Hmmm...does the R56 resemble the R53 more than either resembles this?

 

And honestly, they coulda gone weirder...

 

lol

 

"The MINI Cooper is not a retro design car, but an evolution of the original. It has the genes and many of the key characteristics of its predecessor, but is larger, more powerful, more muscular and more exciting than its predecessor ever was".

 

hmmm... The wheel flares are way too big. And the side markers are just tacky - so big, and they join right into the seam of the hood. What were they thinking.

 

Those side vents would have been beautiful. It looks like a void space where the three panels intersect (that strap across the hood, the hood itself, and the panel behind the tire) with a little piece over top. really, really nice. I wish our side repeaters stood alone on the body work like that.

Really lovely rear flare, looks like a 911 turbo from the 80s.

 

Now that's cool! I'd consider that for my next car over the 56.

Tell me it's not photoshopped.

Zip

 

Wowzer... how cool is thatl! Nicely slammed, retro yet modern. Now that one could have been another classic R53 in the making. What was BMW thinking when they moved away from that design?

 

I like the looks of that one, a lot ...but, not as a MINI. I just doesn't look very MINI-like to me. Its too sleek ...it looks more Italian (which is a good thing).

dean.

 

Photoshopped? Man - that drawing is signed by the deity's hand. It was done in 1998, as dated at his sig.

Its lower, wider, hoodscoop with no bulge and all the sweet lines of the R50. Its everything the R53 hoped to be, but came up short.

No problem. I cut it immense slack. I still love the car. Who couldn't.

 

The marty feldman thing is funny and I have an R56 coming. I would just like to point out that someone who is secure in his/her feelings for a vehicle sees no need to denegrate another. Instead of threading hate through here, maybe read Dr. Seuess's "Sneetches" (or something like that -- read it a long time ago).

 

Lynn, I feel very "secure"about my choice. FWIW

 

Maybe it's the revised Clubman nose?

 

This is great! Someone should paint eyebrows on the windshield!

 

I didn't say I was referring to you. I happen to find your posts enjoyable and don't see why ppl get so mad about them.

 

R56 looks much better than this!!! In fact, the Traveller concepts seemed to give clear indicators to what many of the design elements of R56 would be.

 

windows - not thats a topic to slap around...

 

Well I've got to say I would have preferred these headlamps to the R56, these look a little more sinister and less wall-eyed. Having said that, I still love the look of the R56.

 

Note that this is a Stephenson design sketch. The man himself. :-)

 

You can probably guess the vintage of the sketch (pre-BMW) by the much wider Mini wings logo.

 

I was being sarcastic - mocking criticisms of the R56.

Seriously, it is interesting that side markers on the R56 are a hybrid of the R50/53 and the ones in this sketch by Stephenson.

The wheel flares are a different issue. I think the ones in this sketch are hopelessly optimistic, as are many aspects of all designers' sketches, but that is the purpose of sketching ideas, is it not? But the car does look like a tricked out Mini and the wheel flares remind me of a Porsche Turbo as mentioned above.

It says 98 right next to the sig on the front spoiler.

Pre BMW? Was Stephenson working for Rover before BMW got involved? I thought he was assigned to the project by BMW, and there were competing teams from BMW and Rover advancing designs for the car, Stephensons group prevailing as we know.

 

totally missed that.

 

Have there been any body kits that replaced the stock flares with wider stuff like that sketch? Give you room for outrageously wide rubber?

 

In reference to the classic Mini shown earlier...I do think the less curvy bonnet of R56 shows more influence from the classic. Based on this, I am a fan. If anything, given the new pedestrian standards...the R56 bonnet is now very form-follows-function and that is a very Mini thing.

In addition, the unified and more prominent front grill also seems to harken back to the classic, as does the whole more similified look up front. In the end (as much as I liked bumper stips as a design carry-over from the classic), they were merely cosmetic.