Just ran across this article about Mini's HUGE demand.

Enjoy...

http://adage.com/article?article_id=129814

 

Mini: Prices will rise as inventory dwindlesRichard Truett
Automotive News
July 22, 2008 - 1:35 pm ET

DETROIT -- Sales of the red-hot Mini Cooper will fade this summer, no matter how high fuel prices rise.
Jim McDowell, vice president of BMW's Mini division, told reporters here today that the nation's 82 dealers are out of cars and will be selling mostly preordered units for the rest of the year because demand has outstripped supply.
"For the last three months, we were selling from inventory. There's no way [July] can be as good," McDowell said. He said dealers have a one-day supply of cars and that 81 percent of the cars delivered this month have been those that consumers have configured and ordered.
In June, Mini sold 5,211 units, up 24.8 percent from the same month last year. That followed sales increases of 52.8 percent in May and 39.4 percent in April.
Through the first half of the year, Mini sales are up 33.6 percent to 26,400 units.
Dealers who have been asking for more cars won't get much satisfaction soon. Mini will boost production for the United States but only by between 2,000 and 3,000 cars for this calendar year.
The bump in production is the result of the current Mini convertible ending production July 31. BMW is switching the convertible to a new body. The convertible will resume production next spring, said BMW spokesman Thomas Salkowsky.
The Mini plant in Oxford, England, is running three shifts, seven days a week and builds about 800 cars a day for 80 markets.
In other Mini news:
• McDowell said Mini plans to expand its dealership network by 13 stores for a total of 95 by 2011. He said there are some regions of the country where dealers are far apart to service customers.
• Base prices for all 2009 models will increase $750, but one previously optional safety feature, directional stability control, will be made standard on all models.
• The diesel-powered Mini is coming to the United States but not before it can be sold in all 50 states, McDowell said. He did not give a model year when the diesel Mini would be available in the United States.
• It's possible the Mini could be built in lower-cost countries. Says McDowell: "As Mini continues to expand, we should be mindful of where Minis are built and should have some currency diversification."

 

Thanks for the link!

 

"Mr. McDowell said Mini is always looking at ways to improve quality, but said Mini has some "design issues that can weigh down" its so-called IQS score. "

Not very specific with the "not QUITE right" idea, though...If I didn't already own/know about MINIs, I'd wonder what the heck they were referring to, though!

 

thxs ofr link....i am interested in the diesel MINI

• The diesel-powered Mini is coming to the United States but not before it can be sold in all 50 states, McDowell said. He did not give a model year when the diesel Mini would be available in the United States.

 

Interesting that "fuel efficiency" and leaving "the earth in better shape" are listed by the US VP as the main reasons that buyers pick the brand.

What happened to "being an absolute joy to drive?" That was the primary reason for me; the other factors were nice adds that came along with the deal. Surely the "fun factor" is also a primary reason for a large percentage of buyers...or was this more of a factor for 1st Gen buyers when MINI was still a novelty?


(I know, I know...stop calling you Shirley...)

 

It was the tipping point in our case - I think the quote was "If I'm going to drive a small car it has to be fun."

 

I started out by saying, "If I am going to replace my car, the gas mileage on the new one must be at least as good, if not better."

Then I went and looked it up. Over the ten years since I'd bought my previous car, there were very few cars that got 26 mpg/city or better. And not even the current corolla's gas mileage is as good as the gas mileage my '99 gets now (33 mpg with probably 50% highway driving). Very few cars could fill those shoes without my having to worry about massive battery packs.