These are certainly the best shots I've seen to date, minus any camo. The interior shot confirms some of the earlier spy photos: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=108466#6

 

Anyone noticed that it looks like the windshield wraps around the A-pillars, so that there are no plastic covers on the outside of the A-pillars anymore? Look closely...

-boognish

 

i dont think so.

 

LOL they said low tech iron block....LOL...yeah...I guess that's only if you wanna keep it stock...

 

I don't know u guys i kinda like it. The interior looks pretty spiffy, and the exterior isn't as bad as people were making it out to be. At first though I thought that the first pic said KGB Photography, and was like wo this things getting alot of interest in other parts of the world... New James Bond car perhaps???

 

wait i thought it was all aluminum?

 

"In place of the low-tech iron-block 1.6-liter will be a twin-cam, aluminum-block turbocharged four-cylinder of the same displacement. The standard Cooper will get a significant boost to 143 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque while the Cooper S will maintain its rating of around 170 hp. A non-turbocharged 115-hp Cooper may also be offered to keep the entry price low"

 

I don't have our 2006 Cooper at home to compare with at the moment, but doesn't the "new 2007" steering wheel they are describing look like it is just a standard current 3 spoke MFSW?

 

Other sources have said that the Cooper would get the 115 hp motor and not the 143 hp version because that would put it too close to the S.

 

Yes

 

Read the article...they seem to make it sound like the headlights and grill havent changed at all

 

I suspect that the grille being used at the moment is just a piece of mesh in place of the final trim pieces which will likely still be a multi slat design.

 

I like it, too...especially the way the new grill is let into the front bumper...and the interior update is nice, too. Given the potentials of the new engine, I'm very optimistic about this new MINI! Plus, a new array of colors will make this a very hard deal to pass up.

 

It looks like the entire front of the car is a little longer, from the base of the windshield to the grill. It doesnt look as stubby as the current model. maybe it is just the way the picture was taken but I think it looks a little longer.

 

I think that maybe the absence of the middle hump on the bonnet gives the optical illusion that its shorter...so far, I'm still happy I have an '05

 

I don't think I'm real crazy about the way they did the dash. The speedometer doesn't look right with the numbers pushed up to the upper half. Why put the stereo controls in it? Nor does it do anything for me being blended into the dashboard instead of being a more separate unit. The end vents strike me the same way. I don't care for the way they hump up at the dash ends.

I'm still not a fan of the nintendo steering wheel. I've always disliked the 3 spoke design and the cheesy looking control buttons. Never really understood how moving all the controls to the front of the wheel served any purpose. Having some of them on the back of the wheel made more sense as that's where your finger tips natually rest.

In a way it's sad to see all these changes. In another, though, it'll make my '03 that much more unique. It's also going to make my next choice of cars easier as they preclude the MINI from the list.

 

This is the three spoke wheel from the Tokyo Traveller Concept. Ignore the ornamental badge.



A two spoke version of the same wheel has also been shown.



More today on MotoringFile

 

I'm very happy I got an '06. I like the original design, I like the original interior with cockpit chrono and anthracite and the new 3-spoke steering wheel.

I am the world's greatest detractor of Chris Bangle BMW designs, to me they are ALL hideous. There are elements to the new Mini dash that remind me of the Z3, anything that smacks of Bangle turns me off. I don't like the higher hood, I like my '06 just the way it is. I'm glad I waited to get the last year of the original design.

Would I like the new engine ? sure, but not for what I imagine the price hikes will be. The reason I didn't get an S was to keep the costs down so I could get package amenities in this fun daily driver.

 

Ornamental badge? I thought that was the steering wheel mounted iDrive.

Looks suspiciously like one mounted in front of the gearshift, too.

 

Actually that's a rotory dial phone input that connects wirelessly to your mobile. Obviously not something meant for public consumption!

 

General impression: not as bad as it could be. I thought they were going to booger up the whole design: making it larger, more sedan like. Time will tell if the handling and power are up to the task of the <06 cars. The originals may end up being the real collectables.

 

Did anyone notice the first two sentences of that artcle:

"The Mini Cooper hasn't cooled off much since its introduction in 2002. In fact, its retro styling is still so well liked that the next-generation 2007 Mini Cooper won't look any different."

Then the last sentence:

"Regardless of when it comes around expect it to be a better car that retains all the style of the current model. "


OK so I know that Edmunds is probably car manufacturer friendly but I think those quoted sections are funny in light of the comments on this thread.

I am not so turned off by this new design. Plus I can reserve judgment guessing that the final product may differ in the details like steering wheel, etc. I agree that the center speedo seems to me to call for a more 360 design. But they didn't ask me about either the current design or the one to come.

I admit I can't wait to drive one. I'll make my judgement then.

 

I really like that grille and bumper, but I do not like the tail lights, and I definitely do not like what they've done with the dash.

Also, I prefer the superC over a turboC. Super has no lag, and almost feels naturally aspirated. And, it's plenty powerful.

 

I think I'm going to like the new front end, with its swept back scoop and one-piece grille. It looks like the back end is going to have a more pronounced posterior protuberance where the glass meets the metal (based on the shot in post #12).

The hood is probably a little longer to make room for the wipers, note that there is more of a gap between them and the trailing edge of the hood. This is part of the European anti-pedestrian-killing regulations.

 

I wish I could have waited for an '06 too, but I wanted to get out of my '03 while I could still get a ridiculous price for it. Oh well, I'm still very happy to have gotten my '05. Other than an '06 Cooper, there's no car I'd rather own, so that's pretty good.

The '07, to me, looks like the "personality" of the front of the car has taken a huge nose dive, and that's my favorite part of the current generation's design. The absence of the cowl vents is also very unfortunate. This pedestrian safety BS is a joke.