I like bulldogs .. and fish ...

 

Hey the r56 isn't exactly a Taurus

 

I KNEW I heard that term somewhere! Overslam gap... so foolish owners don't *** a finger (completely) off between the hood/lights, or hood/fenders, me thinks (just bruise it severely - see MINI doesn't just love pedestrians!).

As far as painting the fenders (color matching)... Hamann did it and put out some hi-res pics on a bright (Laser?) blue car http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/to...n-Mini-R56.htm. The gap is still noticable... but not necessarily more so that as stock. Hamann also put enough other visual bling on the car, though (wheels, lower stance, body kit etc.), that you eye is drawn away from some of the noted blemishes.

 

Like I said...Holy Gapsters Batman!

Looks horrible like I thought it would...the space between the fender and bonnet is clearly evident when painted

 

There's really only one extra seam in the R53's wheel flare compared to the R56's. And as they lined up with existing (and still-existing) hood close lines, they weren't obvious, they furthered the design language. It's a 3" gap traded for one 36" long.

The font grill being split in two, with the lower-half being fake has never been anyone's favourite detail.

 

Yes - the R53 had two breaks in the front wheel flare. One is at the top of the front bumper, the second off the diagonal line coming down in front of the side marker. I just don't think they were a good design decision. The flare is one of the strongest elements on the car. Breaking a panel joint across the flare works against it - its a contradiction. Where as I see the gap along the top in the R56 reinforces the element - at the least it feels appropriate.

Do they really do that to stop people from pinching their fingertips?

 

No, the gap is, thankfully, still much smaller than the diameter of a finger. I think it's so that, when the bonnet is slammed, it allows some room for when it momentarily goes down farther than its normal resting position.

Mark

 

The more pics I see of "the gap" the less it bothers me. Yet to see one in person, of course.

Likin' the R56 Cooper bonnet a lot, too. R50's is more "curvacious", of course, but I never would have put the classic Mini in the "curvacious" category either. In any case, the R50 curves are apparently the result of technical limitations in creating the more crisp bonnet lines which were initially planned. I still love the R50 bonnet, but I like R56's a lot, too. It's just as "Mini"...I don't think there's only one correct bonnet iteration. Both are good.

If we lose anything in the wiper area, I think we gain way more in the very clean look of the upper bonnet combined with the chrome beltline trim. In fact, the whole bonnet profile (less curvy) really fits in well with the overall simplified and clean exterior look of the Cooper. I am a fan.

As for the wrap-around glass...I have no problem losing it since there was not a window back there, just the C-pillar. The wrap-around glass was cleaner looking, for sure...but overall it's loss is no biggie and was not essential from the motivation standpoint, given the whole C-pillar thing. In other words, there is ample justification for losing the wrap-around look.

 

Perhaps beauty is...or is not (in this case)...in the eye of the beholder. Those gap pics don't really bother me given everything else we've seen.

 

I did like the fact that they addressed the aero by squaring up the rear quarter glass area...very subtle but I'm sure it's functional as it sure doesn't compliment anything around it...

I applied the same aero management technique couple of years ago with a small fence to break up the round profile...

 

I did not realize that they were manipulating that surface for airflow - something
that must have come out of the wind tunnel no doubt. It may have been related
to wind noise as well.

Wow - looking at these two rear quarter photos the wrap around glass is gone,
yes, but it seems much cleaner and taut without the frame at the hatch.

Misfit - you have to crop that image - its slamming the whole thread!

Hey Misfit - do you have any examples of an alternative treatment to the
"wiper tray" at the base of a car's windshield?

 

I'll delete that link

 

I agree with gokartride; the more pics I see of "the gap" the less it bothers me. The shots from the Detroit show make it a non issue for me.

dean.

 

Is it possible these cars in Detroit are not full on production vehicles? Perhaps this and issue the factory is aware of and has already fixed it in Europe.

Maybe some R56 owners could chime in on this conversation. The new brochure shows minimal gaps at best.

RR

 

I'm going back and looking at other images now and I see that squared corner everywhere now. I can't wait to see it in the flesh/metal.

 

Interesting...I totally missed that. Clever of you to figure it out first.

 

Thanks for this! It only makes my decision to get an 06 easier...

 

I heard through MotoringFile it was to deflect some of the airflow around to the rear window and keep some of the weather/road dirt and grime off the rear glass.

 

No... it wasn't compared to the Taurus.

It was actually however, likened to the Dodge Neon. No, really.:impatient

 

I heard here (from an R56 owner) that it may help but doesn't really solve "dirty boot" as one might wish.

 

It does little to keep dirt from your boot...My disrupter is much more aggressive and it doesn't help much. It's primary purpose is to "square" up the rear end which aids to reduce aerodynamic drag caused by parasitic boundary layer...The sharper the rear end is cut off, the lower the Cd...especially with a stubby round rear end as on our Mini's boot...

 

That makes sense...very cool!!!

 

This thread is great. I love reading the designers' points of view intertwined with others. It really helps to explain some of the design features that I had no clue about - I'm not an Automotive Designer - I'm a Corporate Identity Designer so visual details are very important to me as is how a "product line" is developed relative to the market it is aimed at.
Form following function applies to all areas of design.
Very cool thread!! Thanks for the input --all!

 

Misfit - are you saying you added that vertical bar to the edge of the hatch to disrupt the airflow? Or is this the typical R53 condition?

 

Yes