Yes, as I said, there has always been bashing or comments made about chages. So what's the diference when an R53 owner bashes changes in the R53 vs an R53 owner bashing changes in the R56? There is no difference yet for some reason it is now being touted as jealousy or whining

 

You're correct.

I just meant that some of the repeat offenders that dramatically state "OMG, I will NEVER buy another MINI again, the R56 has lost the spirit of MINI, might as well buy an Accord" or other similar comments are in fact, just whining or jealous. Dont you think? Maybe im off the mark, dunno..

 

Well if a 1st gen Mini owner really does not purchase a 2nd gen Mini then you gotta admit that they really did feel that strongly & probably weren't jealous or whining. They are entitled to feel that way but people who truly hate the 2nd gen Mini will fade away over time because their current Mini can't possibly run forever

 

True.

I still dont see what is so drastically different about the new one to make people feel so strongly either way .

 

The R53 was about form and function, and was a no compromize design effort. It had the task of re-establishing the marque, and as a result, the design team had to hit a bulls-eye. Well, they not only hit a bulls-eye, they created a modern classic that went on to sell double its projected numbers. A key factor in the success of the R53 is directly due to the unique marriage of function and form. Hood scoops, repeaters, and super charging were functional elemets that lead to pleasing visual and audio design aspects of the R53.

With the R56, BMW has taken the marque in a different direction. It had pressure to meet evolving safety standards, and cost factors to contend with. Considering these pressure points, I do not envy the R56 design team, and they have done an excellent job when you factor this in.

However, ordaments and artifacts from the R53 that remain today on the R56 are simply legacy left overs. When an argument is made that it is "functional" as a means to distinguish models, they miss the original point and origin of these elements.

 

I'm guessing you two guys (bamatt & DustinDallas) agree on at least one thing ...Chili Red with White Stripes.



dean.

 

Yep but.... my top's better than his top

 

well thats because its the best. cant really argue that fact

(almost bought a DS/B....its cool too)

 

HEY! At least I can see out the back window.

jk..love the vert

 

"Legacy leftover" is perhaps the best reason for preserving the hood scoop on the R56 MCS I've heard yet. Its a testament to the beauty of its heritage.

dean.

 

I'm not so sure. The first mules had this, and people were shocked and horrified when the spy photos were out.

 

Excellent point. The current MINI has many "legacy leftovers" from the old mini as well.

Is there a real function behind the huge center mounted speedo, or the seperate colored roof? What funtion do the bonnet stripes add? How about the little fender grills too?

The list goes on..

 

Agree. I much prefer a small scoop (like the one on the mcs) to an ugly bump in the center of the hood.

 

What really blows my mind is that the differences are miniscule in comparison to the changes made from the classic version and the 1st gen.

I agree with those who have said that there is argumentative ways of having discussions like this and then are CONSTRUCTIVE ways of discussing differences of opinions.
I, for one, will make sure I take a long breath before posting replys to posts that are worded to incite an argument.
In the end the scoop is there.
For those that like it and those that don't and those that don't care either way, these are all PERSONAL OPINIONS.
I'll agree with some, disagree with others.

I'm going to be a new MINI owner in a couple of weeks. I liked the MINI club-like aspect of the MINI and this forum has been great except for posts that deal with any changes made in the MINi design. They seem to boil down to comparisons between the last Gen and the current Gen models. It seems any thread discussing anything new to the MINI becomes a way of insulting other people. I'll avoid these threads in the future. They become too defensive and offensive. Both positions block learning anything new.

 

Stripes are stripes. Coloured roofs are coloured roofs. Speedometers are speedometers. Hood scoops aren't blocked off slits.

Whereas the scoop on the R53 aided in going faster, the foop on the R56 must fractionally add drag.

Seperately, I'm not sure that what's on the side of the R56 is meant to reference our old fake side grills. I think they're, now, supposed to evoke old hood toggle-closures.

 

You missed the point.

yes a speedometer is a speedometer, but you cant tell me that the huge stylized center speedo isnt just a cosmetic touch. it isnt any more or less funtional than a normal speedo. its there for cosmetic purposes only.

The side grills and the bonnet stripes are cosmetic items as well.

The hood scoop adds a bit of agression to the front of the car. It's there because it "looks good." To me....thats IS a function.

 

I think MINI missed an opportunity with the new car. Since under the hood temps should be higher with the turbo, why not just add a vent? Think EVO vs. STi. STi has a top mounted intercooler, it has a scoop. The EVO has a front mounted intercooler and, oddly enough, no hood scoop.

Find a photo of the old Group B Audi rally cars, they had hood vents all over and, in my opinion, was very agressive.

RR

 

No, you're missing the point.

The foop isn't like a centre-placed speedometer, it's like a painted-on speedometer.

 

No compromize(compromise)? Where did you get that? That is a fairy tale at best. If you think there were no compromises along the way designing that car you are kidding yourself.

 

but it looks every bit as good as the R53 scoop. so who cares? It may be fake, but its certainly doesnt detract from the look of the car. People are just complaining for the sake of complaining.

 

Are you kidding? Just like the last one, it's a cheap plastic insert with an unsightly join line that distorts stripes and the over-all clean look of the hood. If the point of a clamshell was to rid the hood of seams, why was the scoop not moulded seamlessly into the hood from the get-go? That blunder was only mitigated by the fact that it was an essential part - it fed the supercharger.

The join line only exists now so that people can pop it out and replace it with another coloured one. Since the part doesn't have to actually do anything, maybe now it'll also be like a Mr. Potato-head port; with optional oversized sunglasses, or a funny clown's nose. Imagine a giant, trashy spirit of ecstasy! Or a chrome moustache!

 

Guys, I'm going to step into this argument--albeit with more than a little fear of reprisal. The more I hear about the reaction to the changes, the more I wonder if this isn't a "running scared" feeling on the part of some of the R53 owners. Yeah, the scoop is nonfunctional in the traditional way; yeah there are other "nonfunctional" parts, in the view of the R53 owners. The fact is, the R56 is superior in many ways, and is the wave of the future, the way it is going to be, and you dissenters had better realize that. If you don't like it, don't buy one!

 

perfect use might be


(thanks yucca )

 

I said it doesnt look any better or worse than the R53 scoop..Re-read.

I dont remember seeing many complaints about the old hood scoop, so why this one? They look the same, that was my point. It's purely psychological.

 

Its superior, but not by much. I do like it though, and I will buy one.