Well here they are http://www.motoringfile.com/2013/03/...or/#more-29062

 

Darn. I like the big speedo in the middle.

Looks sleek though.

 

Nice............thanks for sharing.

 

Too busy...

 

?

 

The dash and steering wheel is too busy for my tastes. Too many buttons, etc. The rectangle vents are also not doing much for me.

 

Concur: those vents are awful. :( I hope those are intentionally ugly placeholders, not the final product.

Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring

 

This interior is starting to look like other cars

Isn't the point of the Mini to be different?

 

The second pic has a BMW steering wheel mounted.

Still though, not a big fan of the new interior either. Why not go with the old chronos style setup if they were getting rid of the center speedo? Also not sure why they didn't stick with round AC vents all the way around to keep it uniform.

And the start button now a switch down at the bottom of the dash? Why there?

 

Likely for the extra control buttons? Maybe the MINI wheel hadn't been finalized when these spy shots were taken.

Yeah, I don't like the round stack without a speedo there either. A whole lot of wasted space and looks kinda lame.

Agreed on the horizontal vents flanking the center. Everything else continues the circular theme, why break it up now?

 

Wow, the lowest priced dash combo looks absolutely awful.. Could that be a ploy for people to pony up the extra money for the upgraded dashes?

 

For me, one of the 'biggest draws' to the Mini was the retro look of the dash (whole car for that matter)....that is part of the reason, I did not go with the Mini Nav. This new look is not so much for me.......

 

I don't really know how to feel about this, it doesn't resemble the current set up in any way shape or form.. its kind of awful.

 

Hate it.

 

Not impressed in the least bit. I'm glad I opted for the 2013.

 

I hope they don't start to do anything like that to the CM JCW. I plan to buy that car in a year or two. As for the first picture I hate it, a lot. The only thing I like is the steering wheel looks the same in the last photo. But Who knows until I finally see the final product.

I actually love my R56, a lot, my plan was to keep it for a long time anyways.

 

The stereo literally looks like a square peg in a round hole. No likey.

 

Apparently the dislike for the new interior is universal:

http://www.motoringfile.com/2013/04/...ader-feedback/

 

...Check the date on the article...

 

Yea, just an April fools joke by MF. The ugly interior is here to stay. Unfortunately....

Forget the date on the article. The pics alone should've given it away immediately.

 

+1 r53 no nav jcw!

 

They got rid of the center speedo but left the circle which now relates to... nothing? Then they fill it with a rectangular radio? It begs the question of why they chopped out the speedometer but left it's footprint in the middle of the dash as if it meant something.

Before I bought my 2013, I saw a 1965 Austin Cooper - the large central speedometer and spartan toggle switches below it made me understand that the 2013's were echoing back to a proud legacy. That legacy appears pretty much decapitated in the 2014 - and they are starting to look like Chryslers inside.. Seriously - what were they thinking?

 

Looks promising, an evolution. It'll be nice to see the finished product and the trim choices available.

 

Not a fan of it personally, but I'm not going to fully judge it until I get to see it in person. The only thing that really bothers me is the removal of the center speedo to be honest. I would have loved to see some sort of chrono-pack looking option, the fact that it is gone completely and not somehow still integrated bugs me...

Maybe the "lights" around the center ring will emit light to indicate speed/shift point/ something other than looking pretty. One can only hope...

 

First impression is a thumbs down and you know what they say about first impressions.