seen the frankfurt concept mini ? sad really . why cant car companies leave well enough alone?

 

huh?

 

this?..http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...FNDOlAeCkOHIDQ

or the coupe?

 

i think he means these

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/258...pe_concept.jpg

 

Hope they work on the roof on the coupe but I like them! .....and the rumored 2.4 twin turbo in a coupe would make a badazz track machine...

 

well its not a Mini is it....will lose everything which makes us love t car in the first place...IT BEING A MINI

 

If these were replacing the R56 I'd agree with ya but they will be in addition to the Mini we all love.. As a product line, Mini needs more choices, at what point they will have too many offerings (see GM) is very debateable..

 

that's an odd statement ... maybe a reflection of marketing philosophy today. let's not forget how popular the classic mini was . 1959 to 2000 with a design easily recognised world over , and unchanged for 40+ years . staggering really. today though , it seems we just need something new all the time .ah well.

 

I agree. They have to appeal to more people. Sure we love our "standard" MINI but how often are we buying one. This way the people that somehow don't like our MINI, maybe like the SUV or the speedster!!!
MINI USA already has us hooked, they want to hook them all!!
I personally believe with the speedster they will reel in lots..Maybe even ME..

 

I'd give my left ....to own a TT, but will never be able to afford one. This MINI might actually be at the periphery of my price range. Besides, MINI jumped the shark long ago when the Clubman came out.

 

The rumors state that the new concept will be starting around 35000US$. Same price range as the TT.

 

Not really, as the clubman was a classic in its own right

 

Might as well got for the TT then....I stil dont like the coupe concept..feels like Mini is selling its soul....

 

The concept coupe really is a bit odd. But I like the concept roadster. Although, the back end reminds me of the old Toyota MR2.

 

Thats the problem right there...Minis are suppose to look like Minis..not TTs, not MR2s...BUT

MINIS

 

what`s wrong with an mr2 ? i have two of those an i will never sell my turbo mr2 its my favorite car

 

Let's not forget the Mini Moke.... The Speedster and Coupe would not represent the first venture with other ideas. Mini as a brand can and should offer variations in keeping with the basic substance that makes a Mini a Mini much like BMW has itself. Now if they were to go crazy and come out with something like a family sized sedan to compete with Camry's and Accords that would be out of character ... Yes the new concepts in photos could be compared to a TT but in person when you think of the proportions they will be ummistakebly Mini.

 

The MINI "TT" "Coupe" or Broadspeed as it was first referred to, does have its roots in the classic Mini as well...thanks to tuner and racer Ralph Broad. Which was a factory (BMC Mini) sponsered Team Broadspeed in the British Touring Car Championships and ETCC. After numerous wins and more points then BMC one season BMC dropped them. They made their own Mini in 65 the Broadspeed GT based on the Austin Mini S 1275. Then moved to Ford Anglias briefly then to Jaguars.

 

hey but it's never a bad thing to contemplate the possibilities...



Right?

 

NOPE....looks like an MG....hope this project doesnt carry foward....
what in the world is BMW thinking??? Dont get me wrong, I like how it looks but dont do it under MINI....it should be called BMW Half-Series or something

 

I don't see what the big deal is. It's not like BMW is replacing the current brand and there's more choice for the newer generation of buyers. What if the original Mini loyalists had their way and BMW never came out with the MINI?

 

I think the coupe and convertible derivative have a style which I find very nice.

What a wonderful set of drawings, thanks COOPERation, makes me want to think about them some more.

 

Well, it's not like they're depriving you of the "standard" R56.

I think it's great BMW is branching out the MINI brand--so far, the models they've announced are all in keeping with the MINI spirit (well, we've yet to see the Countryman, but I'm confident it'll retain enough MINI-ness). The brand hasn't diluted. Having just the hatchback would have been too much of a niche for the MINI brand. If you want them to keep on developing and advancing their cars, they need to diversify... hence the Clubman, Countryman, Coupe and Speedster. If it's not your cup of tea, just don't buy it! For everyone that loves the hatchback and couldn't stand to own a coupe, there's probably another that loves the coupe and wouldn't buy a hatch for one reason or another. The more choice, the better.

Where I'd start worrying is if BMW took, say, a Yaris, slapped a MINI badge on it, and sold it as such. As long as MINI retains MINI-ness throughout it's model range, I'm all for diversification.

Really, they are being true to MINI heritage. Tons of variations on the original MINI were created back in the day.

 

i'd love to buy another mini some day or a classic . more likely a classic . but if i wanted another 53 well i guess it'd have to be used as they saw fit to go with the 56 . what's ferrari doing about the front end height issue?

 

I think you should brush up on your Mini heritage.