2007 car with bonnet open

[Hat]

damn clumsy pedestrians why not teach them how to use a road properly rather than redesign cars to make a softer landing it doesn't matter how much you do to a car - a ton of metal is always going to win over flesh & bone

[northandy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hat

damn clumsy pedestrians why not teach them how to use a road properly rather than redesign cars to make a softer landing it doesn't matter how much you do to a car - a ton of metal is always going to win over flesh & bone

not unless they strap mattresses to the front of all cars

I look forward to seeing the new gen Mini in the flesh...

[LMB]

I'm not keen at all on the direction the new Mini is taking. It seems to be loosing all it's cool style cues.

[Tommy_Gun]

After the new mini is shown to the public will we still have time to place an order for the old (current) one? I want to wait to see the new model but if I dont like it I'd want to order a new one in the current shape

[Pritch]

Well I don't think it looks too bad - it is still clearly a Mini and hasn't changed the concept at all.

Legislation drives the changes to a large extent - not just boredom within BMW engineering: eg. pedestrian safety requirements, the headlamps now being fixed - even the fact that the current mini is bigger than the classic

These cars are probably pre-production prototypes as opposed to being off-tool so there can still be tweeks here & there (although the shape will be fixed!)

[cct1]

Granted, these are only test mules, but I'm leaning toward keeping my 2006 more and more every day...I was thinking about a 2007 JCW, but I think I'll probably end up adding the JCW to the 2006, and keep it forever.

I can't get over the new front. The problem is the orientation and location of the headlights has stayed the same, but the grill has by necessity become more bumped out. This makes the lights look recessed too much, and makes the bumper appear it sticks out too far. If they brought the headlights out another two or three inches, I think it would look much better--I don't think the bumper would look like it's sticking as much, although it would make the car look even bigger. But what I really think would be cool would be to bring the lights out almost flush to the grill, and completely vertical, rather than at an angle. That would be even more reminiscent of the original mini.

[Pritch]

Quote: Originally Posted by cct1

But what I really think would be cool would be to bring the lights out almost flush to the grill, and completely vertical, rather than at an angle. That would be even more reminiscent of the original mini.

They're not mules - they are the real car

I guess the aerodynamics would prevent the lights being more vertical - the windscreen angle gives the car bricklike aerodynamics already

How boring, the car almost designs itself, after the concept and regs are fixed !!

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Yikes..
Think I just felt the value of 05/06 models get a little more solid.
Seems the 07 has lost a bunch of the Mini charm at the front end - I wonder about the rest of it?

[envy]

I dont really like the look of this 'new' model.

Seems most of the 'new' things, have been done to improve pedestrian safety.
Which i understand is a good thing, but i think they are slowly taking the 'mini' from the car.

Ive ordered my 06 MC with full spec, so im going to be happy enough with that.
Although of course, the 05/06 MC's will be slower - but hey! Add some mods

[MorrisSCooper]

I just reckon when they go to this new turbo model, they should not call it a "Cooper S",
rather a "Cooper GT" and let it stand on it's own identity.
It almost seems like history repeating, when they went from roundnose classics to clubmans and other variants. In the end the roundnose prevailed. So you'd wonder if this will also repeat with a future return to supercharging, and ditchin the rice microwave,, sorry I meant to say turbo. You know what I mean.

[Paul]

Why not S? It's more like the current S than the current S is like the original S (if you follow)?

[Carlos.]

Jury is out till I see it in the flesh - a pic of a disguised car is not enough to judge the new car on, IMO. It stil looks like a MINI, I'm not bothered what the headlights do in terms of going up or staying down.......but I have arranged a test drive of an Alfa GT, just in case

[MorrisSCooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

Why not S? It's more like the current S than the current S is like the original S (if you follow)?

That's very correct, but I'm just suggesting some naming distinction. If nothing else it'll mean less likely stuff-ups by MINI parts interpreters. This notion just utililises the historic tradition of name-change when significant styling or engineering changes are made, just like when the roundnose was a "S" and the Clubby was a "GT". Both of these were the top model, but reconised by name. The alternative is that when I go out and buy an "S", I'll need to then explain which one it is, when asked what I drive by the non-mini people. Unnecessary explaining=uncool?

[Paul]

But the clubman was a different model, the S remained the S from mk1 onwards of the Mini, just they called the 1275 clubman the GT, this isn't a "clubman" or model variant, it's just a new version of the MINI. You could argue they should call the Cooper the Cooper as that will cause confusion, and the One shouldn't be called the One, in fact when you say MINI people will be confused..... I can't see any reason not to call the new S an S.

[Hat]

why does the S need the bonnet scoop if theres no supercharger anymore? if the S & cooper are both using the same turbo unit then why would they tool different bonnets?