F56 here?</p>
<p>Let’s have it in Austin, the new home of F1 USA.</p>
<p>I have a really good feeling that the F56 will deliver on all levels.</p>
<p>I’m hanging on to my R50 Cooper awhile longer. I get a bad feeling on the direction MINI is headed. Seems to be more of a BMW boutique car. Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>I hope the next MINI looks EXACTLY like this. </p>
<p>So do you think the swirls will be standard, or part of a package? I love them, but I hope I don’t have to pay too much.</p>
<p>The psychedelic swirls are mystical, sacrosanct, and priceless. Reproduction may conjure up demons and dragons, so be very mindful of the “power of the swirls” before attempting to display the mesmerizing designs on your MINI. Insiders report that use is restricted for BMW/MINI exclusively and all other uses are strictly prohibited. </p>
<p>Absolutely Don, EXACTLY! … and it must be a very, very, limited edition. May I place your order at Desert MINI?</p>
<p>After pondering the profundity of this vehicle, I have been inspired to cast it to star in a Commedia Dell’Arte production where “Back To The Future” meets “The Italian Job.” It will be a parody set in 16th century Venezia celebrating the tragic comedy of 21st century automobile design. The drama should be filled with pathos and hilarity beyond our wildest fantasies. A bit of Bunuel mixed with a handful Hitchcock and perhaps a smidgen of D.W. Griffith, to lend heroic proportion, should provide the right alchemy. A stage version may follow as interpreted by Cirque du’ Soliel.</p>
<p>Will you please go away?</p>
<p>May I be the first to suggest that you follow your own request. Your limited intellect and snide remark will not be missed.</p>
<p>Harry, you have no idea if Jhosack is smart or not, so why would you make a “limited intellect” comment like that… look at the mirror.
And btw, your pretentious pseudo-aristocratic dialect, doesn’t make you look smart either, just smug.
So do yourself a favor and listen to Jhosack.</p>
<p>The answer is self evident. I do not need to look smart. I am. Do yourself a favor and mind your own business.</p>
<p>Commenters like Mr. Dill are why I have stopped checking out MororingFile on a daily basis…I know I am not the only one who will agree with that statement.
Gabe and crew, you dudes do a fantastic job at bringing the best news to the MINI fanatics and I thank you and your crew for all the hard work that you do…but after reading all of that dribble from Mr. Dill I can honestly say that it was 5 mins of my life that I will never get back…
The only piece of positive I can take away from this article is that we can look forward to MINI United 2012.
I respect that everyone has an opinion and should be entitled to it…but its the same old attitude with these MINI people here…and it sucks for those who have a genuine love for the brand and ALL its incarnations.</p>
<p>Gabe, As a member of the community since the “Bridger.us” days, I think its fair for me to ask suggest something to you. Yes this a forum where people are entitled to thier opinion, but theres a line that separates opinion and conversations about oneself.</p>
<p>I’ll stick my neck out and speak on behalf of many when I say most of us come here for conversations about subjective ideas, which basically serve to extend understanding or awareness of something; In this case MINI.
When people are allowed to constantly go on and on without contributing to this understanding, that we come here to get, then the purpose of this forum, this very great forum, is weakened.</p>
<p>Noted.</p>
<p>The subjective opinion that you extol is by definition about self. Moreover, anyone that participates in this forum becomes a member of the community. It is not an exclusive privilege reserved for you and/or anyone sharing your opinion. Commentators are not subject to screening committee review and approval to become a member of “the community.” Recognize that there are no explicit restrictions and that the common denominator to which all should be held accountable is mutual respect. To single out a particular commentator in a derisive manner and to request censure should not be condoned or tolerated by the moderators. “Live free or die” — even if you’d don’t live in New Hampshire. You’ll be much happier :)</p>
<p>Noted.</p>
<p>[I respect that everyone has an opinion and should be entitled to it…but its the same old attitude with these MINI people here…and it sucks for those who have a genuine love for the brand and ALL its incarnations.]
Rather amusing at best and implicitly hypocritical at worst. May I suggest that you practice what you preach and contribute rather than condemn. Also blatantly presumptuous and offensively prejudicial to assert that “these MINI people here” (myself included) do not have a genuine love for the brand … “ALL its incarnations,” not quite! There’s always room for improvement and MINI has proven itself quite capable of generating “better ideas.” To embrace “all” is certainly one’s prerogative, but even the best products can benefit from greater scrutiny.</p>
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