Has anybody seen the new suzuki and scion models that mimic the mini?

 

Well the olnly 2007 Scions offered are the XD (mimics the MINI? No...), TC (...not really...) and the XB (*insert Kanye West impersonation* "...Aw HELL, no!").

Suzuki has the Reno and the SX4 crossover... but none really seem to mimic the MINI, either.

Was it a concept car you saw somwhere? Other manufacturers would be smart to do so. MINI and BMW have been very sucessful in producing the MINI vehicle and lifestyle.

I think the one car I've seen that would give the MINI some grief woould be the Dodge Hornet:



Not only does it stack up in mini-like size... but this car (or the concept, at least) uses the 1.6 liter supercharged Tritec engine of the 1st gen MINIs!!! If they can get the chassis and suspension right (somthing BMW has done in spades)... this could be a formidable opponant IMO.

 

I have seen Suzuki that looked like MINI.

 

Looking at the Hornet, it's about four inches shorter than the Clubman, only a little longer than a regular Cooper, and double opposite-swing doors on *both* sides - very nice! It's 400 pound heavier than the Clubman, though - ouch.

I'm not wild about the shape, or some of the design elements that just seem tacked on for no other reason than to put them there, but at least it's got body-colour fender arches!

 

Got photos? If I Google "Suzuki Hornet" I get motorcycles.

 

Dodge Hornet

 

What this one ?

 

How in the world did they make it so much heavier? Does it have a truly usable back seat or something?

 

Here's a video with a direct comparison to the Mini. Guess who won?

Fifth Gear Mini vs Suzuki Swift
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=2

 

Dodge Hornet video. I really like the fact that the rear seats move all the way back if the hatch is empty, and they fold down completly flat.

Dodge Hornet
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...arch&plindex=2

 

Hornet is definitely copying MINI in its comparison to bulldog like stance and the ability to customize and make it uniquely your own.

 

The Hornet will never see production.

 

I think it does have a useable back seat, but I believe the weight comes from its AWD hardware.

 

You are correct on both points, "It's drives like a little tank"

 

Fun video! Really gives one the itch to get out on the track.

 

It looks cool but I can't get past two things:
1) It's a Dodge. Most of thier styles nowadays don't hold up over time. The interior on this car, especially, is too square for me.
2) It's called a Hornet. We used to have an AMC Hornet. Need I say more?

BTW, did anyone else notice they had a picture of a Bulldog in the video?

 

This concept?

 

Thanks for the ROFLMAO this morning, when the guys driving the BMW mini rip off start pointing fingers....

That's not a concept, that's the latest version of the Suzuki Swift, you know the un-neutered geo metro.
They're all over the roads of every other continent, they're also the dominant JWRC rally car.
http://www.suzuki-motorsport.com/jwr...ine/index.html

mini rip off ? I don't think so, but there was a great writeup back in '85 comparing the first gen/mk1 swift gti to the original mini cooper works, calling it the natural successor. It used an all aluminum twincam drivetrain with 1298cc to compete with the mini's 1275cc. my current swift still uses a 16v sohc variant of that same engine/tranny and I would suggest it what it lacks in mini styling, it probably shares more of the original mini spirit then the latest bimmer creation; tiny, lightweight, cheap, zippy car that maximizes it's interior space.

I've always been a classic mini fan, but I also run http://www.teamswift.net
we've even got a bunch of hybrid mini-zuki owners

 

Yes it was and the Itch is there for track

 

Fun video, yep!!!! God I wish I could slide a car around like Tiff does. I love the production quality of Fifth Gear's videos. Great stuff.

 

Comes with the territory. Every small car is compared to the MINI, get over it.
When the Chinese copy the MINI, then I'll complain.

 

Ditto - I love watching him come through a corner crossed-up in some quarter-million dollar piece of machinery.

(And of course, I think Vicky Butler-Henderson is about the cutest thing ever. I think I'd tune in to listen to her read the phone book...)

 

Yeah, the Mini...BUT, at .19 secs faster, that's pretty tight. The price difference between the two cars is???
Keepin the 07 MCS, but that Swift is not bad! Tiff mentioned a very low price, did he say eleven grand?? That can't be right, can it?

 

Guess they need to start the counterfeit Mini campaign again.

 

11 grand in English pounds sterling is about $22K.