The one thing that I'm really glad that BMW didn't do to the MINI is to take the soul out of it. Most German cars are way too sterile, for my tastes. I love German cars and have ever since I drove my Dad's Porsche, many years ago. I owned an '84 GTI, that was a hoot to drive, raucus, went like a scalded cat, and was fun to own. I test drove the first VR6 GTI I could and the car had no soul, it was fast but had no feeling, more like a driving appliance than a car. My '06 Cooper S reminds me a lot of the '84 GTI, only better, it will touch you in ways that most German cars have engineered out of them.

Speaking of Ford triva, what car did Lincoln/Mercury dealers sell in the early '70s. It was fast and low and from Italy.

 

Before we go thanking BMW, remember the same market forces back in the 80's (gas prices, weak buying power of the dollar...) that unleashed such pocket-rocket hot-hatches as the Mazda 323GTX, the Shelby-ized Omni, and the originator of the segment (In the US at least), the GTI.

While GroupB Rallying is still dead (along with the b@t-***** insane cars like the 959, Ferrari 288GTO, Ford RS200, Renault R5 Turbo...) we got the Evo X and WRX STi instead.

Just look at the cross-section of who owns these cars (not just NAMers)... Last time I was in the dealership getting serviced, I was speaking with a 72-yr-old- ex-CEO who traded in his M-B SL500, two guys who had 60's and 70's British roadsters, a 26-yr-old elementary school teacher, a 28yr-old guy with a heavily modded R53, (who traded 'up' from his Honda's) and a car-nut engineer (me).

The car is fun to drive and economical... and yes there are plenty of BMWs touches (and some obviously not)... The exact same radio and trip computer in my car is in my wife's 325...

Lets just hope that BMW doesn't do what VW did with the GTI.

 

From reading in the last two issue's of MC2, the Mini is very much a product of BMW, as they sh*t canned most of what Rover designed.... If left to Rover designers the new Mini would be little more than a foot note in failed automotive history by now... Just my 2 pennies.

 

I drive a BMW now, and just got a Mini for my wife. When I was driving it back from NJ I was surprised how much it reminded me of my BMW in many ways. The steering is very similar; something that is often overlooked. Both are just a tad heavy and super precise. The way the car plants itself on the highway is also very BMW-esque; there is almost no tracking, it's stable at almost any speed. Pushing the wheels to the corners helps, and of course is a trademark of BMWs (and previous Minis).

So ya, I think there are definitely similarities, whether they are coincidental or not. I understand why a lot of BMW owners buy Minis and vice versa.

Oh, and fwiw I don't think BMW will do what VW did to the GTI. BMW seems focused on maintaining the quirky image of the Mini from the car to the service to the dealerships, ads, etc. BMW is bringing over the 1-series, and while it will be significantly more expensive than the GTI I think they will let that car be the "luxo-sporty-small-car-thats-probably-too-fat-for-its-size", and leave the Mini alone.

 

Hmmm,..the Pantera was a Ford. It was the only Italian car I can recall sold by Ford. It had a Ford drivetrain, but was pinned by DeTomaso. It died in 1974.

In the 80's Lincoln had the Merkur XR4Ti.

 

panteras had a ford engine, but was sold thru lincoln mercury dealers. kinda like how nsx was sold thru acura dealers, 'cuz of the premium price

 

Yep, a 351C when they were being sold here.

 

I am suprised that no one mentioned the origin of the 07 turbo engine, Peugeot/Citroen, oui oui monsieur

 

It was a collaboration between BMW and Peugeot. Both the turbo and non-turbo engines came out of that. However, the engines are being produced in France and Japan.

 

In relation to the OP's question, I do think the Mini owes a lot to BMW who saw in the brand something worthy of mega-investment. Why they believed in a reborn MINI is beyond me. Frankly, I'm not sure they...nor anyone...could have anticipated this level of success. What really surprises me, though, is the degree to which those most familiar with the Mini find resonances with the classic car despite such a massive reconfiguration. This is truly uncanny...from local Mini-restorers to John Cooper himself, this car has always ably carried the Mini mantle, yes, for it's looks, but even more for it's subtle driving characteristics. One thing is for sure (in my mind) BMW (or Rover) would never have gotten the MINI right, nor generated such a devoted following, had they not tried so hard to hit the bar set by the Mini. That they succeeded at all is miraculous, especially in the face of almost unheard of scrutiny.

I also believe BMW has kept the MINI on course in a way that deserves some real credit. I think even MINI owners, here and abroad, had lost the way, being far too eager to make the car an "enthusiast" platform. This was happening when the MCS turned up and escalated once aftermarket tuning options and the venerable JCW kit arrived. Here BMW stayed the course by offering the cabrio, thus keeping "fun" part of the equation.

R56 continues this trend. Some people criticize R56 for being a car for the masses and not for enthusiasts. Well, duh, it's a Mini!!! The car is now an even more accessible option for the average driver and I believe BMW has kept the MINI on track by this move. We should be grateful. We should also be grateful that, for those who have the desire, the MCS and now JCW can take this car even farther in it's ability on the track. BMW somehow did both at the same time...and this is also a very Mini thing. The Clubman will continue this trend...first because it is an undeniably classic package, but also because a whole new chapter of people using Minis/MINIs for practical purposes will live on.

No, only someone with the money, influence, and unexplainable belief in the Mini as an archetype of certain automotive qualities could have pulled this off. For anyone else the effort surely would have lost steam.

I still think we, the enthusiasts, are still the biggest problem. We're the ones most in danger of typecasting the MINI as this or that rather then letting it be "all things for all people." We should embrace and try to understand the new varients at the same time we cheer on those racing MINIs out there battling more formidable competition on the track. We're the one's who need to buy a vowel and learn something from BMW who, in spite of our whining, move ahead on all the fronts on which the original Mini succeeded and won iconic status.

 

Very well said.

 

In summary, the Kool-Aid still comes in a paper bag and tastes as good as it did when it first hit the streets.

Nicely put Kart.

 

So would you say the mini can carry the BMW title of, "The Ultimate Driving Machine" with a swagger?

 

It's funny but I don't relate MINI and BMW unless I really think about it....about as much as the two separately-housed dealerships around the corner from me. In fact, during one my trips to the MINI dealership (for shameless gawking or for service) I never encounter anything BMW outright, but remain firmly planted in Planet MINI. They just tried so conspicuously hard to make MINI a separate brand...I guess I just go with that.

Now, I do personally consider the MINI the ultimate quick and nimble urban assault vehicle, which is more in keeping with it's "zipping through he streets of London" image, but it'd be a stretch to consider it the "ultimate driving machine"...that's the kind of language I would not apply even to the classic Mini. Too pretentious, not quirky enough, no personality. I guess in this regard I feel BMW has protected the unique developmental trajectory of the Mini/MINI without it being too muddied-up with the BMW baggage. MINIs have more excitement and fun than many uptight, stiff-shirt BMW owners would be able to handle.

 

Best... Own both, I do!!!!

 

gokartride:
MINIs have more excitement and fun than many uptight, stiff-shirt BMW owners would be able to handle.
I couldn't pass up the opportunity to comment on the above. I have been a BMW owner since 1971 and have owned other German cars since then. I certainly don't consider myself a stiff shirt, rather, a long time "student" of automotive technology and driving cars that are fun to drive. My current BMW is a 335i, my wife drives a 325iT wagon and my "work" car is a 2007 MCS which I absolutely love driving. By the way, I am impressed with your mastery of English. Surely you must write for a living. Feel free to drop a personal email to me.

 

This is false. BMW purchased Land Rover because they are world renowned for producing the most capable 4x4's on the planet. When designing the X5, BMW wanted to take advantage of the engineering expertise that Land Rover possessed, and thus bought Rover. While it is true that MINI was a huge plus for them, any look at a local suburb confirms that BMW did anything but make a mistake getting into the SUV market - Rover losses or not

 

Perhaps it is only a localized phenomenon, then!! Or else all the MINI owners here are just plain loony-tunes!!!

 

Exactly! I've always viewed my '03 MCS as an evolution of the original GTI with faux Brit styling.

 

Exactly.

The Rover group designs for the "new MINI" were little more that an older Mini with a wider body to accomodate the new engine. Now that would have been a SUPER-cool car IMO. But it wasn't what the BMW execs picked for the final design for the new MINI. They went with Stephensen's design models. As Stephenson was a BMW employee and NOT brought over from the old Rover regime, the first "new" MINI was primarily a BMW design.

"The Ultimate FUN Machine" IMO!