[S33BBY]

It's a shame for the heritage more than anything.

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by salocin (original)

I think it's a great shame about the BMW 'takeover'.

I presume the new 'works' will be nothing more than a MINI M series when it arrives.

I am sure it will be a great car but not a JCW in the true sense. I am sure it won't matter to the majority of buyers and I am just a nostalgic old f**t.

It does matter to me though.

Quote: Originally Posted by GBMINI (original)

Todays GP already was engineered by MINI(BMW) and not by JCW ... do you like your GP?

Just like the last JCW kit was too, the JCW badge is purely a badge and the JCG was just that, a garage

[salocin]

Quote: Originally Posted by GBMINI (original)

Todays GP already was engineered by MINI(BMW) and not by JCW ... do you like your GP?

Sad but true I think ..... built by Italians too! But.... yes I am in love with my GP, it's got everythiing I could ever wish for in the driver excitement departement. It takes a little getting used to but approaching 4,500 miles I can honestly say it's more fun than anything I have owned including various 911's and my Jag 'e' type!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by S33BBY (original)

It's a shame for the heritage more than anything.

That's my problem with the situation exactly.

Quote: Originally Posted by Rakey (original)

Just like the last JCW kit was too, the JCW badge is purely a badge and the JCG was just that, a garage

....... and now not really even a badge anymore, just a BMW M series whatever they call the next one!

I am sure it will be a great car, just misses the point for me a little.

BUT ..... I wonder how tempted I will be if they bring out special edition GP version Can I do without the supercharger whine and the rawness of the current GP?

We shall see!

[GBMINI]

Quote: Originally Posted by salocin (original)

I am sure it will be a great car, just misses the point for me a little

I don't know ... sounds a lot like the classic Mini guys when they learned a "BMW" MINI was coming ... that worked out OK so I feel that future "JCW" (or whatever) MINIs will carry the heritage well

[salocin]

Quote: Originally Posted by GBMINI (original)

I don't know ... sounds a lot like the classic Mini guys when they learned a "BMW" MINI was coming ... that worked out OK so I feel that future "JCW" (or whatever) MINIs will carry the heritage well

Yup, that's a good point well made and as I said I am sure the latest MINI in whatever guise will be a stonking seller.

I am perhaps of that age group that harks back to the past .. a bit of a dinosaur perhaps, At 48 perhaps a little too old to be playing with Mini's anyway!!!

The new car itself is no great departure from the original 'new' Mini unlike perhaps the XJS was from the 'E' Type Jag! Or indeed as you say the Mini was from the classic Mini (which I still love)!

Classic cars are a passion of mine so I would still question peoples future perception of the current JCW changes in years to come, we shall see!

[S33BBY]

Quote: Originally Posted by GBMINI (original)

I don't know ... sounds a lot like the classic Mini guys when they learned a "BMW" MINI was coming ... that worked out OK so I feel that future "JCW" (or whatever) MINIs will carry the heritage well

Indeed. It's certainly not a bad thing technology wise, but the history and brand will disappear. I know JCW had some input in the conversion kits for the first generation MINI, but I'm sure it was largely BMW. Despite that, at least JCW themselves existed as a separate entity; I had my JCW Sound Kit fitted by them in West Sussex. That's no more.

[*Vikki*]

I used to enjoy going down to JCW garages wasent far from me, used to vist a lot

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by salocin (original)

....... and now not really even a badge anymore, just a BMW M series whatever they call the next one!

I am sure it will be a great car, just misses the point for me a little.

BUT ..... I wonder how tempted I will be if they bring out special edition GP version Can I do without the supercharger whine and the rawness of the current GP?

We shall see!

Its just history repeating itself, just as the Cooper badge used to stand for something different to what was from factory, then the Cooper S badge, now its the Works badge.

Agree its a shame, but its been very much a BMW/MINI item anyway, its just that now instead of paying a license fee for its use they now own it outright.

I guess that in time the next step could be one of the current aftermarket tuners badges that becomes the new Cooper name to have something different, but then they would only really get in the same league if they actually raced a few MINI's with their name on it, now that I'd like to see

[Hyper Active]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rakey (original)

Its just history repeating itself, just as the Cooper badge used to stand for something different to what was from factory, then the Cooper S badge, now its the Works badge.

Agree its a shame, but its been very much a BMW/MINI item anyway, its just that now instead of paying a license fee for its use they now own it outright.

I guess that in time the next step could be one of the current aftermarket tuners badges that becomes the new Cooper name to have something different, but then they would only really get in the same league if they actually raced a few MINI's with their name on it, now that I'd like to see

The likelyhood of say GT Tuning, who i think of as the top independent tuner of MINI's, doing anything in international motorsport just couldn't happen today. To say run a MINI in the world rally championship against all the factory funded teams, would just cost to much money. Financially things have moved on to far for independents to compete.

When John Cooper was running his World Championship winning Grand Prix team against Ferrari in 1959, the Cooper team was run on an annual budget of £50,000. With inflation that would equate to something in the region of just £3 million in today's money. This wouldn't have got John Cooper very far against Ferrari in today's Formula 1, with there £250 million at least annual budget.

You can only compete competitively in motor sport now with factory funding.

[timmydamini]

It seems that the 'Works' section is gone from the Cooper web site, just 'Motorsport' and 'Classic' remaining.