[Paul]

Exclusive Photo Feature - New 2007 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Design Comments.

^^^ Link.

[Rakey]

loving those red and black seats

[LMB]

Ok I'll be honest I like it.

[MartinSSZ]

Shame the Cooper and S grilles won't be a direct swap

Oh and the Cooper it looks really nice with white indicators, hope that'd be an option

[obehave]

Quote: Originally Posted by MartinSSZ (original)

Shame the Cooper and S grilles won't be a direct swap

Oh and the Cooper it looks really nice with white indicators, hope that'd be an option

I hope the white indicators are an option for the S.

Looks like it's got something stuck in it's eye. Makes me want to wipe it off.

Clear lenses and some P21s would fix it.

[Paul]

Conjunctivitis automotivus.

[Olly.]

Paul, You might not be able to say but do you know when the next snippets of info are due?

[Paul]

I'm still pestering for more details, but the next "big date" is the Paris motorshow.

[mister.t]

So when are options and their prices gonna be launched?

[Washy]

I think it is good...look forward to driving one.

[Hat]

well i like it. i think they've refreshed & tightened up the design in a lot of areas while slightly missing the boat on a couple - i can;t reconcile those side indicators on the cooper at all. when you look at the comparison shots the new car looks more planted - the flattening/widening of the rear makes the current car look really upright.

there seem to be some previously talked about options missing - lights in the wing mirrors & LEDs in the rear lights. maybe these will make an appearance later or as options

[Hat]

they also seem to be differentiating the one cooper & s much more - something that was criticised on the current car

[Paul]

Indeed, a wise move I think.

1.4, 1.6, 1.6 Turbo. And different looks for all.

[spud130475]

I see your stuck with the stock radio and cd player , the speedo is huge(too big) but love the rest of interior, outside i like the suttle changes

[Olly.]

Just looking on the MINI UK site, has the sunroof been changed other than the twin tilt?

It mentions something about a wind deflector. Does this mean you'll be able to have a conversation above 50mph

[Rakey]

also looking on MINI.com and loving the lighting inside, the changing of the colours, and the way the whole door bins are included

[ontheroadagain]

Nice pix, but I think I'll have to wait to pass judgment til I see one in real life.


I do think the dual color seats look nice and wonder if that is standard.

[Paul]

It does look different in real life, as do all cars. Some for better, some for worse!

[DeadCanDanceR]

I've just seen the official photos of the new MINIs and I'm not impressed at all. Actually, I don't like what I've just seen!

The new Cooper looks fat! Overall, I feel that this car lacks the refinement of the current car. The chrome detailing looks odd and sort of cheap. The shape of the lower front grille doesn't make any sense at all, and that chrome surround looks so bad! I feel that the chrome surrounding the rear fog light looks a bit overpowering too! The side repeater housing looks massive and thus way too black!

The headlamps aren't too bad but, I don't like the fact that the amber parking lights are now part of them. The gap between them and their chrome surround make them look a bit cartoonish (I preferred how they looked with all that camouflage tape around them). The new taillights aren't too bad either, but I'm still not convinced by their size.

I feel that the Cooper S looks a bit better (or not as bad) than the regular Cooper. The relationship between the various elements of the front end makes more sense, but the black grille isn't too exciting (especially if one remembers how cheap it looks when you open the bonnet). The lower grille is far better looking than the Cooper's, but it doesn't look as sporty as the current model. The lower grille's chrome surround is way too much for a Cooper S, and the same goes for the rear grille. And I feel that one rear fog light would have looked far better than twin ones!

I hated the interior too! The center speedo has lost it's appeal by sharing it's location with the stereo controls. The center column looks way too busy with all those separated CD and air conditioning elements, which look really cheap. The whole dashboard looks like a really bad Japanese reproduction of a real MINI interior! The only thing I like is the colour detailing on the red and black interior, and the new door panels.

I'll have to wait until I get the chance to see this car in real life in order be able to make a final (and fairer) judgement. But, so far I don't like what I've seen in these photos. The whole car looks cheaper and not nearly as refined as the current model.

[JG.26]

I would have to agree with what DeadCanDanceR has commented upon. I bought a copy of this weeks Auto Express with pics of the new S and oh lordy Lord it really does look bad, I can't see how the motoring press can say the changes are subtle, are they blind

I don't think there is one exterior change that I like, headlamps and the longer bonnet don't look right, shame the wipers have been hidden away but that part isn't so bad, I really do hate the side repeaters, in fact I think it would have looked better without them altogether . The larger plastic wheel arch trims make the wheels look too small, the loss of the wraparound rear windows is a real design mistake and replacing it with cheap, what looks like plastic, makes it look odd, what looks worse in this respect is if you go for the tinted rear windows it will look more like a van, I dislike the way the bottom of the rear jumps over the exhaust tailpipes, making it look awkward, the chrome round the tail lights looks too large.

The only part of the new model I really like are the door cards which do look lovely and nicely sculptured. The speedo is wayyyyyyy too toy town large though and I dislike the plasticky looking centre console. I do like the toggle switches in the roof and the ability to change to interior light colour is a nice touch. One promising thing is the ride will be better tuned to the runflats, always a downside with the current model. The turbo charged engine does nothing for me, had them in my Audi A3s before the MINI, I guess it will be the same engine that's in the Peugeot 207 GT?.....

Hmmmm I so much want to like the new model but the changes I find are very irritating, I do think BMW and Audi are loosing their way in the design looks of their cars, too much sharp edge design, which dates too quickly, the BMW 1 series looks like a boat to me and the 5 series looks too bland, the Z4 not as pretty or sporty looking as the Z3. The only model I do like is the 3 series although not as much as the previous model.

Think I will wait for a few years for a new design team !!