[stefspain]

Here the shortcut to several pictures of the new mini interior !
http://www.wheels24.co.za/Wheels24/C...ni/Cooper2007/

[Stanners]

That interior is just tasty! like it

[mini vanilli]

interior looks pretty good.

but whats with that little extra hump on the back of the car. right below the window on the back corners. it bubbles out. whats that all about. it completely ruins the back lines of the car. please tell me its not going to stay like that.

[RallyMINI]

All I have to say is WOW! That is some great design work! I love the new interior! All kinds of new tasty features! The exterior is, eh, OK, I like the '05 styling a lot, so it moves me less.

Nice work MINI!

RM

[chaincooperS]

I suppose I may have to duck to avoid the flung mud, but I kinda like the current setup over this new one. Of course, it may change once I see a 2007 in person... I definately like the old setup of the toggles over the new ones. Putting the radio info into the speedo looks ok, and I like the mini emblem worked into the controls, but I kinda like my dash the way it is... (2005) ...ducking....

[DeadCanDanceR]

Quote: Originally Posted by chaincooperS

I suppose I may have to duck to avoid the flung mud, but I kinda like the current setup over this new one. Of course, it may change once I see a 2007 in person... I definately like the old setup of the toggles over the new ones. Putting the radio info into the speedo looks ok, and I like the mini emblem worked into the controls, but I kinda like my dash the way it is... (2005) ...ducking....

Hey!!! You're not alone! I also find the current MINI's interior design much nicer than those proposals! Actually, I think that the interior is one of the features that I love most about the MINI Cooper!
So! No need to duck anymore!!!

[Themikanic]

Just glad I have my 2005 JCW MCS Chilli. The new interior doesn't do it for me....Mike.

[Rakey]

same as the autoexpress pics from the other week

[texas]

It is looking way too avant garde... the dial looks like a big weight scale.

The rear doors (RX-8 drone) looks terrible...

But i reckon i would like the bonnet w/o the grille attached

[Berthil]

Look at http://galleries.wheels24.co.za/cars/Mini/Cooper2007/

I think I'll wait ordering the 2007 model

[TT_Convert]

Very likely to change before hitting production.

[Minty]

i like alot.....can't wait to see it for real.

[rfibanez]

I saw the new interior in person...I didnt like it

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

I really like the current interior, but it's not perfect and I'd hate it to stay the same way forever.

I like these mock ups a lot. They are an evolution the current design and actually more extreme. It's always a bad sign when companies need to use customer clinics; they usually result in watered down, bland designs that become more and more like the car they were meant to replace.

(Having said that Chris Bangle has created some extreme designs that don't look like they've been subject to a clinic, but then I hate everything I've ever seen of his work, so I guess I want it both ways don't I ? )

So go for it BMW, much as I love the current car, give us something interesting and new all over again; just keep Chris Bangle and that awful iDrive a safe distance from the entire project

Tigger.

[Andromcs]

I think the present interior looks richer than the new design. The new design looks a bit economy carish to me. I second that opinions may change once we really see it, but for now I am quite happy to have our '05. Thinking it might become a classic!

[tntomek]

Mixed thoughts about the new interior, I think it will look alright once it's production.

What totally ****es me of is the audio integration into the speedo. I love how the current model let's you swap out a head unit of choice and it looks like it came with the MINI. Why do manufacturers have to integrate that way, this isn’t a Accord or Camry, most people will customize these vehicles and the first thing some people will do is rip out the stock unit. Why not make the wheels non-standard as well so we have to buy BMW approved wheels

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by tntomek

Mixed thoughts about the new interior, I think it will look alright once it's production.

What totally ****es me of is the audio integration into the speedo. I love how the current model let's you swap out a head unit of choice and it looks like it came with the MINI. Why do manufacturers have to integrate that way, this isn’t a Accord or Camry, most people will customize these vehicles and the first thing some people will do is rip out the stock unit. Why not make the wheels non-standard as well so we have to buy BMW approved wheels

Apart from the fact that integrated radios remove the threat of radio theft, you've hit the nail on the head with your last comment. People will still want to upgrade their standard radio, but I, for one, ordered mine with the basic radio and then upgraded it with an aftermarket unit. Make it unique fit and BMW and their dealers are much, much more likely to get the replacement business. It only makes sense from the manufacturer's point of view, if not necessarily ours!

Tigger.

PS Please don't give them any ideas about unique fit wheels!

[abraham_aiza]

WELL:


The large mini looks extremely ugly...i hate the idea that they are going far away from the old mini idea, our nice minis are so stable cus it is wider than higher so it hits curves better...the interior is nice...but not rally looking, like are one and only mini, which is a retro car and i think it looks better in a rally type console, that makes it stand its heritage....this is rather weird but the compact mini is UGLY....just to make the boot non accesible from inside...stupid....looks smaller.....and the large one is eve worse...

[lightbody]

Yuk!! Not sure about those proposals at all. I can see how they're an evolution of the current MINI, but are they losing site of the 1959 original ? I'm also really upset that the car is going to get bigger... people are going to start laughing at a MINI thats larger than a lot of small cars!!

[M1N1GUN]

Overall I'm not very impressed with the new look for our MINI.

I don't mind the new doors, of all the changes, they look most like an evolution of our current models. Although they do seem to have lost even more storage space, & I hope they have some different colour options (the all black doesn't look finished at all).

I REALLY don't like the frypan speedo, it's way too large & bulbous, looks like this new design has 2 s.wheels. It is also much too busy with all the extra features incorporated into it, a centre speedo should be simple & easy to decipher, this is too confusing. And us Aussies have to swap the speedo and tacho because of Australian Design Rules regarding visibility issues, this is not helping. Looks more like a computer screen than a speedo!

The new 2 spoke s.wheel looks terrible, I much prefer my original 2 spoke.

The new air vents look very generic BMW now and lose their great MINI character. The side air vents are also disproportionately large & seem to squeeze the whole dash inwards.

The downtubes look terrible, our current ones give the car much more soul. These are much too angled, they look overly BMW designed & really clash with the curvy shapes everywhere else.

The new shift knob looks very plain & boring also compared to the current one, it screams replacement.

The centre stack looks like it's trying to be way too cool but instead, looks like one of those cheap, ultra tacky all-in-one spaceship stereos with "turbo boost mega bass". All the silver pieces really cheapen the look. The MINI logo A/C looks a little contrived & doesn't fit in with the other pieces in the stack. They should also move the buttons behind the shifter back to toggle switches, the only people I ever remember whining about them being confusing were reporters. All that silver around the toggles is not required, it's too much & really detracts from the toggle switches themselves.

The more I look at the interior, the more it looks like a generic BMW design apart from the frypan speedo and star trek centre stack, which gives it the appearance of a badly thought out mish-mash of styles (IMO). I hope there is a lot of refinement still to be made, but in the end, higher quality materials can't convince me to upgrade to this new soul-less interior. My '04 MCS is looking even better now.