Took these pics at my local dealership today. Enjoy!












I'll post more when they get the Cooper S in stock.

 

Nice collection of pics...thanks for that!! It has become very hard to critically analyze comparative pictures of R50 and R56 because photos can be surprisingly deceptive...more than I had realized. Your collection is more telling in that one can attempt to triangulate between different views.

I really like the evolution of the R56 Cooper!! It's got more snub-nosed heft and overall visual simplicity than my early R50 Cooper, and the promise of (and reports of) smoother engine preformance, improved interior ergonomics, and better fuel efficiency just make it all the more attractive!!!

 

Thanks for the side-by-sides. The 07 looks fine by me except for the front end. The front end of the 06 just looks so much better ahhh well nada we can do about it at this point.

 

Thanks for the side by side pics. Helps to see the differences more. Very nice dealership. Got pics of the 300hp MINI coming?

 

It's true, the R50 Cooper bonnet had a disctinct slope to it and out of that came those famous profiles/contours that are so sexy. I would submit, however, that the R56 Cooper bonnet almost has the bulk of the outgoing MCS and it's chunky-ness is just as Mini-like...although maybe in a different way. This is reinforced by the R56 headlights which I have come to love...so between the strong horizontals of that now-unified front grill, the added heft of the bonnet, and the "pressed-to-the edge" look of the headlights, this MINI (Cooper) is less cheeky and seems more aggressive. It has a different feel than the outgoing R50...but yet a familiarity with both R50 and the classic Mini. I admit it's a stretch for some, but if one can see it from this perspective at least one can appreciate why many of us are so on-board w/ R56...not that you'd have to agree, of course. Add in the many technical improvements/refinements...R56 seems a worthy successor to the crown.

 

See to me the front end just looks more bland, like it is trying to blend w/all the other cars on the road but...you say tomato I say tomaaato & the neverending debate continues

 

Great Pics

I can go with the unified grill but the '06 bonnet still has a better shape to it. But in 5 years we will all be debating over some other change that will be made... Personnally, I can not wait for more butt dyno results.

 

Although I know the R56 is not much bigger, the larger headlights and taillights definitely give it a larger appearance. I'm still liking it.

 

I had to double take on that first pic to figure out which was which lol

 

I officially HATE the R56's headlights. . .

 

Just for you Newbs, here's the 300 hp Hot Rod #1...



250+ hp Hot Rod #2...



And the 208 hp (211 ps) Clubsport Final Edition...

 

But...but....they're needed at night!!!!

 

Thanks for the pics. Have info on the cars as far as mods.

 

Sorry, the guys in the know ("KP" and Herr Becker) were both out when I went into Schäfers today or I would have gotten some engine pics and specs for ya. I'll stop by in a few weeks when the S's arrive. Maybe I can get more pics then.

 

GoKartRide - your feelings are pretty close to mine. I like the low graceful shape of the old MC, but also I like the bulkier more muscular look of the R56. My least favorite is probably the old MCS with the hood scoop bulge. I think it has all the nose bulk of the R56 but none of the grace of the MC. I say that with the knowledge that a year ago I would have chosen an MCS because I like the way they all look, and the subtleties are just a small part of making a choice - same reason I've ordered an 07.

But one thing I've never liked about the old design is the small sliver of vestigial grill that lives out on the front bumper. From the front it looks right, makes the total grill the right proportion, but from most other angles I think it just looks like a poor solution. Small complaint about a car design that I like very much. All the same I'm glad that other factors shaping the R56 allowed them to change that.

 

SMSgt Bo you are to be commended.

Very nice comparison of the old vs. new Cooper. In fact these pics are the best and most equitable in that they depict the R53/R56 in the same light and angle allowing the viewer to compare them on a "level playing field".

Much easier to see the differences although I must confess that I had a hard time at first discerning which was which (R53 or R56?).

Now one question for you. Is the Cooper in the above photos Lightning Blue? A nice shade of blue - appears to be a cross between Indi-Blue and Space Blue. Can you clarify for me as those pics of Lightning Blue have almost looked like Astro Black on my monitor. TIA!

 

Truer words were never spoken!

Nice assesment... I wholeheartedly agree!

 

Thanks, I was glad to post the pics.

The Clubsport pictured started life as a standard Checkmate (code ZCM) in Space Blue. The lighting in the showroom was pretty bad yesterday so it looks darker. They keep the Mini's in a windowless "basement" and reserve the ground floor (from the street side) for the Bimmers.

 

I agree with bamatt. The first generation MC's bonnet is an inspired work of beauty. The '07 MC bonnet just doesn't have the same aesthetic unity to it. It looks like it has gout. It looks like a beautiful bonnet that's been f'ed up by pedestrian regulations, which is exactly what it is. Much like all MCS bonnets look like beautiful bonnets that have been f'ed up by intakes. IMHO, of course...

 

Shouldn't it say "06 cabriolet and 07 Mini One hardtop parked askew"instead?

 

No, should have been "06 Cabrio and Santa's sleigh parked askew", Ho Ho Ho!

 

nice pics dude. that blue one looks good .

 

is it just me or does the new body make the car look chunky?

 

It's not just you.

 

The new body style does look a little chunkier in person and I'm glad that came across in these pics. I like the thicker fenders and rear end but the bonnet, sadly, has lost its unique character.

Maybe there'll be a market for retrofitting the aluminum turbo motor into the Mark II (R53) cars.