Rumor: MINI to Build The F56 in China for Asian Markets
Could MINI produce the next generation hatch in China? According to Autocar it’s a real possibility. However according to the source these cars would be meant for local Asian markets and not be exported on Europe or North America.
Beyond China (which is just a rumor at this point) MINI will be building the F56 in the Netherlands as well as at it’s historical home of Oxford.
Does China production somehow make MINI feel less exclusive or British? Do you care if your English MINI is also being produced in China? Sound off in the comments below.
<p>a way of selling out…as usual in today’s business model.</p>
<p>Manufacturers building their cars closer to their selling markets is a very OLD business practice. For example, Toyota builds many of the models its sells in America here in America. Even BMW does that. In fact Minis were built all over the world back in the day as well, not just at Oxford.</p>
<p>Yep. There’s a Nissan plant in both Mississippi and Tennessee, Hyundai and Mercedes in Alabama, Toyota builds trucks in Texas, SUVs in Indiana, and cars in Kentucky and MS. BMW builds most of the X Series in South Carolina.</p>
<p>I could go on. For quite a while.</p>
<p>@minijim how the heck is that “selling out”?? is it just becasue it’s China? what happens if they make MINI’s in Canada? India? let me know if there’s a country that’s not a “sell out” ..</p>
<p>As long as the quality is the same as Oxford, who cares? more MINI’s on the road</p>
<p>While I understand the global economy reasons for this move I do wonder if the MINI clones that are sold in China will get that much better after.</p>
<p>If they make MINI’s in China maybe we will be able to but them at our local WalMart. My nearest MINI dealer is now 300 miles away.
( note: tongue in cheek)</p>
<p>I do wonder how this will affect parts and accessories sold in eBay and other online retailers…</p>
<p>I live in China and I won’t consider buying a MINI here until it is made here. Right now it is double the price of what ithe same car in the U.S. sells for. Imagine paying over $40,000 for a base cooper. The prices on a MINI have already come down about $15,000 USD over the last 3 years.</p>
<p>The only reason for the increased cost is China’s high import duty. They do not believe in “free market’ economy. They kick and scream if other countries put import duties on Chinese export products but they have no problem applying taxes on anything brought into their country.</p>
<p>The classic Mini is widely considered solely British, but as many will realise by now it was built in all 4 corners of the globe, aside from North America. But still, very much British and recognised as much (mostly because it stilled carried BMC and BL badges and was sold and built under license from them). So in much the same fashion, the new MINI begins life in Oxford and then spreads its wings across the globe. Many people think a Fiat 500 is Italian, but that is built in Poland. The MINI to me and to many is as British as it gets, no matter where it is built!</p>
<p>Why is Google Chrome giving Malware warnings about Motoring File (and calling bimmerfile a “known malware distributor”)?</p>
<p>Probably a problem with rogue ads serving up malware.</p>
<p>I own a R56 and would ask myself why would I pay the same price for a China made Mini ?</p>
<p>Not a question you’ll have to answer unless you live in China. Except that, as previously noted, if Chinese-market MINIs were built in China, Chinese customers would actually end up paying LESS than they do currently.</p>
<p>AMS is correct. A MINI One start at over $35,000 in China and a Standard Cooper at $43,700 due to taxes from importing. Before all imported cars were double to triple the price comparing to U.S.. Many cars imported like the BMW 3 series are almost inline with the Chinese made BMW 3 at this point so they obviously are making some extra besides the taxes.</p>
<p>One thing that would bother me is China’s reputation for cheapening any product made there. Substitution of lower grade pieces to allow the subcontractors to increase profits. Quality control is not a Chinese strong point.</p>
<p>Quality control is ultimately the responsibility of the OEM, though. China gets a bad rap for producing cheap, low quality goods, but that’s precisely what they were asked to make. Meanwhile companies like Apple produce extremely high quality goods in mainland China precisely because they source good components and demand high quality assembly. Whatever BMW decides to build in China will be held to BMW’s standards, not China’s.</p>
<p>Welp I’m glad I just bought a ’13 GTI</p>