My guess is the new cooper will send people into a rush to ****** up the first gens just like the new seven series (bangle designed) sent people snatching up the previous seven series body style. In my opinion bmw has made every new body style of all their cars a horrible eye sore. I still love the previous body style 3, 5, 7, z much more than any of their newer conceptions. Sorry for getting heated at the slow driving lady dogs, we got a lot of em in miami, but what i said about loving the first gen cooper so much more than the new body style is absolutly true. I didn't have to buy an 06' it just appealed to me hands down over the new one. I'm convinced this 1st gen will be praised like the 1st gti's and will mark the beginning of a watered down cooper designed more for people who like to be trendy and seen and less focused on driving pleasure as a whole, basically a car that lost its values to make a little more profit. And who thinks the current car is too stiff, i cant wait to get coil overs to stiffin the ride up some more. Why drive if you're not going to drive fast. Also sometimes appealing to a large group of people works good initially but there's nothing unique or particular about the car to keep you coming back. I can think of a whole lot of bigger hatchbacks on the market with soft suspensions, but i have a hard time thinking of vehicles that are directly comparible to the current cooper. When a car creates a niche for itself which i think the current cooper has done it will keep drivers coming back for years, just my view, please don't shoot me.

 

Agreed! I don't know why BMW decided to go with the overly angular styling for the current incarnation of their sedans, but it looks terrible. However, after seeing the new M5 I believe that after a couple of tweaks to soften the design, they're going to be beautiful. There is a stunning design under all those "razor-sharp" edges but it's too early to see it. The first crop of 3-Series sedans looked hideous, but with the '07 330 they've started to make the design work in an integrated way from tip to tail. Now if only they could do something about the Z4 and it's slab-like design which looks like 3 or 4 different cars depending on which way you look at it. i.e. front view: rear view: side view:

 

i think the leather interior looks fantastic, especially the red and the beige one ... i like how they tried to make the car more upscale ... would work great with dark color exteriors.

HOWEVER ...

mix that leather with the attrocious plastic dash and center stack and it looks like a leather couch in an infants room ... just freaking weird.

I really feel that the new gen has a serious identity crisis and they tried to please WAAAAY to many people with it.

The marketing and cost cutting shows up big time in the design.
All the features that will make the car "better" visualy will be expensive add-ons.

Not a very MINI thing ...

 

Nah, no trolling here. Just good-natured insults.

-W-

 

All the pictures thus far have displayed the R56 without the R53 present...Alone, the R56 has it's merits and handsome in many respects...park the two together and then we'll see the warts...especially the dimensional differrences

 

This too is nothing new. The reason the BMC Mini met an end in US sales was that it didn't meet the new US regulations for emissions back in 1968. After Europe made similar rules, the Mini was made compliant, but they didn't bother trying to reintroduce it to the US market.

-W-

 

Like I said before, comparing the appearance of the two is like comparing sisters.

Although it won't be any time soon, once I get mine I'll be able to do that alongside our MC. Our MC doesn't sport any (visible) mods, and neither will the next one, so it should be a reasonable comparison.

-W-

 

Thanks for the pics Hets I wish I coulda been there

 

I've got to say I really like the sparkling silver color with the black roof:

http://lh4.google.com/zodlfamily/RSD...JPG?imgmax=720

 

Why do you all have to be so harsh? No flaming needed because the SRT4 is nothing to laugh at...

you may also want to check out that Fireball Tim's team who blasted through the 1.4 mile at 10.62 sec at 128mph with a stock MINI head! The 07 better engine? Let's just kick back, wait and see...

 

Ah, not entirely so!

 

Well what can I say ,almost 4000 views and 160 comments since this thread was started on Thursday..most of them good I may add Do some folks hate change (reminds me of when the newmini was introduced here in the UK ) most classic owners hated us newmini owners, (I had a classic as well years ago) The new mini his here to stay like it or lump it my friends ..will we see anti R56 stickers plastered on the backs of mini's , I think not ,I hope not . If you dont like it ...dont buy it, simple as that freedom of choice is a great thing .There will lots of previous minis for sale for many a year to come if you don't likr it ..Ive had FOUR minis since the introduction of a wonderful car ...it only gets better by the years.My present one the JCWS is out of this world in the terms of driving and fun for a small car ,so lets not be harsh on the new model .I have to decide if I buy a GP or hang on till the R56 is on the road ...lets all do the same , as judgement day will soon be here . Ok rant over ....I wonder what the 3040 think that did not reply .

 

being Born on the same day as well in Oxford

 

Not ideal, but these photos made a pretty good attempt at comparison:

1st Generation & 2nd Generation MINI - Exterior Design Comparison Photographs
1st Generation & 2nd Generation MINI Comparisons - In Pictures

 

That's a pretty cool shot. How nice would it be to own the very last R55 (no excuse for bugs not being worked out on that one )

 

Ok...at that distance and resolution...I'll concede they all look the same...ok, I give...which one's the new one?

 

The real test is when they are parked side by side and view in person...that better?

 

I'm sorry...but imo everything on the new MINI is wrong...the ONLY thing I like is the fact that they put in larger fog lights. Everything to me just looks so cheap on the new model.....cheap cheap cheap! Especially the interior!

Flame suit on:

-Cody

 

I think the "new" ones are on top and the "old" ones are on the bottom. Very hard to tell, but the big giveaway for me is the higher beltline of the R56s - all the glass is "shorter".

 

DING!!! You are correct!!

 

Now that you pointed that out, at least from the side view, I can definately say I like the R56 better.....thanks.

 

Unless, of course, they just let it go without bothering to fix it. After all, there ain't gonna be any more.

 

I would love to own the last R55... since thats the Clubman (but i know what you meant)

 

The R56 is a beautiful car in it's own right. C'mon, guys....how long did you think they'd keep the R55 unchanged? Also, did you think it was a mistake updating the Austin Seven and dropping a huge 1,000cc motor in it? If you had your way, would we still be driving cars with Armstrong steering; sliding front windows; Lucas electrics; heaters that just might work if the ambient temp doesn't drop below 50º; 4-speed trannies; no radio; 10" wheels; etc...etc...?
Where would you like progress to have stopped? Right after you bought a MINI? What about guys who bought one when 5-speed trannies were de rigeur? They may have halted progress at that point, denying you your 6-speed Getrag.

Sorry....rant over. As you were, people.

 

Its a good job we did move on !!!!!!