New 2014 Mk3 MINI - Launched at Cowley today

[mab01uk]

New 2014 Mk3 MINI - Launched at Cowley, Oxford today - on the day that classic Mini designer Sir Alec Issigonis would have turned 107.

Interesting Evolution images...




New MINI – a growing legend…
"MINI has produced a series of interesting images, which by way of introduction, puts the new F56 alongside the previous three generations of cars to wear the Mini nameplate. There’s plenty of discussion about the growth of the MINI by AROnline readers, and when the four cars are placed side-by-side, it’s all to clear to see that the Issigonis original is absolutely tiny, even when compared with its immediate successor, the R50, launched in 2001."
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/news/mi ... ng-legend/





World Premier: The New MINI
While the first two generations of MINI were wildly successful, we’ve never had a car 100% engineered by MINI/BMW. That changes today with an all new car. That car is the F56 and it represents the first clean sheet design since the R50 was launched in 2001.
http://www.motoringfile.com/2013/11/18/ ... -new-mini/

New Mini Cooper 2014 review - Auto Express
New MINI 2014 pictures and details | Auto Express

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wQxzAEol4w

[carbon]

It's a shame they did not use a Mk3 'classic' mini in the photo-shoot...

[Blue Mk2]

it has got a right hand tank fitted , but not a left hand tank.........

[davidnutland]

I prefer the MK1 in both guises, I remember driving the preproduction Coopers in 1999, wish I could have kept one, they were destined for the crusher days later

[Pete]

Did they account for the increasing wasteline of the average driver when they designed that ? That's a 'Mandy Dingle' of a car

[monkeyjim]

The Mini registrations are interesting as they do not come up on DVLA when you do a vehicle enquiry on the on-line car taxing page - says there are no details ........however being in the trade and a Unipart CarCare Centre I have access to Unipart Kis which I there on-line system for ordering parts direct from local branch amongst other things , anyway I have logged on it tonight and had a look , here are registrations details from Kis , oh and if the car has been scrapped the website flags it up . None of them have been scrapped .
GKN 447N
Rover Mini
1.0 Saloon 1974
Petrol MANUAL
GREEN. VRM:AUSTIN MINI 1000
Engine:99H.791P-57562
998cc 39 BHP
VIN:XL2S1N-120897A
Co2 / E Rating:,E0
Registered:20/11/1974

VLT 299X
Rover Mini
1.0 Saloon 1981
Petrol MANUAL
YELLOW
VRM:AUSTIN MINI HL
Engine:-524557
998cc 39 BHP
VIN:SAXXL2S1N10786217
Co2 / E Rating:0,E0
Registered:26/10/1981

GY05 KNW comes up as a Green Cooper S and DVLA had no details .

Dave

[pad4]

Fugly fat blob -

horrid thing

pad

[coopertim]

I think you have to keep it in context...the new cars are not meant to be compared to the classic mini. They are a BMW small car and very well made they are too! I have a 10 plate Clubman diesel and love it! It allows me to drive a Mini daily without the issues of driving a classic mk1 which there are plenty! Cheap tax, loads of miles to the gallon, i know that the build quality wont let me down and i know that it wont rot away in front of my eyes! No they are not a classic mini designed by BMC....that was 54 years ago! The mini name has been kept alive though which is more than can be said for Escort, Cortina, Minor, Midget etc! They are a modern car competing in a modern market and i for one will stay faithfull to the name and drive them as they mean to be driven...1963 and 2014!

Tim

[Pete]

I doubt you'd find anyone on here who'd say they're not great cars and not fun to drive, the point I usually make is that the whole concept of the Mini was a tiny car on the outside and big on the inside. BMW constantly grow the size of that concept (and shrink the inside) to the point it ceases to have much of a connection to the original idea other than a badge. Other manufacturers don't seem to have an issue making nippy little tiny cars, the reason BMW don't is that they want to change and indeed have changed the general concept in order to sell more cars , understandably, and very successfully I might add. You can't argue with the success of the car, however the fans of the original tiny little car don't necessarily have to buy into it and yes BMW have made some truly huge ugly versions ( I know, I know, I own a Hornet, guilty as charged ).
The company themselves to be fair do constantly compare their new models to the original Mini , not just us old so called 'die hards'.

Each to their own and long may that continue but me, they interest me not. I did see some crackin funky little modern cars in France this year though, can't remember what the were but they certainly aren't on the roads over here.

[mab01uk]

Developing and producing 'cheap tiny' cars need greater annual volumes to be profitable to gain economy of scale and a low wage economy workforce for the factory.....it was always part of the reason BL/Rover could never replace the Mini and why Nissan have recently moved Micra production to India and the Peugeot 107/Citroën C1/Toyota Aygo are made in eastern europe. Even the MINI (which created the new premium small car sector to make it possible to build a small car in UK) needs more volumes than 300,000 world sales per year, hence why the new platform will be built in Netherlands and also underpin other small BMW fwd models.......500,000 per annum is the long term planned target.
BMW will build a Mini MINI (Rocketman) only when it is profitable to do so and probably somewhere like China or India.

In the meantime we should be proud of MINI's success and that most will be built in Oxford.......as an engineer I recommend you take a look round the Oxford factory if you get a chance.
http://moxford.plantsitecms.co.uk/facts ... -tour.aspx

[Pete]

Developing and producing 'cheap tiny' cars need greater annual volumes to be profitable to gain economy of scale and a low wage economy workforce for the factory.....it was always part of the reason BL/Rover could never replace the Mini and why Nissan have recently moved Micra production to India and the Peugeot 107/Citroën C1/Toyota Aygo are made in eastern europe.

Absolutely, I get all that , as I illuded to previously, like McDonalds you can't knock the business model.

I wonder out of curiosity how the original Mini Metro would fit into their Mini/MINI line up, always been the elephant in the room in BMW's cherry picking of Mini history , and probably ours ! Had they stuck a Cooper badge on that car...

[foxy52]

Developing and producing 'cheap tiny' cars need greater annual volumes to be profitable to gain economy of scale and a low wage economy workforce for the factory.....it was always part of the reason BL/Rover could never replace the Mini and why Nissan have recently moved Micra production to India and the Peugeot 107/Citroën C1/Toyota Aygo are made in eastern europe.

Absolutely, I get all that , as I illuded to previously, like McDonalds you can't knock the business model.

I wonder out of curiosity how the original Mini Metro would fit into their Mini/MINI line up, always been the elephant in the room in BMW's cherry picking of Mini history , and probably ours ! Had they stuck a Cooper badge on that car...

....I often think the mini metro or an updated version for this day and age would not look out of place by comparison to what some companies are churning out ?!...4 decent seats and a hatch that was usefull....the BMW is a fine well built car but a mini or a cooper it wasn't,isnt and never will be..especially now.... !!..whereas a Golf GTI is now looking nearly as good as when they dev the mk 2 and 3,s....its now looking stealthier to having lost some weight... if it wasn't for the price ... ??!!! how much ??!! **** me !!! I would not hesitate to drive one again....BMW undoubtedly build fine cars though....me ? im a Merc/VW man always will be apart from my mini of course...... foxy52.

[monkeyjim]

I think one of the main problems classic Mini owners have with the Bmw Mini is the way Bmw went about things at the begining after aquiring the name, the trouble caused with the established Mini aftermarket industry and the subsequent plundering of the old names used in classic Mini production . Maybe if Rover were still going and they had released the new version there would not be such a hoo harr about it .
The old car was never going to live on in full scale production , Euro emissions limits and crash test regs killed it off or were about too.
Comparing the two cars ......... Come on , really ? How can you.
Maybe if Mini had continued evolving over 30 yers like the Corrolla did views would be differant .


The Bmw drives well , the drivers seat is a great place to be . I like them but wont be buying one yet . Did consider a diesel one in 2003 but they were not value for money compared to the small hatch we did buy and still own which could take 3 rear passengers , had a bigger boot, 2 more doors and loads more kit for less money .
They have got some odd models and if the same vehicle was badged a Kia Picanto possibly no bugger would buy them but they seem to sell on the back of the Bmw brand .

It has worked out well for Bmw and given us Brits jobs , the ones that want to work that is .

[minitravellerman]

What an ugly heap that is!

[UHR850]

Looking good to me BUT: Mini Mini 4ever

[chichestermini]

Somehow, I didn't think it was possible for the mini to get any worse. It's taken me this long to adjust to BMW's first attempt!