This has probably been asked quite a few times, but what exactly is the relationship with MINI and BMW? If the vehicle is made MINI and not by BMW then why does it have manufactered by "BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG" on the door sill and have a BMW VIN?

Just curious on the details of the relationship.

 

BMW owns MINI.

Just like FORD owns Jaguar? or

Toyota owns the SCION brand, etc.

 

Are Scions or Lexuses really Toyotas? Is an Acura really a Honda? Is an Infiniti really a Nissan? Is an Audi really a VW? Very similar relationship to all these examples. Different marquee, managed separately as a different brand, but ultimately owned and designed by the same company.

 

Engineered by BMW, and that's about it really.

 

There is a long, long story behind the BMW - MINI relationship. I highly recommend you ordering the following book that tells the WHOLE story with luxury of details and incredible photos as to how the current day BMW MINI came to be:

"The new MINI - Second Edition"

By Graham Robson

A fantastic read and a must for any MINI owner or enthusiast. It will give you a FULL BROAD SCOPE of the history of the Mini from its inception in the late 1950's until today. You'll see the incredible role BMW played in the development of the current MINI and how out of this turbulent relationship with the Rover Group (Which they owned back in the 1990's) this fantastic car we have today came to be.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/184...491158?ie=UTF8



PS: MAKE SURE TO ORDER THE SECOND EDITION AS IT INCLUDES THE CHANGES MADE IN THE 2005 MODEL YEAR PLUS THE CONVERTIBLES AND DIESEL MODELS.

 

actually, Most Toyota's look just like their Lexus sisters except you pay more for it

The thing thats different is, although here their called Lexus IS300 and Acura RSX, in japan, they are still Toyota IS300 and Honda RSX. These brands are just for us.

As far as it goes, most brands, when you go to their true parent are always lower quality.

Cadalic goes to Chevy
Lexus to Toyota
Acura to Honda

MINI is one of the few that when you go to its parent company, its actually a higher end cars, BMW.

 

Incorrect. Here is why. Lexus, unlike Acura and Infiniti is a separate brand marketed as such in Japan, Europe and North America. If you go to Europe, you'll see the same exact Lexus badged cars as you do here.

Acura and Infiniti on the other hand are mostly North America only brands with no world representation in the same vein as Lexus. Acuras are Hondas and Infinitis are still sold and marketed as Nissans outside of North America.

And Cadillac doesn't go to Chevy either. That is a pretty ignorant comment to say the least. Their only commonality is the fact that they are GM brands. The vast majority of new Cadillacs do not share engines, powertrains, chassis, etc with Chevrolet vehicles. The only exception I could think of is the Chevy Tahoe/Cadillac Escalade SUVs that share body but not the same engines.

Please show me a single Cadillac car that you can also find currently rebadged as a Chevy? I challenge you to find it because you won't

 

LMAO... Not a current car, but remember back when GM had the bright idea called "Cimmeron". I used to laugh every time I saw one... A cavalier with a fancy interior and chrome grill.

 

Sure that was 20+ years ago, during Roger Smith's reign as the king of badge engineering

But seriously, no Cadillac today shares today much if anything with Chevys.

 

I believe the Cadillac Escalade uses a platform shared by Chevy trucks, such as the Suburban, Tahoe and Avalanche.

Also, the CTS-V shares the Corvette LS2 engine and the Cadillac XLR uses the same Y-body platform as the Corvette.

Not anywhere approaching badge engineering but substantial sharing from the Chevy parts bin.

 

I believe you are correct. Amazing how some people refer to others statements as "ignorant" with out doing their research.

 

If you really think about it, it's absolutely impossible to find two brands under a common company that don't have major similarities, particularly under the hood. Think about it: If you have two car companies, wouldn't it just make business sense to use the same parts, etc. on similar-sized cars of the different marques? That's why you're always going to have such major similarities between Honda's and Acura's, etc.

 

I actually I suggest re-read my post. I pointed out the cross sharing between the Chevy Tahoe and the Cadillac Escalade.

 

a lesson in economics is also in order.

 

The relationship is more about marketing than ownership, at this point all engineering and testing is done by BMW employees right? The only point at which the car becomes its own make is after the car is built and badged. At that point the sales, marketing, promotions and distribution of product is handled by the MINI corporate entity......It is sort of like MINI just buys the finished product and resells it......the parts say bmw, the vin is bmw, the plant funded by bmw and run according to bmw quality standards so it is a bmw right up until bmw puts a mini badge on the hood....
That same thing can be said for the other models and owners mentioned here.....employees dont work for lexus they work for toyota, they dont work at cadilac the work at gm.....so once those employees create a whole tangible product it is badged, marketed and sold as a brand to narrow segments of society so that BMW owners dont have to be associated with those mini people and cadillac owners dont have to be assosciated with chevy truck owners etc....it is then all about luxury and image when it comes to the branding

 

Interesting example, since the Acura brand name is used only in N. America. Everywhere else they're Hondas.

As has been stated, BMW is the owner of Mini. Those of us who also have BMW's notice many parts and engineering similarities between the two. Well, not that that front wheel drive part...

Neil
05 MCS
96 M3

 

Pop the bonnet and notice all the BMW labels... At any rate, I agree with C4, that the Robson book on the New MINI is a good way to understand the BMW-MINI relationship.

 

Just poking my head in, but in regard to the the Cadillacs being chevy's. here is a quote from Car and Driver on the XLR

"Stripped to its essence, this new XLR is a Chevrolet Corvette powered by the 32-valve Northstar V-8 and dressed in Cadillac duds. But the details of that transformation give the XLR an ambience all its own."

Take it for what it's worth.

 

Actually, the Corvette is an excellent car.

 

"But seriously, no Cadillac today shares today much if anything with Chevys"

here is a quote from Car and Driver on the XLR

"Stripped to its essence, this new XLR is a Chevrolet Corvette powered by the 32-valve Northstar V-8 and dressed in Cadillac duds. But the details of that transformation give the XLR an ambience all its own."

Really though, it's not a matter of who's right and who's not.......it's why refer to someone's comment that you believe to be wrong as "ignorant"?

 

Ok, didn't have my coffee this morning. MY apologies.

 

Thanks