F56 MINI Mega Gallery (250+ Photos)
You’ve gotten a flavor of the new MINI and read our initial thoughts. Now it’s time to take a look at the new car from every angle. And by every angle I mean all 250 of them.
Full massive gallery of the 2014 MINI after the break.
<p>This car is so achingly desirable, I’m not sure that I can wait a whole year for F55 to be launched.</p>
<p>I would wait a whole year and possibly even more. I have learned that with MINI products is best to leave the first year beta testing to the eager early adopters. By the third year and up, most wrinkles should have been worked out.</p>
<p>I think I like the front of the Cooper better than the Cooper S. It is much cleaner. Maybe black out the grill bars with plastic wrap (or if the MINI 1 is black order that part).
Just a side note. I no longer can view the pictures as a slide show. This has been for quite a while now. Have not said any thing before but miss being able to click through the pictures.</p>
<p>yes, it is less more of a hassle to look at the pics easily……would appreciate having that slideshow feature a part of the viewing gallery….</p>
<p>Given the insane traffic spike were seeing we had to shut off a few features. Apologies.</p>
<p>No apology necessary…it’s really not THAT big of a hassle…</p>
<p>I will second Gary’s statement. I’ve been reading the page for a very long time, before my 06 MC and after 04 but not sure of the date. I thought it was something I was not doing.</p>
<p>Thank you for the honest reply! Appreciate all your work!</p>
<p>I really like the interior – looking forward to seeing the next-generation Countryman incorporating these things.</p>
<p>Seriously, utilize a slide show feature if you are going go post 250+ photos… I quit after 3</p>
<p>SO FRUSTRATING..</p>
<p>We had to shut off a number of resource intense features to save the site from going down due to traffic.</p>
<p>Think the Cooper is the much better looking of the two. Interior is pretty good all in all though the mixture of round and square vents bugs me still. Think the team that did the interior is much better than the exterior designers. Sad about them being forced to add more and more overhang on the front the side views of the 4 generations you can see it grow more and more, the car has almost as much overhang as the Lilifan knock off had. The design actually feels more BMW than MINI to me. The lower guppy mouth and huge taillights that invade into the rear hatch are the two worse parts to my eye.</p>
<p>When you see that the vents surrounding the screen form the MINI wings, it has a way of changing your opinion. At first I had trouble with the mix of round and square-ish vents but it totally works for me now. I am really liking the new interior – everything from the dash to the new seats. It’s very difficult to make something that has both a good design aesthetic and maintains ease of use and functionality. I cannot comment on the latter until I’ve had an extended amount of time with the new car but I am extremely eager to do so.</p>
<p>I had that exact same “bolt from the blue” epiphany…</p>
<p>Upside down wings</p>
<p>Would say the interior is the best part of the car so far to my eye. Holding on final determinations however until I see one in the flesh.</p>
<p>The gas level gage reminds me of a early 1980s video game. Everything is digital and then a row of LEDs? It is just weird. I guess they wanted to hold out for something more retro on the inside.</p>
<p>I wonder if empty points to the filler cap? It did on my O2 but the light bar on the 06 does not give a clue. Not a big deal after the third fill up. But for families that have two or three cars it is a nice touch.</p>
<p>I like everything about this car except the gear shift knob. Why does it have bold spots?</p>
<p>I strongly suspect that sales figures for R58 Coupe and R61 Paceman will fall like a lead Zeppelin after F56 goes on general sale. Both now look, and no doubt will feel, like yesterday’s lunch warmed over, compared to F56.</p>
<p>My 2011 Cooper S convertible already looks like yesterday’s warmed over dog turd after seeing these pics. And when I fire up the engine from cold my dog gets scared – he thinks someone is coming at him with a bag of spanners.</p>
<p>So. After a lot of grumbling in recent weeks, I have to admit it’s not so bad looking and doesn’t have a nose like an elephant seal after all. I would still rather the under bumper air ducts on the Cooper S were a little more smoothly resolved and the tail lights a little less pantomime. The interior looks great – spending thousands on upgrades will be lot easier when the dash and plastics sit better with the sports leather seats. Just as soon as the 9 speed ZF auto is introduced I’ll place an order – so long as I haven’t been tempted by something else while I’m waiting.</p>
<p>Oil dipstick? Mechanical handbrake?</p>
<p>Interesting. I went to bed and everyone hated the car. I woke up and everyone loves it.</p>
<p>Side marker lights are gone?</p>
<p>No but they’re much more subtle when not lit.</p>
<p>The interior and new powertrains get a big A+ from me.</p>
<p>Improved interior but very very ugly front end, especially on the S. I won’t be driving another MINI anytime soon….</p>
<p>PS, I also don’t like it when a company sports a product like the MINI Vision Concept which in no way resembles the final product. Big turn off. The Vision Concept car was cool, this is not.</p>
<p>I wonder why they moved the light switches from the indicator stalk to the <b>‘normal’</b> location on the dash near the door – very renault/vauxhall etc..</p>
<p>Because they’ve become very concerned about their Initial Quality Survey results, where quirky stuff like switch positions get lumped in with catastrophic engine failure and hurt the car’s rating. Personally I don’t get it, as the Owner Satisfaction Survey results are always really high, but this is the direction MINI has chosen to go even though they haven’t had sales issues the whole life of the new brand.</p>
<p>MINIs have had real QC and design issues, timing chains, prematurely failing water pumps and a myriad of other defects that have cemented the qualty reputation of the product.</p>
<p>My statement was more of a commentary on the poor methodology of the IQS than actually having anything to do with MINI. They feel like they have to game that system, and it’s unfortunate.</p>
<p>I echo your statement Nathaniel. It was the quirkiness of MINI’s controls that drew me to it’s interior in the first place. I know I’m not adding anything new to the conversation by lamenting my disapointment with both the front fascia and the overall increase
in size/weight. So I a made a gif to express my discontent. I’ll wait to
see it in person at the LA Auto Show before I make my final decision.</p>
<p>I like the front end more every time I see it.</p>
<p>Never, ever design products based on customer clinic results or feedback surveys.</p>
<p>Customers will often find something to criticise about a product when asked, even if they absolutely adore the product. What is rarely measured is the actual importance of that criticism to the customer.</p>
<p>My theory is that customers criticised the quirky aspects of the R56 because they COULD be criticised. It’s like “you asked!”. At the same time, they probably didn’t mind them being there. In fact, as they are part of the car’s character, they may well have contributed to making the MINI desirable to those customers in the first place.</p>
<p>Now MINI has taken them away and tried to address every criticism of the product in this new one. What we now have is a mess that in my view, has lost most of the MINI character. The interior is full of generic BMW-like switchgear and parts. The styling of aspects such as the seats has been toned down and is now less distinctive. The central speed</p>
<p>I agree. They’ve moved the window switches and the lights switches (there was no reason for the light switches as quite a few cars that the control on the indicator stalk).</p>
<p>Its a push to have everything at hand, to keep all the important control near to where your hands normally are; steering wheel, and gear change.</p>
<p>With the new locations, you need take take you hand down to knee level to switch on the lights/fogs etc rather than twisting the stalk. If you’re in the UK, you have to take your right hand off the steering wheel to open a window; possibly look to see where the switch is. Previously you could rest a hand on the gear stick and open a window.</p>
<p>I’m 6’2″ tall (and can sit comfortably in a Mini), but the tach’ between 3,000 and 5,000 is obscured by the top of the steering wheel even when its fully adjusted. I wonder range of speed on the new configuration of tach/speedo I’m not going to be able to see now?</p>
<p>I agree to an extent. The MINI is a car full of “Contradictions” and the sum of these is what make the car so attractive in the first place. However, as someone who has now owned 5 MINIs to date dating all the way back to 2002, some of the switchgear and plastics do not quite commesurate to the asking prices. I think MINIs post 2011 have some good improvements made to the interior (Eliminating all the peeling prone fake metallic silver trim pieces for instance, redesigning the radio interface buttons, adding HD radio as std, etc, etc), but I also see the F56 new interior addressing some of these long standing criticisms regarding interior quality and ergonomics.
We also have a E90 BMW in the household and it is fun to switch between this car and the new 2-week old 2013 Clubman S. The whole driving and ergonomical experiences are completely different and always in a good way.
I find the second gen sport seats to be far superior to the sports seats offered in the R53 era. Likewise, I think the F56 sports seats will further improve on the current hardware. Comfortable seating and control arragement makes for less stressful and more fun driving.</p>
<p>Yes, these official photos do make things a bit better looking.
And those of you saying the Cooper looks better than the S … it always did … previous generations also. And now that it has the increased power and torque I am sure it will pick up in sales in the US as much as it has in the rest of the world.</p>
<p>oh yeah … do you have photos of the other 2 dash options? … the entry level ones.
i realize they are not something to “market” but it would be great to have a look at them.</p>
<p>Wow, something magical just happened. Have to say i was a little on the fence about the F56, but after seeing the pics i’m having the same feel i had when i was obssessing about owning an R56. I can see i’m not alone in this, judging by the comments. I think we collectively owe an appology to MINI/BMW :)</p>
<p>Not for me. Look at the pics that show all four generations and the current model just breaks my heart. Bye MINI.</p>
<p>I feel the same, with much regret. I will see it in person to be sure but it’s not looking positive from the photos.</p>
<p>Spy shots made the interior look terribly busy with lots of clashing styles and materials. However, this pic from BimmerToday actually makes the new interior look much cleaner than the old. <a href="http://www.bimmertoday.de/wp-content/uploads/Bild-Vergleich-MINI-F56-R56-Cooper-S-2014-06.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.bimmertoday.de/wp-content/uploads/Bild-Vergleich-MINI-F56-R56-Cooper-S-2014-06.jpg</a></p>
<p>The new interior is more BMW and more “Business”. I am sure material quality has been improved throught but the previous second gen interior was more “Playful”.</p>
<p>The previous gen interior shouted “different”, “quirky”, “retro” and yet still felt like a quality product (for the most part).</p>
<p>This new one shouts “BMW”, “predictable”, “generic” and “conservative”.</p>
<p>I would argue the exterior shouts “design by committee”.</p>
<p>I don’t know how you could possibly call the new interior generic or conservative.</p>
<p>I think the new interior is an improvement, but for one detail – I don’t like the blobby draped over the center display form. I think if the upper dash element had just slipped behind the center dial as in the R56 the whole would be cleaner and simpler even more.</p>
<p>I already miss the aluminum pedals and am looking forward to seeing pics of the sunroof operation. Dual tilt or fixed rear pane? Better design of the sunroof that prevents sticking when hot outside and drain tubes that don’t dislodge and flood the electronics would be great!</p>
<p>Add to that wish list a solid sunshade instead of the mesh shade that has been in used for 12 years.</p>
<p>Yeah no aluminum pedals on the S? Maybe an option?</p>
<p>Accessory.</p>
<p>By the looks of the above pictures both vehicle seem to have MINI Connected. If you decided that MINI Connected is not your thing. What happens with the center infotainment system? Is the standard hifi radio still available?</p>
<p>All this negative feeling about the F56. May help MINI sell more Paceman!</p>
<p>The fit and finish of the interior details have really impressed me. I think that MINI has done a fantastic job with this redesigned interior! I was very worried about mixing square-ish vents with round vents, but they’ve done such a good job with everything else on the inside, that I don’t even think about it or notice it, really.</p>
<p>Love the new engines, and am excited to see what all this “headroom” left in the MCS’s 2.0 liter mill will provide with aftermarket mods.</p>
<p>The Cooper looks great. The aerodynamic improvements are noticeable. I like the fluidity of the exterior. Is the windshield more steeply-raked, and more rounded, or is that just an optical illusion? Just wish the Cooper S wasn’t quite so fussy in the lower grille area.</p>
<p>But overall, I’m happy. Great job MINI.</p>
<p>Some questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>When is MINI going to release videos with the car in motion?</p></li>
<li><p>And like others have said are there any pictures of the sunroof and the BASIC infotainment system?</p></li>
<li><p>How does one check the oil is it digital like on BMWs?</p></li>
<li><p>When is Motoringfile and other press driving the car for the first time so we can start hearing about your impressions?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My opinion on the car: Cooper front end looks better than the Cooper S, I don’t like the lower part of the bumper on the S, too busy and sculpted or overdesigned I don’t know. For me MINI was supposed to be MINIMAL! Did they forget about simple clean lines? I thought the JCW body kit would be better but from the other picture shown of the JCW body kit I think it even looks worse, I really can’t understand!</p>
<p>The rest of the exterior is mostly fine, I thought the front overhang was going to bother me much more but the side profile of the car is actually pretty nice. Of course compared to previous generations the car looks fatter, taller, bigger. But this might not be so noticeable seeing it in person without an R53/R56 next to it. I like that the rear seat has more room and there is more baggage space (even though I don’t really use them in my R53). About the interior the rectangular vents in the middle still don’t convince me, but the better seats and materials is nice. Also not happy about the window switches moving to the doors, and the speedometer being center instead of the tach. I would of prefered a big tach in the center and just a digital speedo on the left. But oh well…</p>
<p>Gabe you have seen the car in person, do some elements that most of us are complaining about translate better in person than in photographs? Or is the front bumper really as bad in person in your opinion?</p>
<p>I will drive this car in late January. I have seen it in person. I’ll see it again in a few hours for the 2nd time and again tomorrow. I’ll have some thoughts after all of that but I can tell you seeing it in person helps you make sense of the changes. Yes some of it is new and almost shocking at first (rear lights) but the more time you spend with it the more it starts to feel cohesive.</p>
<p>Is the front bumper that bad in person. Let me put it this way… if you find it challenging in photos seeing it in person won’t solve it for you. However darker colors helps a great deal. Volcanic Orange seen above does this car no favors.</p>
<p>Darker color from BimmerToday: <a href="http://www.bimmertoday.de/2013/11/19/mini-cooper-2014-produktion-f56-werk-oxford-swindon-england/2014-mini-f56-produktion-werk-oxford-england-09/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.bimmertoday.de/2013/11/19/mini-cooper-2014-produktion-f56-werk-oxford-swindon-england/2014-mini-f56-produktion-werk-oxford-england-09/</a> Now just imagine it without the chrome brake ducts.</p>
<p>oh boy…what are they smoking?…!UGLY SMOKE! No Jose, I’ll keep my 2009 JCW longer ’til they come up with something. This car are overtly designed they design, design, design and got burned. exterior and interior to much very busy. Total crap.</p>
<p>Gabe…at what point will we be able to access the Euro and/or the US MINIUSA website for info on how all these new standard/optional features (and pricing) are set up among the packages, individual items as well as views of all the exterior & interior seating choices?? Sees there will be LOTS more items to choose from compared to the R56.</p>
<p>Any info on how the backseat legroom on the F56 compares with the R56? Does any of the exterior added 4.5″ translate to interior room? Also, when might we get info on the MPG rundown (for the US) specs. Understand it’s significantly higher than the R56.</p>
<p>Will also be interested in how the F55 rear seat leg room compared to the F56W when it comes out next fall as well as its overall exterior length difference. Any scoops on that stuff?…….</p>
<p>MINIUSA’s site will be updated likely early next year. MPG is coming. Can’t say anything yet.</p>
<p>Better….. 🙂
[IMG]http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh36/kmccornick/F56Fixed.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</p>
<p>Can you delete the bottom feeder intake?</p>
<p>Please remove the license plate and change the black bumper to body color. Or leave it black and give us a black chrome ring and the entire bottom scoop in black.</p>
<p>how bout these. Did 3 versions, one with body color bumper one with black, one with body color stripes, all with blacked out grille trim.</p>
<p>Updated</p>
<p>In all the comments that I have read about the interior no one mentioned the fact that the controls on the steering wheel are now reversed with the cruise control on the left and the radio/phone/voice on the right. Any comments as to why this was done</p>
<p>I agree that the cooper front bumper is way more attractive than the cooperS</p>
<p>The interior is really beautiful. I can’t wait to see the other color options. The satellite grey is quite nice though. Plus those sport seats! I’m a little put off by the steering wheel gauges- something more symmetric like a big tachometer in the middle, a little semi-circle on one side with a digital speedo and a symmetric one on the other for the gas gauge would have been much more elegant and driver focused. I just hope we don’t get an odd dummy switch in the USA where the heated windshield is supposed to be…</p>
<p>Plus, that boot looks usably larger and the 60/40 split in an interesting addition to a four seat car. I don’t know how accessible the nav-controller will be with the armrest down.</p>
<p>The exterior of the Cooper is quite attractive. It does look a bit bloated in the front when lined up with the R50 and R56 (thank you European pedestrians who can’t look before they cross the street). The S lower grille is horrible and truly destroys the simple elegance of the general face. LED headlamps are pretty cool too.</p>
<p>Then you look at the power of the three cylinder and the 0-60mph times- wow! That Cooper will haul. And I remember hearing the engine in a 1er hatch prototype which had quite a nice growl.</p>
<p>I just drove the new Mazda3 which is a really nice drive, good room, not huge on the outside and pretty well equipped for $26k. Then they released the F56 pictures…</p>
<p>Now, do I break my vow to not get a first year MINI…. or go for it. I can’t wait to sit in it at Detroit and then drive it when it hits dealer lots. I need a commuter car come summer….</p>
<p>I like it in cooper form alot. I’m a fan of the red, although not chilli red, it’s better. The interior nice. The extra few inches will help if anyone has to get in the back seat, or you need a little more boot room. Overall all I like it. The extra few hp and increase in torque will make the base cooper a zippy little car.</p>
<p>Alas, I traded in my R56 cooper a month ago. I went with a 328d. It served me well. Maybe in a few years, we’ll need to replace my wife’s car and I’ll let her take over the 328d and go for another. Time will tell.</p>
<p>Looking at pic of where CD changer (option, since no more CD player) will be placed – doesn’t leave much (if any) room for anything in the glove box. Yes, I know – people don’t use CD’s anymore (I do) but come on, leave some room for owners manual, insurance papers, small flashlight and a few other things.</p>
<p>I just don’t care for the new interior looks and placement of things, plus I really don’t like the big read start/stop toggle switch (location). Makes no sense to put it there especially when they moved the door unlock/lock toggle and window switches to the door away from center area because of feedback survey’s that people didn’t like it. Wonder how buyers will like a center toggle switch to start/stop the car?</p>
<p>The new F56 many handle and drive great but when spending that kind of money, the whole package has to do for me and the interior design for me is a big negative. Odds of getting an F56 are in the minus numbers for me. Maybe a Countryman (even though I’m not a fan of SAV’s). I still prefer the 2nd GEN Part 2 interior to the 3rd GEN.</p>
<p>Gabe, I assume the pictures in the Gallery were supplied by Mini (USA or Mini World Wide?). I wonder why Mini chose not to have interior pictures of the Center Stack without the Mini Connect/GPS or w/o the automatic climate controls? Maybe because it make the area look even worse? I figure Mini (just like other companies) only like to show pictures of their products with the top options installed. I’ve always felt that was a bit misleading.</p>
<p>Because it doesn’t look as cool frankly. However I’ve played with the standard system and while it’s not as visually (or technically) appealing, it works much much more intuitively than the R56’s standard set-up.</p>
<p>If they came standard with the pedestrian avoidance system, would they still need to follow the pedestrian impact standards with the nose?</p>
<p>Found some video footage of the new MINI driving about – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ri0iQwbyo0" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ri0iQwbyo0</a></p>
<p>Also the official launch video – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV4-XpXv9G4" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV4-XpXv9G4</a></p>
<p>Interesting, the gas filler door has moved to the right side of the car, like all BMWs.</p>
<p>So is there any other way to view the gas level other than the lights on the right of the column? I find that with the wildly inaccurate candy corn method in the R56 the first light indicates almost 200 miles of use! Not quite an even measurement of the whole tank with all the other lights. Now there are even fewer indicators (10 vs. 8)? You would think that with all the focus on digital, some sort of accurate readout wouldn’t be that hard.</p>