haha so true! you should see the evo 8/9 vs 10 fights on evom

 

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/196q...g/original.jpg


I'm sorry but the "official" pics aren't much better than the spy shots we saw earlier this year. Looking at the the R50 vs. F56, the latter car looks taller (headlights sitting higher on the body), the top of the bonnet is higher, and the front bumper....good god. Looks like the car has a friggin' mouthpiece ala American football or hockey. And the tail lights - WAY too big, and becoming more square'ish.

Then you have the interior. I'm still no fan of moving the speedo, but the design of the nav & radio: square (or rectangular peg) in a round hole gets all my NOs. And the fact that that the two middle air vents are now square while the outer air vents are still circular is kludgy.

This design does nothing for me, leaves me feeling totally "meh". The only element I like is the rear wing on the F56, but that's no where near enough to budge me from my "R53 Forever" stance.

 

let me stop you right there because this:


is the coolest thing ever

let me remind you how you start an Aventador


It's all about the car making you feel special. And there is nothing more special than toggle switches. Nothing.

 

The non-S looks better than the S in my honest opinion. Thank God I just purchased my '14 Roadster S so I don't have to worry about replacement for quite some time.

 

BMW Group Bracknell UK Launch today.

 

No one is surprised that they're only squeaking out 189 hp with a 2.0 turbo? Some NA 2.0L cars are making more hp than that...
Hopefully they're going for reliability this time around.

 

I love it !!
Gives me one more reason to keep my R53

 

probably limited on purpose for the jcw

 

Wow, didn't realize it was out until I came here

I hate to admit it but overall it's probably the right move to make the MINI more popular and grow sales but I personally can't say I'm liking some of the changes over the R50s serie which retained its marginal fun attitude. This is definitely closer to the, dare I say, "sedan" perception among cars of all brands.

I think the central speedo and central window buttons had more charm for sure but it is not well perceived by most average buyers I can tell you that from all the conversations I've had with none MINI owners. Don't forget non-MINI owners are where growth is for MINI... so it is a natural evolution that shows pressure from its competitors.

It is bigger looking and that is something perhaps the most controversial imo. When is a MINI not "mini" any longer. Once again the success of the Countryman shows that small is fun but in a market where large SUVs are kings it is limiting sales growth. so once more I think it is a smart move even though I personally don't like it as much. What attracted me to the MINI was the freedom of motoring anywhere. But I am part of a very very small market segment (married, no kids) so I don't count

I am also very neutral about the LED headlights. I think it is definitely noticeable and will likely be perceived as original but I also think the industry is very close to tapping out on the coolness of light design and seriously need to come-up with something radically new AND beneficial. This is a bit too gimmicky for me, sorry to say.

I do like the Start button where it is shown. Why? well because it is one of the best use of the toggle switches imo. There as always been something cool about the "easy" start button yet it always gives a detached feel from the car to a degree over an old fashion key that lets you connect more directly with the driving experience. This is really a nice NEW way to marry both experiences in a new format. for that MINI! nice touch. True evolution.

I'm also happy they are up-scaling the materials. It is clear to me that this new MINI generation is feeling the heat of the competition. Interior, though filled with customization, is a bit lacking in terms of quality feel from the rest of the competition. We personally had to spend quite some money to get ours to feel more upscale when it should not be so for a brand that is more expensive to start with. So this is a good thing.

I don't have much to say about the technology. I'm a bit phased out from it. I use to like technology very much but I find now that it does not inspire me at all and is quite boring (for me) so I don't care all that much if that feels like an upgrade or not... just my personal taste for sure. I wouldn't buy or not the car because of it.

The front grill is definitely a mistake I think. This is where pressure from the competition is affecting brand personality too much. Time will tell if familiarity with other brand vehicles wins over odd looking shapes but you've got to scratch your head as to why all brands are doing the same awful and ugly mouth like bumper. I certainly do . . . may be I'm the only one to have a problem with that (also old) trend.

Lastly I'm a big big fan of performance engine and when I say performance I mean engines that delivers more power with less fuel. That something BMW is winning my heart over more and more. So I'm happy with the engine technology they are bringing into those new engines. Sweet! . . . if anything I wish it would have been 4 times more impressive to make the MINI indispensable to own. Give me 0to60 in less than 6 second with 60mpg and I won't buy anything else

Well those are my long 2 cents

I am very happy to have bought ours when we did from a personal taste perspective. Yet I recognize there are good things I like from this new model perhaps more from the inside than outside.

But I'd say good job to the design team none the less. It is not easy to do what they do with all the pressure coming from all kinds of angles, and trust me it is more from the inside than the outside (I'm quite biased). They already know what they will start adjusting and change to the other models coming. Good luck with the new MINI.

 

TG,

You gave a very thoughtful review. I particularly appreciate your comment that MINI's target demographic are non-MINI owners versus the stereotypical MINI owner. Despite antagonism directed toward the front end, headlights, etc., I imagine many current MINI owners will ultimately return to the brand as their own MINI ages. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on the new MINI 'sports car' due out in a few years.

 

This is the best comment I've ever seen on this forum (or any forum.)
+1,000,000,000

 

JCW will probably get the 240 hp version of the 2.0 liter BMW engine.

 

Interesting that many/most appear to either hate the Bloated One or are trying to rationalize how they will someday like it. Generally speaking, when you see a new model car, aren't you supposed to say 'wow... how cool is that!'. That clearly isn't the case for this... glad I got my GP!

 

The non-S doesn't look too bad by visual comparison. Does the F56 have less bonnet curvature than the R56?

 

Adrian Van HooyDonk and Anders Warming introducing the F56 MINI in LA

MotoringFile Archive MINI’s LA Debut in Photos & Video

 

I may be in the minority, at least here, but I'm really liking the new design. When I see pics like this one I can't help but see an old, outdated, frumpy design in the R56 now. Sorry if that starts a war but I get the exact same feeling now when I look at the E90 version of the 3 Series compared to the new ones. Change is going to happen. End of story. Yes the car is bigger but as a manufacturer having to consider more than just the MINI purists to sell more cars they have to address the concerns of those buyers while at the same time retain as much heritage of the originals as possible. The number one stumbling point for potential buyers and a MINI is size. Plain and simple. If they can't fit their peeps and their stuff they'll buy something else. Quite often regrettably because they love the MINI. This car addresses those most common complaints. More people space. More luggage space. More power. More efficiency. No center speedo. No central window switches. Etc. We're getting more car. More features. More tech. More power. More comfort. More configurability. More fuel efficiency. More everything in a good way in my opinion and most people here simply want to talk about how much it's not what it was. In a way that's great! You'll be able to appreciate your current MINI for everything that this car isn't. Exactly the same thing happened when the R56 replaced the R50/53. Everybody with a MINI hated it. MINI Ruined it. Destroyed the MINI core values. Destroyed their potential to sell more MINIs. A total failure. Funny how things actually turned out though and the same will be true of this new generation.

 

I'm confused, I have a 2014 convertible... Do these changes only affect the hard tops? And the rest change on the 2015 model?

 

It's just business as usual. These changes will affect every model that will be progressively replaced.

 

(hugs her R56 and R58)

All of the MINIs that we buy from now on, will be older than our current ones, not newer.

 

Well, of course every models will have variance within a common theme. Like I said business as usual

I'm not sure I understand what you mean?


.

 

I mean that my hubby and I will look at R56s, R53s, and Classics when we decide to buy a new car. We won't look at anything with this new look.

 

Any word on interior dimensions? If they lost any headroom I'm going to be quite unhappy.

 

First of all I personally think BMW ruined the car, but that's just my opinion. It really comes down to personal preference whether you like the new MINI or not. I can go on forever writing about things I don't like about it. On the other hand, I researched on the "rocketman" MINI and was wondering what you guys thought about it? I think it looks nice and would definitely like to buy one in the future when it comes out...

 

I, too, am/was a fan of the Rocketman concept, partly because I am a fan of the philosophy behind it...keeping MINI small.

I am not particularly upset by a larger, heavier (U.S. spec) new MINI. What gets me more is BMW/MINIs long stream of official excuses and justifications for bulking up here and there over the years. It's something of a pattern and after a long stream of these I just don't buy it anymore.

 

I really love the new design with the exception of the front end (non-s is far better than the S IMO). I'd buy one regardless. I don't see the front end when I'm driving, and I bet this thing can corner like a beast.