R50/53 We aren't trendy anymore
3rd Gear
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 222
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From: Eugene
Who cares what others think about the MINI? :smile: I am buying it for those reasons, not because anyone else likes the car.
From a practical standpoint, I hope the car continues to be successful so the numbers of dealers will increase and I will be able to get it serviced at more locations. Also spare parts will be more available and for a longer number of years.
I don't care if the MINI is "in" or "out" (I don't plan on ever selling the car, or I might add this to my practical standpoint list). I don't take offense of her article, she is just expressing her opinion which I though she did well. If she were to write about a some other "Fad" than a MINI, would you be getting so excited? If not, then don't let this article get to you. If so, you need to get a life.
From a practical standpoint, I hope the car continues to be successful so the numbers of dealers will increase and I will be able to get it serviced at more locations. Also spare parts will be more available and for a longer number of years.
I don't care if the MINI is "in" or "out" (I don't plan on ever selling the car, or I might add this to my practical standpoint list). I don't take offense of her article, she is just expressing her opinion which I though she did well. If she were to write about a some other "Fad" than a MINI, would you be getting so excited? If not, then don't let this article get to you. If so, you need to get a life.
2nd Gear
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Lost Angels
>>>><<<The MINI is in a different league and many steps above and beyond the Beetle/Cruiser market phoneys.>>>
>>>>
>>>>Where's Ryan Z when you need him?!
>>>>
>>>>The New Beetle Turbo S is a great car...
>>
>>
>>Yeah maybe it is but the problem is that the Beetle 1.8T came to market way too late and ditto for the convertible. For the Beetle to have been successful, VW should have done the following:
>>
>>1) Keep the damn car RWD like the original
>>2) Give it an aircooled engine
>>3) Built a dedicated platform, not the smushy tuned Golf/Jetta foundation, soon to be discontinued BTW.
>>4) Offer the Turbo model along with the standard model as of 1998, the introductory model year.
>>5) Offer the cabriolet model as a follow up model in 1999, not 2003
>>6) Ensure excellent reliability and build quality. something that the Mexican VW Puebla plant has not been able to do in all these years.
>>7) Keep production numbers low to ensure resale value and exclusivity to some degree.
>>
>>8) This car is ugly inside with a 3 mile long dashboard and cramped rear quarters.
You got serious issues, dude. I agree with Omtoast on this one. We're lucky to have both a VW NBC and a new MC in our family. We love them both. I think the VW plant in Mexico is more reliable than the MINI plant in Oxford. Man, they are great cars. Don't you think BMW is making money off of you? BMW wants to control production to keep intere$t in the MINI so they can $ell more (ma$king it with exclu$ivity or a life$tyle product). I think the New Beetle has done well considering that 2004 will be it's seventh season. We shall soon see if VW will bring the new bug to the MK5 platform. I hope that the MINI will be as or more sucessful.
-Bruintoo
>>>>
>>>>Where's Ryan Z when you need him?!
>>>>
>>>>The New Beetle Turbo S is a great car...
>>
>>
>>Yeah maybe it is but the problem is that the Beetle 1.8T came to market way too late and ditto for the convertible. For the Beetle to have been successful, VW should have done the following:
>>
>>1) Keep the damn car RWD like the original
>>2) Give it an aircooled engine
>>3) Built a dedicated platform, not the smushy tuned Golf/Jetta foundation, soon to be discontinued BTW.
>>4) Offer the Turbo model along with the standard model as of 1998, the introductory model year.
>>5) Offer the cabriolet model as a follow up model in 1999, not 2003
>>6) Ensure excellent reliability and build quality. something that the Mexican VW Puebla plant has not been able to do in all these years.
>>7) Keep production numbers low to ensure resale value and exclusivity to some degree.
>>
>>8) This car is ugly inside with a 3 mile long dashboard and cramped rear quarters.
You got serious issues, dude. I agree with Omtoast on this one. We're lucky to have both a VW NBC and a new MC in our family. We love them both. I think the VW plant in Mexico is more reliable than the MINI plant in Oxford. Man, they are great cars. Don't you think BMW is making money off of you? BMW wants to control production to keep intere$t in the MINI so they can $ell more (ma$king it with exclu$ivity or a life$tyle product). I think the New Beetle has done well considering that 2004 will be it's seventh season. We shall soon see if VW will bring the new bug to the MK5 platform. I hope that the MINI will be as or more sucessful.
-Bruintoo
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: KCMO
"There are two types of people in the world: Those who won't do
or buy something until a few million people are doing or buying it, and those
who refuse to do or buy for precisely the same reason. Neither is entirely
rational or useful."
Don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fit either category.
I bought my MINI because it's fun and it makes me happy. I don't really give a
$#*& what the rest of the world thinks!
or buy something until a few million people are doing or buying it, and those
who refuse to do or buy for precisely the same reason. Neither is entirely
rational or useful."
Don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fit either category.
I bought my MINI because it's fun and it makes me happy. I don't really give a
$#*& what the rest of the world thinks!
Hey, for those of you ragging on Mary Schmich, you should know that she's FAMOUS! Here's her bio...
She writes Brenda Starr!!!
About Mary Schmich
The Chicago Tribune
Mary Theresa Schmich was born in Savannah, Ga., the oldest of eight children, and spent her childhood in Georgia. She attended high school in Phoenix then earned a B.A. at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
After working in college admissions for three years and spending a year and a half in France, she attended journalism school at Stanford. She has worked as a reporter at the Peninsula Times Tribune in Palo Alto, Calif., at the Orlando Sentinel and, since 1985, at the Chicago Tribune. She spent five years as a Tribune national correspondent based in Atlanta.
For three years starting in 1992, she wrote a column for the Tribune. She left for a year to attend Harvard on a Nieman fellowship for journalists, then returned to the column in July 1996.
She also writes the "Brenda Starr" comic strip and plays a decent barroom piano. She lives in Chicago.
Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune
Mary Theresa Schmich was born in Savannah, Ga., the oldest of eight children, and spent her childhood in Georgia. She attended high school in Phoenix then earned a B.A. at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
After working in college admissions for three years and spending a year and a half in France, she attended journalism school at Stanford. She has worked as a reporter at the Peninsula Times Tribune in Palo Alto, Calif., at the Orlando Sentinel and, since 1985, at the Chicago Tribune. She spent five years as a Tribune national correspondent based in Atlanta.
For three years starting in 1992, she wrote a column for the Tribune. She left for a year to attend Harvard on a Nieman fellowship for journalists, then returned to the column in July 1996.
She also writes the "Brenda Starr" comic strip and plays a decent barroom piano. She lives in Chicago.
Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 491
Likes: 0
From: Beaverton, OR
>>"There are two types of people in the world: Those who won't do
>>or buy something until a few million people are doing or buying it, and those
>>who refuse to do or buy for precisely the same reason. Neither is entirely
>>rational or useful."
>>
>>Don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fit either category.
>>I bought my MINI because it's fun and it makes me happy. I don't really give a
>>$#*& what the rest of the world thinks!
I like that generalization especially: "There are only two types of people in the world, one type being a mindless conformist and the other type a knee-jerk reactionary." Really a warm, open-minded and useful categorization that is: "You are all simpletons or fools...er, except me...and you, of course, wonderful reader."
>>or buy something until a few million people are doing or buying it, and those
>>who refuse to do or buy for precisely the same reason. Neither is entirely
>>rational or useful."
>>
>>Don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fit either category.
>>I bought my MINI because it's fun and it makes me happy. I don't really give a
>>$#*& what the rest of the world thinks!
I like that generalization especially: "There are only two types of people in the world, one type being a mindless conformist and the other type a knee-jerk reactionary." Really a warm, open-minded and useful categorization that is: "You are all simpletons or fools...er, except me...and you, of course, wonderful reader."
Coordinator :: Mid-Atlantic
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,598
Likes: 0
From: Baltiluthermonium
She also writes the "Brenda Starr" comic strip and plays a decent barroom piano. She lives in Chicago.
Oh man...I take back ALL the bad stuff I said about her!!!
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 545
Likes: 0
From: California S.F. East Bay
>>The last few lines of the article are the most important:
>>
Yes, these are the lines that convinced me she's an idiot. Whether she likes the MINI or not, or is talking about the MINI, the PT Cruiser, or the color mauve, her logical thread is...
Its cool and trendy until its common, then its uncool and untrendy, which means that its cool and trendy.
To quote John Stewart, "Whaaaaaa?"
>>
Yes, these are the lines that convinced me she's an idiot. Whether she likes the MINI or not, or is talking about the MINI, the PT Cruiser, or the color mauve, her logical thread is...
Its cool and trendy until its common, then its uncool and untrendy, which means that its cool and trendy.
To quote John Stewart, "Whaaaaaa?"
3rd Gear
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: Eugene
If your Identification (self image) is based on owning a MINI, or anything else you might buy, then you just might benefit from serious self questioning of your values. Owning a MINI will never make you a better person (although brisk driving through some turns will momentarilly improve my disposition). As much as I LOVE the MINI, it is just a car. My approval of it does't make it a better car, nor does someone's disapproval make it a less of a car. The car stays the same.
For those of you who know of "MadMike" from the BMW site and his attack on the MINI, and then his personal attack on L.Mini, it should be clear that owning a BMW automobile and having money to park in exclusive garage did not make him better than others. He thought so, but clearly he was a jerk and no matter how much money he spent to try to prove otherwise, he still will be a jerk. The only hope he has is to look deep into his soul and make some fundamental value changes. He can surround himself with all that money can buy and without a inner change he will still be a loser. I hope that none of us will make the same mistake that MadMike made in thinking that owning a car will make us better than the next person.
Assuming you really know the MINI for all that is well designed (the good) and all that could use improvement (the bad), then your view of the MINI should not be influenced one way or another by others' opinions of the car.
This site is great because it helps us know and understand the good, the bad, and the ugly about the MINI. Armed with full knowledge, each of us should be able to see the MINI for what it is. This full knowledge will allow us to not react up or down to silly concerns such as if the MINI is "In" or "Out" of style.
To me the article was more about how quickly social values placed on an object can change and how dumb we would be to worry about having the "In" thing. Maybe some of us have fallen for all the BMW marketing hype about the MINI and are shocked when everyone doesn't like the car.
For those of you who know of "MadMike" from the BMW site and his attack on the MINI, and then his personal attack on L.Mini, it should be clear that owning a BMW automobile and having money to park in exclusive garage did not make him better than others. He thought so, but clearly he was a jerk and no matter how much money he spent to try to prove otherwise, he still will be a jerk. The only hope he has is to look deep into his soul and make some fundamental value changes. He can surround himself with all that money can buy and without a inner change he will still be a loser. I hope that none of us will make the same mistake that MadMike made in thinking that owning a car will make us better than the next person.
Assuming you really know the MINI for all that is well designed (the good) and all that could use improvement (the bad), then your view of the MINI should not be influenced one way or another by others' opinions of the car.
This site is great because it helps us know and understand the good, the bad, and the ugly about the MINI. Armed with full knowledge, each of us should be able to see the MINI for what it is. This full knowledge will allow us to not react up or down to silly concerns such as if the MINI is "In" or "Out" of style.
To me the article was more about how quickly social values placed on an object can change and how dumb we would be to worry about having the "In" thing. Maybe some of us have fallen for all the BMW marketing hype about the MINI and are shocked when everyone doesn't like the car.
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 882
Likes: 0
>>F*$% her! Oh, and she forgot to put MINI in CAPS. 
Research how things are meant to be in print before you work for a NEWSPAPER!
___________________
I don't think the article maligned the MINI (spelled with caps). In fact, she ends the article with the statement that once the MINI goes out of fashion, it's "in" again.
Truth be told, it never went out of fashion (how I hate that word). But let's keep those numbers low.
Research how things are meant to be in print before you work for a NEWSPAPER!___________________
I don't think the article maligned the MINI (spelled with caps). In fact, she ends the article with the statement that once the MINI goes out of fashion, it's "in" again.
Truth be told, it never went out of fashion (how I hate that word). But let's keep those numbers low.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 0
From: Lockport, NY, USA
I'm sure it was already mentioned, but hey, I don't feel like reading 5 pages... but anyone who writes for Brenda Starr really knows what's hip with kids today...
Does anyone read Brenda Starr anymore? Did anyone ever? And isn't Dilbert one of the only comic strips worth the paper it's printed on?
Rocketboy_X?
?
but anyone who writes for Brenda Starr really knows what's hip with kids today...Does anyone read Brenda Starr anymore? Did anyone ever? And isn't Dilbert one of the only comic strips worth the paper it's printed on?
Rocketboy_X?
?
>>I'm sure it was already mentioned, but hey, I don't feel like reading 5 pages... but anyone who writes for Brenda Starr really knows what's hip with kids today...
>>
>>Does anyone read Brenda Starr anymore? Did anyone ever? And isn't Dilbert one of the only comic strips worth the paper it's printed on?
>>
>>Rocketboy_X?
>>
>>
>>?
Rocket, that was sort of the point... But hey, Brenda Starr does have a nostalgia appeal. Or put another way, it's so uncool that it risks becoming cool again. Ahhhhh. Harmony in the Mary Schmeck universe.
And (to risk flames and to definitely take this thread off topic), Dilbert is so like 20th century. It's hard to appreciate office humor when you're unemployed. I think Doonesbury still holds up well.
but anyone who writes for Brenda Starr really knows what's hip with kids today...>>
>>Does anyone read Brenda Starr anymore? Did anyone ever? And isn't Dilbert one of the only comic strips worth the paper it's printed on?
>>
>>Rocketboy_X?
>>
>>
>>?
Rocket, that was sort of the point... But hey, Brenda Starr does have a nostalgia appeal. Or put another way, it's so uncool that it risks becoming cool again. Ahhhhh. Harmony in the Mary Schmeck universe.
And (to risk flames and to definitely take this thread off topic), Dilbert is so like 20th century. It's hard to appreciate office humor when you're unemployed.
I think Doonesbury still holds up well.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 0
From: Lockport, NY, USA
>>Rocket, that was sort of the point... But hey, Brenda Starr does have a nostalgia appeal. Or put another way, it's so uncool that it risks becoming cool again. Ahhhhh. Harmony in the Mary Schmeck universe.
But I remember hearing about a Brenda Starr movie, so I guess it's way past it's time, huh? I think Doonesbury still holds up well.
Naa... doonesbury is just a bunch of leftist whining... (i'm moderate so*pbtpbtpbt*)
Rocketboy_X
But I remember hearing about a Brenda Starr movie, so I guess it's way past it's time, huh?
I think Doonesbury still holds up well.Naa... doonesbury is just a bunch of leftist whining... (i'm moderate so*pbtpbtpbt*)
Rocketboy_X
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
I ordered mine in july 2002. I don't need her pity because I was trendy and am not anymore...I am too busy having a BLAST in my non-trendy car! Who cares. Love my MINI, hate my MINI. I am still having fun!
Who cares. Love my MINI, hate my MINI. I am still having fun!
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