Yup, I agree. It's just a few things here and there that -- compared to the R50/53 -- make a less-interesting car.

 

We shall see, friends, we shall see....

 

I absolutely looooove the New MINI with the aero kit, its just sweet.

 

I love the aero kit also. I would get one without, but I'm way more excited about getting one WITH. I don't think it does anything to really improve the driving of it, but it just looks sweet.

Now when's the dealer gonna take my order?

 

I'm sure we will. I will not dispute that it's likely to be a superior car. But as far as aesthetics go - these things are very subjective.

I understand that lots of people like the look of the new model - I sort of wish I did as well - afterall, I'd rather be excited than dissapointed...

Remember, the current mini is over 5 years old now, and it still looks new.

Cars that try to look funky and modern often fall on their own swords and date more easily.

 

I dispute it's a superior car. It's a sideways move, made in the interest of profit, not progress. Car Design News summed it up best:

http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/ho...re4/item51812/

 

This reinforces my belief that the critics were expecting more out of the redesign. Something as much of a "WOW!" as the difference between the Rover-era Mini and the BMW-era MINI.

I'd bet if they'd really lengthened the nose and thrown in a BMW inline six, and made the interior more luxury than nifty, and maybe lowered the roofline in the (ugh) Honda Fit/Mazda 3 style to get it into the "hot hatch equals wedge shape" aesthetic but with a Jaguar front-end, they'd have raved about it.

-W-

 

Things I don't like about the new design:
the elongated lights
the singe top grille
the flatter bonnet (I love the bulbous look of the current one)
the 'squarer' tail lights
the pointless hood scoop on the mcs
the car looks less 'squat' - which is one of my favourite features of the current shape
the integrated stereo
the ridiculous massive and integrated speedo
thel square panel between the downtubes (I like on the current version how it looks like the downtubes support the stereo, ac and toggle bank)
the squarer edged design
the complicated aero kit
the bmw copy dash shape

Things I like:
I love the look of the new jcw seats
The potential tunability of a turbo engine
The mini badge on the engine cover

Thank goodness they didn't do that! Talk about abandoning the point of the mini!

 

That center console looks HORRID . The plastic looks cheap and the controls look like something out of a 1980's Pontiac Grand Am.

I see MINI redesigning this dashboard/console in about 2 years time. This has to be the single worst design element on the new car

While driving last night, I was really enjoying my "expensive" looking center console in my '05 MCS with its tastefully done anthracite down tubes and bathed under the soft glow of the 2 overhead orange LCD lights.............

 

Purple top Black bottom and the mini looks good too!








The classic is sweet

 

I like e grills big time.... it seems neater and more.... altogether? and the larger fog lights, hopefully more functional? i'm wondering about the double bezel for her eyes. looks to me like real thick reading glasses, or, bifocals. aside from that, i'm reserving my judgement till i see her in e flesh.

 

Granted it isn't perfect, but at least it developing. Do VW have any plans for the New Beetle? Now there's a butt-ugly reworking of an original classic.

 

I like it, nice pics!

 

I think the apparently unimportant things, (to some), like a more powerful AND more economical engine, more comfortable seats, a tilt AND telescoping steering wheel, a sunroof that actually opens in the back and a suspension actually designed for the run-flat tires it comes with, will more than offset the big negatives like the side maker grills, fake hood scope and "too big" speedometer .

Can't please everybody...but it looks better all the time to me.

 

This is a good point! I think history will show that the mechanical refinements (yet to be known in full) are the more weighty tweaks made in R56, whereas restraint will characterizes the cosmetic ones. The best reviews I've seen of R56 are not necessarily from journalists/critics, but from owner/enthusiasts who know every detail and nuance of the present car.

A note on the console (just trying to wrap my mind around the whole thing)....it seems the dash now stands out as the new star of the R56 cabin. The R50/53 downtubes and door pulls were meant to represent roll-cage styling, but there never was a roll cage, was there, so in some way that concept wasn't altogether honest either. With R56, downtubes are no more...it is now a one-piece console...and with that bigger speedo, the dash/speedo takes dominance. I especially have always liked the way the new speedo integrates into the new dash. So there is something to appreciate here.

I'm not saying I don't like my R50 console...I do like it...a lot. However, I find rethinking my assumptions (based on intimate familiarity) helps clear the slate a bit for an appreciation of what the cabin of R56 offers. With so much flexibility available, I think we will have lots of fun w/ the new MINI interior and it, too, will be beloved, quirks and all.

 

well on a completely different note, as a floridian the south florida international auto show is coming up soon. i saw parent company BMW is planning on holding a press conference, anyone think theres a chance it maybe for the NA debut of the new MINI?

 

Where did you see that, Rocket? I'm in Orlando and would be interested in checking out the show. I know the "Central Florida International Car Show" is right after Thanksgiving.

 

Well everyone is entitled to an opinion. You got your's and I got mine. I've been in the "minority" all my life so being in the "ever-dwindling" minority is nothing new to me.
You may be right though. It is growing on me but there's a cure for that:

 

Wait till you drive an R56, my guess is you'll forget you just bought an 06 MINI and embrace faster, more comfortable and even better gas mileage. Sell now before the value of your '06 falls llike a rock.

 

from the south florida auto show site http://www.sfliautoshow.com/
it says BMW, Ford, Ferrari, Bentley, KIA, Maserati and GM are all holding press conferences. im not anticipating any new model debuts, but i wouldnt be surprised if they pertain to concept (already intro'd of course, but sometimes manufacturers like to hold multiple press conferences for concepts) or north american debuts

and for BMW i really cant think of what they would be holding a press conference before besides hopefully the NA debut of the new MINI, maybe its for the new 3 coupe, but as they are already on sale, it just seems like itd be odd to have a press conference for a car already on sale, but i know its not unheard of

 

Maybe to intro the new Z3 roadster? There are probably many more important things to BMW AG than MINI. Rumour has it they also sell a couple of other models.

 

I'll be sticking with the original Frank Stephenson design; not the bastardized BMW bean-counter version. It's value to me will never fall.

 

An extreme view, perhaps?

 

What??? Since when did BMW make other cars besides the MINI?

 

Thanks resmini but the only thing I'll be embracing is the exact MINI I wanted to buy at the time I wanted to buy it. I appreciate your concern for my financial well being.