Yeah, the original was a bit tight.

 

I agree...small is about to be redefined and MINI had better watch out or their niche will vanish. Someone out there will build a better Mini if they're not careful. As it is, MINI has already ditched some of what made the classic Mini so attractive, but I suppose they had to do this given the current automotive climate....but things are changing. For example, I think the iQ could actually be seen as a better MINI.......in certain respects. BMW seems on track to cater to enthusiasts, but that is not the whole market nor was it for the classic Mini.

I sold my MINIs and moved on to a broader interest in small cars. There is a lot of cool stuff out there and innovations on par with Sir Alec's. MINI really needs to be at the table on this market transition.

 

 

The only thing that will hurt the Mini is if its reliability slips to an unacceptable level.

 

Its not all that small. I got back from Japan last week and the average size of a car was about the size of the BMW MINI. Here in the us because everyone drives large vehicles it makes them look small.

And whenever I have someone whos never been in a MINI before gets in mine they always comment on how big the inside is.

 

I have had all three, first gen Cooper, first gen Cooper S, 2gen Cooper S and the only one I have kept through all those is my 1967 classic Mini, it has something that none of my other previous minis had...charm.

 

My Fiancee owns a Hyundai Accent which is about the same size as my MINI, give or take a few inches (I've never really measured them). There are certainly other small cars in the market that compete on size (Chevy Aveo, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa Hatch) but none of them have the quality or feature level of the MINI.

The MINI is well positioned in the US market as a premium small car which no-other manufacturer really makes. It has a greater number of available options and has a better build and feel quality than any of the other small cars in the US market. Plus, the driving experience is from a different universe than most of the other cars I mentioned. I've driven all of them (I worked for a rental car company) and they range from numb and boring (Versa) to downright scary (Aveo).

For so long automakers have viewed the American market as a place where people only buy a small car because they can't afford a larger car. I'm happy to finally see that manufacturers have realized that there are people who will buy a small car that has the comfort, available options and build quality previously only available on much larger vehicles, and pay a little extra for it. I love cars and I love having a nice car, but I don't want to have to drive something the size of a 3 series just to escape from econobox hell.

Okay, down off my soap box now.

 

Classic minis aren't small because its all in how much you can haul around.

 

Big enough to fit a horse ...

 

I like this outline comparison. You can clearly see where the size difference is Between the Mini and the MINI. Almost all of it is forward of the front passengers. Has to be safety-related.

 

I wonder how the Countryman and Paceman would look superimposed over the classic's outline.