Well so much for a CONSTRUCTIVE discussion.

Silly or not, the fake hood scoop is the single reason my car is the end of the line for me. I cannot stand the fact it does not lead to anything.

It is the same as the people that buy the bolt on scoops from JC Whitney for their F-150 or Suburban. I think the R56 is a hell of a great car otherwise.

Others have pointed out this type of thing happening in the past; I would not own those cars either.

Hey, this is just a good opportunity for some enterprising individual to adapt what MINI has given us to something better:thumbsup: :nod:

Why couldn't you enclose a TB-mounted intake and force feed it from the scoop? Shorter path, colder air, positive pressure? Sounds useable to me.

The airbox itself is only a couple inches behind the throttle body.

Seems like it would be just as easy to pipe directly to that.

Then again, everyone seems to be saying it's not usable... so I guess it's out of the question.:wink:

Umm, excuse me? The upper scoops are used for cooling your luggage and groceries in the trunk, while the flank ones are often mis-identified as scoops - but they're actually exterior map pockets.

So what if it is just for looks or style? Our cars are all about style. How many of you would have bought a Mini Cooper if it looked just like a 1980 VW Rabbit but performed like a Cooper? (I would have, but I'm sure most people wouldn't have) The hoodscoop on my Bullitt Mustang is completely non-functional, but I think it looks good. I had an early Mustang Cobra with a non-functional hood scoop, so I made it functional to get more/cooler air into the air cleaner/carb.

-Keith

Hood blister... with the changes to the flattend hood on the R56, a hood blister could have been used to differentiate the models in additional to adding some flare to the new hood design. I think a blister would have been less controversal than a fake hood scoop.

I like the scoop as a differentiator and am not at all bothered that it's non-functional. Someday it'll give us something to talk about with our kids when they ask about it and we tell them the differences between the mk1 and mk2 MINIs.

I suppose making it functional for engine air intake could be a good idea, but I'd hesitate to simply remove the plastic direct water roll across my coils, or back onto the turbo or cat.

A hood blister... I'm not sure I understand.

Like a round or oval bump of some sort? Kind of like the old Opel GTs?

I saw too eSses today. The non-functional hood scoop does bother me. No appologies . . . passion doesn't appologize.

The dealer mechanic had an immediate suggestion of how to mod the scoop to provide functional air. I couldn't keep up with him . . . clearly a man speaking from a passion.

The sales manager sort of winked and said that, with some future production introduction, the scoop would be functional. He has just returned from Scottsdale. I suspect the MINI corporate guys let a JCW factoid out of the bag.

For my part, it seems a vendor would create a insert to remove the scoop. First reaction, most of the club members there would be interested. There was also talk of putting the Cooper hood on the S but the S is higher . . . not sure if it is just due to the scoop or because there is some component to clear. The lines of the S hood do seem more masculine even if the scoop were removed and a blank inserted with bondo. I think I'd keep the scoop and find a mod to use the air.

The MINI is all about our heads. Okay, I'll accept politicians flaunting chrome circles as portholes and fake hood scoops as air intakes . . . but I won't take stories from my MINI!

Whining about a non-functional hood scoop I can understand. But whining about needing a "differentiator" to make sure people know you ponied up the extra Gs for the S cracks me up.

Anyone want to start an over/under on the magnitude of the HP bump that will be claimed by people opening up the scoop and "ramming" air into the intake? Or how long it will take for the part to be offered in carbon fiber?

Exactly.

The hood blister could have done that. I probably would have like that as well.

chrisneal; "But whining about needing a "differentiator" to make sure people know you ponied up the extra Gs for the S cracks me up."

Who exactly is whining here and who said that?
I haven't read any posts that said someone needed "a "differentiator" to make sure people know you ponied up the extra Gs for the S". Maybe I missed it.

I know I mentioned earlier that I believed MINI kept the scoop to help diferentiate the models. I suppose I could be wrong, MINI may have left the scoop in the design for absolutely no reason at all. Maybe they just forgot to take it out of the new design. Maybe noone noticed.
It couldn't be that MINi actually reseached this and determined that it was a good way of keeping an S looking like an S, therefore a way of differentiating the models.
Some people will buy the S because it looks more aggressive as well as being more aggressive.
I really think that motivation is a very big market share.
If some people want to delude themselves with the idea that MINI (as a corporation) is building cars ---
-- To satisfy just the purest,
-- so that the only people who should be buying the S are those who intend to race it,
---so that people that have some idealogical dream about automotive design that does not take it's cues from well reseached market studies,
in order to satisfy a few people that would be a very irresponsible way of growing a brand and staying in business -- not realistic.
That's just the way it is, IMO.
You can say my post is whining if you like but at least make an effort to accurately depict the point of what I am/was saying, not put your own spin on what it meant.
Whining over.

If MINI had removed the scoop you would have even more people complaining about changing the look too much.

A little OT, but I've been curious about one thing. The air inlet for the turbo is low down on the front grill--does a front license plate interfere with cooling? Our state is--sigh--one that requires one. :mad:

ack! good Q!

my state does too.

Boy, you've got that right !

Can you imagine the incessant whining that would have occurred then !!

I've got to say, this topic of discussion and how passionate some R53 owners are about their cars being the be-all-end all and how the R56 has some how diluted the marque (with its extra horsepower, faster speed, superior gas mileage and equivalent handling without the buckboard ride) really is beginning to ruin the ownership experience for me. I thought the brand offered a bit more solidarity amongst its owners.

When I happily flash my brights at an R53 am I going to get the finger in return?

Why don't you guys just grow up. So, the hood scoop is fake. Big friggin' deal. When your R53 finally needs replacing, simply buy another one, or buy something else, or get an R56 and swap out the hood with an MC owner ...I bet some of them would love to add a fake scoop to their cars ...because it looks cool. Its a styling feature, plain and simple ...exactly the way a blister would have been a styling feature.

And, this is in no way directed at all R53 owners ...just the ones that feel the need to whine about the R56 and how'd they never by one because of the fake hood scoop. I never could have imagined that whether or not a car had a hole in its hood would have caused such a fuss ...especially since from all accounts the car without the hole is greatly improved.

designerMINI: Well said. I'm with you.

karlInSanDiego & Mineon: I agree.

What I am tired of on the NAM boards over the past few months is the superiority complex that some R56 owners seem to be trying to force down my throat. It's always fun :roll: to come on these boards that I have posted on for the past 2 years & see that I should somehow be purged, eliminated, or removed via enema :roll: from the board if I have a negative word to say about the new Mini.

I am a 1st generation Mini owner with plans to be a 2nd generation Mini owner in 4-5 years when my current Mini wears out. I have the right to come on these boards & say what I think of the new Mini just the same as I have had the right to say positive & negative things about the 1st generation Mini in the past. Funny when we used to post negatives about the R52/R53 in the past these battles never occured yet now the same kind of comments seem to start a war. All the bickering from both sides is getting old & it has started making me want to log on to NAM less & less :nod:

Sorry if my post came across as a superiority complex ...it is anything but. If the R56 was not available yet I would have ordered an R53. I love that car! It is the R53 that made me want a MINI ...it was the test drive in an R53 that sealed the deal.

I was simply pointing out how tired I am of some R53 owners bashing the R56 for the most inane reasons. If I lead you to draw a different conclusion, you have my apologies. I don't recall any R56 owners beating their chest about their cars unless an R53 owner had bashed it first. If there is a post anywhere on NAM where someone said they would never buy an R53 now that there is an R56, I have not seen it. But there are plenty of posts stating the opposite.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about the bickering ...that was exactly the point I was trying to make. I guess I missed the mark.

And of course, everyone is entitled to express their opinion and point out negatives ...but there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.

Lets all just play nice. Please.

dean.

Just remember that we have been picking apart flaws on the 1st gen Minis (color choices, harsh ride, reliability, cheap interior, etc...) for years so the natural evolution of things leads us to now pick on the R56's, but reelsmith :grin: if you flash me I won't give you the finger http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy075.gif

When you really think about it, the two cars are barely different. A few hp and a nicer interior dont change the spirit of the car. The argument is pointless.

I think both sides of the R53 vs R56 war are equally guilty. I've seen R53 owners dissing the new car, without ever seeing it in person, let alone driving it. I've also seen people with R56s on order gloating about how superior it is to our cars. Again, I dont think they've driven the new car either, so why they think its better is unknown. Most reviews I've seen prefer the old car for its driving dynamics and the new car for its everyday utility/comfort. Which is better is not really up for debate at this point.

As for the non-funtional hood scoop, are you serious? Who cares.

100% agree, and understand your frustration. The people whining the most are probably just mad that they now have an outdated car. Ignore them.

Thanks for promoting the harmony. Comments like that keep fueling the fire :roll:. My Mini isn't at all outdated :thumbsup:

Haha, thats not what I meant. I do HAVE an "outdated" R53 ya know..:lol:

But I have seen people bashing the new car to no end, yet they dont really state why. Some people just hate change I guess.

Wasn't their a similar debate when it was re-designed in 2005 as well? I remember people complaining about the new tail-lights and bumper design, as well as some of the new interior items like the loss of the 2 spoke wheel.

With ANY change, no matter how minor, their will always be someone to complain..

For the most part though, I see more current MINI owners that are optimistic about the new car than those who diss it.:thumbsup: