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Some MINI's on the chopping block.
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I'm suprised that the Clubman is still around especially after they introducted the Countryman. I'm sure it will be gone.
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I would have gotten a Clubman IF the 3rd door had been on the driver's side AND it had a rear hatch instead of those barn doors.
I wonder how well the convertible sells compared to the Clubman? |
If the Clubvan sells well, the Clubman might be saved (two models for the price of one), but I doubt it. Probably goodbye to both. Besides, I think the new Hardtop is going to be bigger than the current Clubman, so really... no more mini MINIs.
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I'd be OK if the axed the Clubman IF they come out with a kick a$$ 4 DOOR Hardtop.
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I have had 2 hardtops and I wanted something a little different. I was beginning to see so many hardtops and no enthusiasm from the owners. The extra room has been great too. I would hate to see the clubman go away but its market share has to be dropping with the countryman getting so popular.
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I have loved my Clubman but took a Countryman for a spin when mine was in the shop and that was it. Went back two weeks latter and ordered a Countryman.
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Originally Posted by 6thGear
(Post 3726849)
I'd be OK if the axed the Clubman IF they come out with a kick a$$ 4 DOOR Hardtop.
http://strumors.automobilemag.com/fi...-side-view.jpg I really hope they keep the Clubman because there really isn't anything like it on the market. If only the Clubman had 2 club doors instead of 1... |
There was also this from Motoring File. "In fact, our sources have confirmed over and over again that we’re going to see more MINI models in the future, not fewer."
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There is no way I would be buying a F56. It lost its character. It needed to meet new crash test laws so look how far out the front end is past the wheels.
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Originally Posted by Pure87
(Post 3726944)
Well, there is this... thing.
http://strumors.automobilemag.com/fi...-side-view.jpg I really hope they keep the Clubman because there really isn't anything like it on the market. If only the Clubman had 2 club doors instead of 1... |
that thing is hideous. not even close to what a MINI should be.
stupid people wanting big vehicles. ugg... i hope they keep the roadster though. i want one of those. |
This is why I am glad I got the Clubman this year. I'm really hoping that that THING has really heavy camo, but comparing with the 2door F56 test version, it looks like its going to be ugly.
Originally Posted by Pure87
(Post 3726944)
Well, there is this... thing.
http://strumors.automobilemag.com/fi...-side-view.jpg I really hope they keep the Clubman because there really isn't anything like it on the market. If only the Clubman had 2 club doors instead of 1... |
Lots of panel padding and false structure there though.
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Originally Posted by Pure87
(Post 3726944)
Well, there is this... thing.
http://strumors.automobilemag.com/fi...-side-view.jpg I really hope they keep the Clubman because there really isn't anything like it on the market. If only the Clubman had 2 club doors instead of 1... Alex Moulton has some forthright views to share on the BMW Mini: “It’s enormous. The (original) Mini was the best-packaged car of all time this is an example of how not to do it. The interior space is not much bigger than the old Mini, but it’s huge on the outside and weighs the same as the Austin Maxi! The crash protection has been taken too far. I mean, what do you want... an armoured car? Princess Diana was killed in a two-tonne Mercedes: you can have a fatal accident in anything if you drive fast enough." "With the original Mini, we set out to prevent any accidents by having excellent handling, not by cushioning people from the consequences of their own folly The old Mini was the absolute apogee of this philosophy of built-in safety via the handling —people avoided accidents by driving around them. The suspension of the (BMW) Mini Cooper is set far too stiff, giving a most uncomfortable ride. To be honest, it’s an irrelevance in so far that it has no part in the Mini story." |
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I don't know why, but to me it looks more like a FIAT than a MINI.
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Looks like a Mazda 3 to me.
I lament progress... |
Originally Posted by komet155
(Post 3727138)
I don't know why, but to me it looks more like a FIAT than a MINI.
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I don't get the point of the countryman, or making any of these cars bigger. What exactly is 'mini' about them? The styling that only works because the cars are small? The countryman looks like an R56 that was born in an area suffering from radiation poisoning.
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Oh God! I meant one of FIAT's more tasteful offerings.....if Torino sends the 500XL to the US market it will take years to shake off the PR fallout.
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My only response on the CM comment is the same as it was with the Clubman: disliked both cars until my family grew. Then it became a different criteria: not how big is it compared to a hardtop, but rather how can we have more flexibility for the family cargo needs yet still say in the MINI family vs the neutered driving experience of other cars.
So I don't hate in the clubman or the countryman any longer ( having moved from hardtop to clubman to countryman). That said, that's a functional metric. From an optimized MINI driving and aesthetic perspective, smaller is better. I prefer the R56 to anything else in the modern lineup. But to be fair, I vastly prefer my old R53 to the R56. What irks me about the spy shots for the F56, assuming that's not all just fake paneling, is the growth of the car. It's fine to have larger MINIs or topless MINIs or 2-seater MINIs as long as there remains a small, 'real' MINI as a base choice. We seem to see them move farther and farther from that as all car companies do. |
Originally Posted by Braminator
(Post 3727110)
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This is why I've migrated from Volkswagens to MINIs. I had only owned VWs since 1986, being a fan of smaller cars. Unfortunately, VW has moved out of the small car market. Their smallest model now is way too big and dowdy for my tastes.
I've only had my 2013 MC for 3 weeks now and love how it handles, much more reminiscent of my MK1 Golf (aka Rabbit) than anything else out there...and I mean that in a good way. :cool:
Originally Posted by thirdraildesignlab
(Post 3727219)
My only response on the CM comment is the same as it was with the Clubman: disliked both cars until my family grew. Then it became a different criteria: not how big is it compared to a hardtop, but rather how can we have more flexibility for the family cargo needs yet still say in the MINI family vs the neutered driving experience of other cars.
So I don't hate in the clubman or the countryman any longer ( having moved from hardtop to clubman to countryman). That said, that's a functional metric. From an optimized MINI driving and aesthetic perspective, smaller is better. I prefer the R56 to anything else in the modern lineup. But to be fair, I vastly prefer my old R53 to the R56. What irks me about the spy shots for the F56, assuming that's not all just fake paneling, is the growth of the car. It's fine to have larger MINIs or topless MINIs or 2-seater MINIs as long as there remains a small, 'real' MINI as a base choice. We seem to see them move farther and farther from that as all car companies do. |
Komet
I drove a karmann ghia for years. Then I got a gti in 2002 and was mortified how big it was. From there it was all MINI |
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