It does look more like a Honda Fit... Notice the twin exhaust pipes in the back though...

 

So, a Volkswagon R32 is like a MINI then because it has a center exit twin exhaust pipes?

 

Mark

Did you see Phil's(2006 scca region champ and Trans Am racer) Henessey 700 camaro ss when you visited Larry's shop? That Car runs strong (11.0x 1/4 mile ,topspeed 190+mph) after Larry performed his magic.

 

Ah, yeah, sure, why not, all twin piped vehicles want to be Minis... Oh and latest news is it will be powered by a 138-horsepower, four-cylinder Ecotec turbocharged engine and the car will be built in Orion Township, Mich. instead of Korea. Interesting...

 

It's the best looking Chevy that I've seen in a long while. We've had 2, yes 2, Suburbans over a 20 year period. Both were extremely reliable and safe, which is somewhat amazing considering the first one didn't have airbags. The first one was an '89 GMC Suburban that lasted for 13 years and 200k+ miles and the current one is an '02 Chevy Suburban with 160k+ miles. I know that they're gas guzzlers and the polar opposite of our Mini's but I love our Suburban. Personally I would agree with whoever said that Chevy would do a better job if they engineered and designed in-house. To me, the Suburban is proof of that.

 

I wouldn't call the Prince motor to be the finest motor, either. It is quite ragged in comparison to many modern motors, but the motor is only a small part of the driving experience...

I doubt this new Aveo will have the responsiveness, crispness, and feel that the R56 possesses. Many manufacturers are still in the whole "a bigger motor will make the better car" mindset. In reality, the motor sells vehicles, but doesn't make the car fun.

I doubt this vehicle will compare to the MINI stock-for-stock. Aftermarket, however, will no doubt be more extensive. The aftermarket for the R56, quite frankly, sucks.

 

Nobody said anything about it looking like a MINI. It's a 2-door sub-sub-compact hatch that, at least by the show car pics, doesn't look like a typical American-badged econobox. The fact that Chevy sported it up for the shows suggests they could be thinking about going after the same enthusiast market, and that's where any similarities end. The center dual exhaust is just another GM me-too, because of course that and only that is what sets MINI apart from the rest (in their tiny little minds).

 

I dont take it personally . I just enjoy getting a good post going. Yes I believe you guys are right about this is probably not going to be a competitor to the Mini. I wouldnt even think twice about putting the two side by side. It would take a chevy miracle to make it happen.

However I will strongly argue that the ecotec is a better motor then the prince. Show me a prince engine that is putting out some insane hp numbers and I may change my mind. Also dont forget that GM is actually helping support modification to the ecotec motors and performance aftermarket. Mini not so much :(.

Just look at some of the sick guides they are putting out.

http://gmtunersource.com/index.php/r...ec-drag-engine (1450HP)
http://gmtunersource.com/index.php/r...lsj-build-book
http://gmtunersource.com/index.php/r...ec-tech-topics
http://gmtunersource.com/index.php/r...tec-build-book


Ecotec Stock to 1400+ hp guide http://www.gmperformancedivision.com/pulse/manuals.aspx

Note: Mazda also does something similar along with providing racers a discount on oem parts.

Does BMW do the same? If so let me know.

I also wouldnt call the Cobalt SS a failed sports car by GM. IT is a great track car and has a great amount of power potential. Its just kinda ugly and didnt take off all that well.

 

Yes, agreed. We all saw what an embarrasment the Prince engine was when Fireballed tried to tune it during the Street Tuner challenge.

 

Re read my post. You brought up the twin pipe thing.

In reality, we should be rooting on that our American car companies are trying to dig themselves out of a grave that some greedy CEOs dug for years. I dare say Chrysler is already done, but GM definitely has a chance and Ford is actually doing a lot better. Yes, I love my MINI, but it's reliabilty is nothing I'd brag about.

 

+1

I think it's pretty pathetic that a turbo'd engine is only putting out 138hp. But then again, I think it's even more pathetic that my MINI has been back to the dealer 10+ times in the 18 months I've had it.

 

I was just being facetious, twin pipes don't make it look any more like a Mini than having 4 wheels does. Someone at GM just woke up and realized that small cars are here to stay. High gasoline prices are here to stay and while the rest of the automobile industry was in negative sales, Mini was still selling. Someone took note and this is just another company trying to sell another small car. Let's just hope they get it right, or more right than wrong. It's a good looking car but I'm sure it'll never come close to being a Mini or having the soul of a Mini; unless pigs fly...

 

Ohh, it'll never come close to the MINI, but I'm guessing this thing is targeting the Fit, Yaris, Versa and all the other hatches that ultimately took BMW's cue of showing that a small car can have character......except most of these cars failed at that. We also have to remember that a MINI weighs a lot compared to some of these econoboxes, so 138 hp might make it zip pretty good. Chevy might also be taking cues from BMW by not overdoing he hp numbers. While high hp numbers do make for some fun times, a car that is well balanced with enough hp to scoot the car along without overexagerating is also fun.

 

i thought those new aveo's are scheduled to be built in michigan?

i think it looks great for wat it is. it's taking a nice stab at the import tuner car crowd and i think it will do well...given that it looks similar to that concept. most often concepts look good, but when the production model comes out... it reminds you that it's a compromised car.

not sure how they did 138hp with a turbo... maybe it's a turbo noise generator, and not an actual turbo?

and no, i doubt the MINI crowd will be affected by that aveo... MINI owners are generally much older and that aveo's more for high school kids.

 

Precisely and what GM needs to do is bring this car to market just as it is but price it between $15-20K. It will sell and I think it'll sell quite well.

 

It wants to be a Mini? Well they're going to have to add the feature where the windows won't roll down and the front struts poke through the hood. Then it'll be well on it's way to being a Mini.

 

The Korean cars used to be junk but they are not now. I have a 2008 Kia

Reo used as a go to work car (125 miles round trip each day). Zero pro-

blems and 36 mpg. I'd buy another one in a heart beat to use as a commuter

car any day.

 

Because it's a tiny little turbo. They are simply doing what they've done in econo cars in Europe for years.. turbo for fuel efficiency, not for performance.

Of course those econo cars in Europe usually have a performance model or can be modded to be quite fun but that's aided by the fact that they are tiny and will outrun all kinds of bigger cars with just a few hundred to the wheels.


I don't see it as a competitor for MINI at all. It's a low cost car that's meant to get people from place to place efficiently.... I wouldn't call either of my MINIs efficient by any means

 

I think this thread hit the "car that isn't a MINI" fail. In the last three days I've witnessed the MINI compared superior to porsche, corvette, and lotus.

Hold up, lemme check the garage......






nope, no golden egg laid yet.

 

im not sure why everyone is worried about this thing trying to be a MINI...the swift tried to do it but i havent heard about it in a long time...the MINI has outlasted the competition since its inception back in 01-02...the Cavalier/Cobalt/SRT-4/Swift/Aveo and the list keeps going on...fact is these american manufactors believe that putting a more powerful engine is the way to go but they never put any thought into the body/suspension/fit and finish...why do shows like top gear and alot of car shows around the world poke fun at american cars...because they keep putting out crap...just unimaginative unmitigated crap...sure it may have a turbocharged ecotec motor but the body around it will be as cheap as the first aveo...body kits are cheap...and why does chevy promote modifying the cars?because they know they are seriously lacking in many ways...any company that has to promote changing the car they are putting out to make it handle better says something

 

We all know that MINI is not all that. Let the people have their fun thinking these thoughts on their heads. A Mazdaspeed 3 will kick even a JCW's ****, yet we still purchase the MINI. The Mazdaspeed 3 just lacks character. And, the OP did a great job of opening up a topic that was sure to be somewhat controversial. The fact is with the MINI being a niche vehicle, these econoboxes aren't competitition. That's why you never see Car and Driver Dona comparison of a XD, Versa, Fit, and a MINI. Maybe a Cooper could be thrown in for performance numbers, but the build quality and handling alone toss it out. The thing is, there is nothing to worry about. Now, I must get back to Fallout 3.